Hotel Alta Vista — Hotel in Volcán

My wife, 8-yr-old daughter, and I stayed 4 nights at Volcan Lodge after having been at beach locations. On our way there from David, the bus driver didn't know where the lodge was, so we got off at the main terminal and asked directions from several people until we finally found it. We should have asked for directions from the owners, who were prompt to answer our emails. Volcan seemed like a "real" Panamanian town, rather than a tourist destination. We never felt that we were in danger of being mugged or bothered, and drivers were courteous. We took taxis or walked to various local attractions, including a local coffee plantation, a nature preserve, and the new hospital with a modern emergency department. Volcan Lodge is on a paved road that turns to gravel and becomes rural -- nice for walking and running. We enjoyed learning about the town from our hosts Jorge and Vicky. Jorge lived in the U.S. for decades and speaks flawless English. During our stay there was a catered birthday party and music event, attended by a group of expats from Canada, the U.S., and England. Talking with them, we gained further insight on life in Volcan. The locally-grown coffee served at the lodge was the best we've had on any of our travels. Every item from the kitchen, known as Restaurant Mana, was excellent, and the portions were generous. Guests may need to ask to have hot water turned on for showering. Furniture and sheets in our upstairs room were a bit tired-looking and musty, but we felt our stay was nonetheless a good deal, and we would certainly stay there again. Added bonus: travelers going to Costa Rica from Volcan can use the inland border crossing at Rio Sereno -- a relatively easy and low-stress alternative to the main crossing at Paso Canoas. If you catch an early bus (maybe by 7am) it's possible to leave from Volcan Lodge in the morning and get to San Jose by dusk that same evening. The bus ride...

Four of us spent nine nights at Volcan Lodge. Yes, the dogs sang us to sleep, accompanied our dreams, and awakened us at dawn. We nicknamed the doggie chorus "the symphony". :) Other than that our stay was great. Everything I've read in the other reviews I experienced except we didn't see or feel the termites. I give my review based on the fact that I don't expect the same level of service/management from a tiny hotel in a small town in Central America as I do from say, The Princessa in Alcapulco. That being said, yes we had trouble with the hot water, and the toilet, and the dogs drove us crazy- but all that was balanced by the fact that Jorge and staff made the most amazing desayuno (yes the crepes melted in my mouth) and the dinner menu was both reasonably priced and tasted awesome. They did my laundry at no extra charge and let us wander around the place petting animals, looking at the gardens and flowers, and soaking up the ambiance. Jorge was very generous with his time and advice- one of our party is moving here, and was able to point us in the right direction on many things. Thank you again Vicki, for letting me TRY to speak Spanish with you. :) If I was forced to review the place in a sentence I'd say that I think Mana, the restaurant, is their love and the hotel management may be what they "also do" since they have the room. Everytime we had a request though, Jorge and staff took care of it immediately. Thank you and we...

My husband and I spent two nights at the Volcan Lodge. This was the worst experience I have ever had in all the years we've traveled. The bathroom was in rough shape; toilet seat didn't fit the toilet. The shower ran out of hot water after a very short time, had a broken drain cover and just plain nasty looking. Before we went to bed, I felt grit or sand on the bedspread. I thought we had something on our backpack so we took it out on the balcony and shook it. I was working on my laptop and felt the sand on the keyboard and saw an insect wing. I felt the sheet beside my pillow and felt more. I Googled termites...exactly what it was. I didn't sleep all night. I would feel the sand falling on my face. The owner was out of town and his step-son was in charge. We told him in the morning we wanted to change rooms. I checked two other rooms which also had grit on the beds, and he told us there were termites in them. One out of the four upstairs rooms did not have termites so we stayed in it and it was okay. As mentioned in another review, there are dogs barking all night. The room charge, with breakfast, was $65 - WAY too much for this kind of accommodation. I have to say that the step-son was gracious and did his best in getting us in the other room. But as for the owner, he should not be allowed to rent rooms in a building that is infested with termites. Do not stay at Volcan Lodge, unless you don't mind having termite grit...