This is an amazing place to host a yoga retreat. Sean, Ayesha and their whole staff are wonderful. The studio is beautiful and has all that you need. The food is delicious and the property is magical. I plan to go back!

I arrived sight unseen to teach in a yoga training program. What a beautiful spot! This retreat is about 2 hours outside of the city, gorgeously hidden in the jungle only steps away from serene black sand beaches. The rooms are well appointed, air-conditioned and purposely rustic. Meals were fresh, delicious and plentiful. The proprietors are a young family living their dream and their attentive, friendly demeanor made staying in Central America alone a lot less intimidating, for sure! I would go back back annually! Thank you, Istmo for this incredible experience!

Surpassed all my expectations!! The hosts are beautiful people, the food is amazing and the whole experience was fantastic!! This is such a magical place to hold a retreat or come for an amazing vacation! I highly recommend checking it out! Thank you soooo much!

Wonderful and friendly hosts and staff who couldn't be more attentive. The rooms were beautiful and the beds are the most comfortable I have ever experienced. The food was lovely and wonderful smoothies available throughout the day. The countryside was amazing and lots of interesting and brilliant trips on offer, I loved visiting El Valle. The yoga space is peaceful and inviting and the whole property was a great place to relax, especially the hammock area. Thank you for an unforgettable experience ????

I loved every second at the Istmo retreat center. The hosts were so friendly and accommodating, the excursions were awesome, the food was excellent, and the grounds (including the bungalows and the yoga studio) were beautiful. I cannot wait to return!!!

I just spent a week with Sean and Ayesha at Istmo and they were great. The rooms were clean, beds super comfortable, food amazing, staff friendly, gorgeous beach, everything you can ask for!!! I definitely recommend I'd you're looking to host a yoga retreat!

WOW! What an experience! Staying at Istmo was one of my greatest adventures! As a yoga teacher with experience leading retreats worldwide, Istmo met or exceeded all of my expectations. The accommodations were cozy, private, and comfortable. The food was out-of-this-world delicious! Plus, having dessert every night was a huge perk! The chef was able to create meals to meet everyone's specific dietary requirements AND learned everyone's names (16 people) at our very first meal. Excursions were thoughtfully planned and super fun. The only thing I hated about being at Istmo was having to leave ?? It takes a lot for a retreat center to wow me so much that I want to return, but I will be back in 2020 and CANNOT WAIT! Thanks, Istmo, for a lifetime's worth of incredible memories! ??

I stayed at Istmo at the end of February 2019, and had an incredible experience all around. Istmo is the perfect intersection of natural simplicity and comfort--you're surrounded by gorgeous Panamanian rain forest vegetation, less than 10 minutes walk to the beach, nature walk and meditation labyrinth on site, and yet you stay in air-conditioned bungalows (with daily housekeeping visits) complete with really nice showers. The food is fantastic--at my yoga retreat, we ate mostly vegetarian with fish as an optional add-on; everything was straightforward home-cooking style, clean and simple, everything we hoped for, from fresh fruit, eggs and potatoes in the morning, to coconut rice, root vegetable stew, roasted eggplant, black beans, plantains and beyond. The hosts, Sean and Ayesha, are second to none--friendly, responsive, communicative, always actively seeking feedback on how things are going, and educational about the area, the people of Panama, and all the activities in which we had the opportunity to participate. I also admit a big soft spot for the hosts' dogs--they are so well-behaved and loving, we had the very best time getting to see them every day. We thoroughly enjoyed speaking with other guests of the retreat center while we were there, as well. Istmo is run by great people, and I think they attract great guests! I would absolutely stay at Istmo again and would recommend it to anyone.

I wish that I were in a hammock at Istmo right now! I would highly recommend Istmo Yoga and Adventure Retreat. We had a wonderful, relaxing time, from the morning yoga to the afternoons at the beach. The biggest surprise was the food. It was some of the best food I have ever had! I would go there just to eat. Both owners were incredibly accommodating. All of the outings that we went on were fun and it was great to see more of Panama.

My family (2 adults and 2 boys, 6 & 8) stayed for 5 days, and over New Year's eve...We had such a fabulous stay!!! The included breakfast was more than delicious, healthy and plentiful. My boys more-than-loved their breakfast. Sean (one of the owners) is the Chef and does a marvelous job at cooking the dishes. Very family-friendly, very attentive (fixed the shower faucet within an hour), answered all our questions about Panama's life. We loved chatting with all the staff. They also compost and recycle as much as they can -I love that! Amazing property and surroundings! Our bungalow #1 was perfect: clean, good natural lighting, mosquito screens for opening windows at night, safe box, fridge, comfortable beds, sheets and pillows, AC if needed. I took one yoga class by Ayesha and I liked it! New Year's eve with the team was also so much fun to see it done A-La-Panamanian style. The beach Playa Grande is also super amazing, just 10-15 min walk (a bit challenging but it keeps the crowd away) from ISTMO and secluded, clean, fine black/brown sand and perfect for body-boarding (at low tide) and adventurous kids' swimming in general. We highly recommend to stay at ISTMO. It's all fabulous.

My two-week stay at ISTMO while completing yoga teacher training was unforgettable. We were met with Ayesha and Sean's warmth from the moment we arrived and were treated like family the entire time. Everyone was comfortable in the cozy and clean bungalows, the meals were fresh and thoughtfully prepared, and the accommodations and grounds were beautifully kept (and also only a few minutes' walk to a quiet, secluded beach). I will always miss the yoga studio nestled in the jungle! Thanks so much, ISTMO.

I led a 3-day Yoga and Wellness retreat at Istmo. It was the perfect escape from the city and is conveniently located where the lush jungle meets the crashing waves of the ocean. Ayesha and her team were very helpful in coordinating the retreat. The cabanas are very cozy and comfortable, the yoga shala very peaceful and perfect for yoga practices and meditation and the delicious food was prepared with great detail and care. It was the perfect place to host a retreat leaving everyone relaxed and revived. Thank you Ayesha and Sean!

What a magical place, with the best Yoga I have ever gone too, spotless cabins, and such amazing food! The bird watching and local beach were beyond my expectations and made my trip too. I would highly recommend a stay here. It isn easy drive from the airport. The owners are sweet, smart, hardworking and fun. I will return for sure. Oh ya for you Yoga lovers, you should know that this extremely experienced teacher, doesn't need to play audios as the open air studio has a nature audio of its own with birds, monkeys etc. all making beautiful music. WOW. I left calmer, healthier, and happier. Joan