Panama Luxury Eco Resort: Wellness Travel and Ancestral Healing

One Planet Journey’s Gabriela Costa, a Brazilian journalist, heads to La Coralina Island House in Bocas del Toro, a luxury eco-resort in Panama. With guided ancestral rituals and holistic spiritual immersions, she finds the deep and meaningful experiences boosting personal clarity and renewal. Transformational travel at its best.

Wellness Travel to Bocas del Toro, Panama

If you could immerse yourself in a dreamlike experience of ancestral rituals, such as sleep therapy or mental reprogramming, where would you go? Would it be in untouched nature, on a beach, or in the mountains? Or maybe within a pristine forest, where silence, a gentle breeze, and the scent of the earth encourage a reconnection with whom you used to be?

Earlier this year, I experienced all this (and more) in the heart of the forest at a retreat that blends luxury with spiritual immersions designed to transform guests’ perspectives of life.

Located in Bocas del Toro, Panama, La Coralina Island House, an eco resort in Panama, has embraced the growing trend of wellness travel. With annual growth rates of over 16%, this sector is on the rise, and the Global Wellness Institute predicts it will surpass $1.4 billion by 2027.

Virtuoso predicts wellness to be a top travel experience in 2025, because of its appeal to travellers seeking deep and meaningful journeys.

Among the hotels offering spas and retreats, La Coralina emerges as a leader providing something even deeper: ancestral healing. It suggests that reconnecting with the past might hold the key to finding beauty and meaning in the future.

A Transformative Odyssey

In Bocas del Toro, our pace of life follows a more natural rhythm, in line with the rising and setting of the sun. At La Coralina, our mornings start with a view of the sea while we enjoy a strong cup of Panamanian coffee. Then, the moment is upon us, and we begin our wellness experience, described by La Coralina as “a transformative odyssey.”

The ritual of ancestry delves into the four elements of health: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Accompanied by the scent of essential oils blending with nature, beating drums and chiming bells merge with the instructors’ gentle voices, leading me on a journey through memories, pain, and love.

A profound sense of calm and release flows through us as the session ends. Then, as if to celebrate a renewal, we step into the ocean to embrace a lighter, clearer version of ourselves.

The Power of Holistic Practices

“Holistic practices help people understand and navigate their emotions by connecting their body, mind, and spirit. Our thoughts shape how we perceive the world, and these rituals encourage deep self-reflection, helping us identify limiting beliefs and cultivating a growth mindset,” says Gustavo Villamor, Wellness Director at La Carolina Island Resort.

After reconnecting inwardly and feeling emotionally unburdened, guests can explore other wellness options. For example, Sleep Neuroscience, Neuroplasticity, Emotional Reprogramming, Fire and Silence Rituals, and Astrological Experiences. They all offer intense, deeper explorations into personal spaces we normally avoid. 

At the heart of the resort’s holistic offerings, ancestral lineage rituals are other tools to explore family history, release emotional barriers, and restore resilience. 

Additional opportunities for connection with the four elements include sound baths with singing bowls and gongs, cleansing rituals with copal and cacao, and guided conscious breathing. Only through these immersive practices, such as sound healing, can we begin to understand their impact on deep-rooted personal challenges.

Certain sessions, including the cacao experience, include direct interaction with the local community. Providing a genuine encounter with Panamanian culture, they offer an authentic connection with resident customs and culture, allowing visitors to immerse themselves through language sessions with the community.

“As you leave the hotel, the sounds of the waves and the tropical birds fade away, but a new heartbeat remains within you,” says Gustavo Villamor.

A Panamanian Archipelago Paradise

Here in this tropical paradise, the pace of life moves with the natural rhythm of the ocean. Therefore, I recommend experiencing as much as possible. Since rejuvenation follows the spiritual and relaxing rituals you participate in, you’ll have lots of energy for exploring the nine main islands. These islands are home to many creatures: sleepy sloths, howler monkeys sounding their dawn wake-up call, and exotic birds painting the sky with colourful feathers.

Vibrant fish, sea turtles, and playful dolphins inhabit this archipelago, and sandy beaches lined with mangroves and hidden waterfalls wait to be explored. I found it hard to choose between the sea and the rivers, and I suggest you visit both.

Cultural Diversity

In the village streets of Bocas Town, Indigenous, Afro-Caribbean, and Latin cultures join to create the area’s soul and spirit, while beats of Reggae fuse with Latin rhythm. With the aromas of traditional dishes like rondón (seafood stew with coconut milk) and patacones (fried plantains), knowing where to start is hard.

The engaging nature of the locals leaves visitors feeling they are part of the community with every encounter. As an example, “Panamenos” are fun, full of joy, and have a kind sense of humour.

Several hotels and lodges in the region operate sustainably by respecting the environment and encouraging responsible tourism. Marine conservation projects, protection of tropical forests, and initiatives to support Indigenous communities are integral to the archipelago’s identity. 

A Living Map of Healing

The holistic experience Anima Mundi, held at the hotel’s facilities, opened for guests in March 2025. It focuses on the connection between individual consciousness and the universe. Astrology, family constellations, and biodanza are other options in the program. For those not familiar with biodanza, it uses music, movement, and positive feelings to help participants reconnect with themselves on a deeper level. They become better at expressing themselves, and more capable of forming bonds with others.

Guided by renowned facilitators, this event allows those who participate to understand inherited patterns and planetary energies. At the same time, it stimulates reconnection with joy and creativity through the body. The organisers schedule new events following the trending wave of wellness and self-care. These are part of most deep travel journeys.

“La Coralina has become a living map of healing. A space where visitors can remember that true wealth begins in the silence of the soul and expands with every daily decision. We want each guest to take this awakening into their lives. This transformation does not stop within the walls of a hotel,” said Gustavo Villamor.

Real Deep Travel

Some places stay with you and shift something inside you. For me, the raw beauty of Bocas del Toro makes La Coralina Island House more than a luxurious eco resort in Panama. Here, time slows down, aligning with the rhythms of nature. The echoes of ancient wisdom invite you to pause, reflect, and reconnect. In short, the practice of deep travel becomes something real. Personal development awakens something in you, amplifying the destination.

Because sometimes, getting far away is the closest you’ll ever feel to yourself.

Have you tried ancestral healing? Can you recommend other eco resorts in Panama? Let us know in the comments. Subscribe to our newsletter and benefit from travel guides, sustainable tourism and luxury travel tips, insightful interviews, and inspirational places to visit. One Planet Journey – The World’s First Deep Travel Magazine.