Want to Rent a Private Island in Panama?

For those that have done the jungle villas of Costa Rica and the private island retreats of the Caribbean, luxury resorts in Panama offer a fresh dose of character, exclusive amenities and unmatched wilderness adventure. Three new boutique properties are raising the bar for the tiny isthmus, inviting the discerning leisure traveler to delight in its uncharted natural beauty as Panama boldly carves out its niche among the world's most celebrated luxury hotel destinations.

Travel Tip: Do the Sunset Hike to Playa Palenque it ends with complimentary cocktails, gourmet snacks from the Chef, and front-row seats for sunset on a palm-lined beach stretching almost a mile long.

For the celebrity set, Simca Island tops the list for decadence in Panama. Iconic businessman and philanthropist Jean Pigozzi rents out his private island estate for a cool $20,000 a night which buys not only use of the 290-acre private island and its full staff, but access to 18 miles of coastline that Pigozzi acquired to ensure that he owned everything seen from the estate. Two pools, a 3,000-title movie collection in the onsite cinema, and prized African art pieces placed throughout the estate offer sumptuous luxury and international flair, while a rooftop observatory allows 360-views of the surrounding Coiba National Park. The bright and funky estate is more a statement of eccentricity than sustainability; however Pigozzi established the Liquid Jungle Lab on the island, a state-of-the-art marine research facility that facilitates health of the surrounding ocean ecosystems. (Island rental from $20,000/night; http://rent.privateislandsonline.com/islands/isla-simca)

Travel Tip: Party like celebrity friends of Pigozzi do when they visit Simca multi-colored LEDs can be set to light the rooftop observatory in time to the music.

Panama's new boutique properties offer a welcome alternative for travelers looking to luxuriate in one of the world's greatest uncharted wildernesses. Like the colorful local culture caught in the middle of the country's great economic shift, these trend-setting properties are unmistakably charismatic, wildly colorful, and challenge their lucky visitors to explore finally offering discerning vacation-seekers a window to a country as driven towards progress as it is to preserving its incredible wilds.