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Dolphin Island Lodge is located on Uaguitupo Island, a private Island directly across from the indigenous Kuna island community of Achutupo. Known locally as the Uaguinega Ecoresort, the name derives from the Kuna language, where Uagui means dolphin and Nega means house. Together, therefore, it means “The House of the Dolphin.” During certain times of the year you can catch a sight of dolphins, and with some you luck you might be able to admire them.

It is a 45 minute flight from Panama City to Achutupu airport, which is hardly Heathrow, with only a tiny landing strip with a wooden hut!!

You ate them met by by your Kuna guide, who will take you on a short trip in a motorised dugout canoe to the lodge itself. If you don’t like small boats, and don’t fancy the idea of a dugout, this trip is all of three minutes!!!

It doesn’t take long to feel you are miles away from civilisation.

When you hear the words eco resort, it may be a put off, because our only previous experience had involved worms, and I won’t tell you what they did, but if you go prepared mentally then what you will find is a Robinson Cruso castaway style, quite basic but very comfortable, vacation.

The Lodge has 11 cabins, which are pretty basic, and have electricity from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. after which an emergency lamp is provided.

The 3 junior suites are a great deal more comfortable and more suited for those of us who have outgrown our enthusiastic eco-warrior youth, and now like some home comforts!! They are equipped with solar panels to provide electrical energy through the night. The island not being very large is almost all given over to the resort, apart from a few staff huts.

It is all very attractive with a mix of palm trees, grass, and the cabins, which are right on the edge of the sea. In fact the sea is so close you almost feel it!! You can sit on the deck in a hammock and totally relax to the sounds of the sea.