“It felt as though we had the whole world to ourselves, nothing but sea, sky, champagne and ceviche.”
When travel writer Aaron Millar contacted us looking for an ultra-remote family escape, we took him to Panama’s remote Gulf of Chiriquí to experience Islas Secas, one of Central America’s most exclusive private island retreats.
Based on the 14-island archipelago, they explored the surrounding marine reserve by boat, snorkelled and dived among coral reefs teeming with wildlife, kayaked through mangrove-fringed islands, and discovered how luxury tourism and conservation coexist in this remarkably pristine corner of Panama.
Words by Aaron Millar – The Times
“We’d been stranded for hours, but no one was complaining. Bento boxes of freshly caught sashimi, coolers of Veuve Clicquot, iced fruit and chocolate had been stashed like pirate treasure in picnic boxes under palm trees in the shade. In our own private bay, we spent the day snorkelling in crystal waters and kayaking. To be stranded on a deserted island is a hot, sweaty bore; to be pampered on one is the ultimate travel decadence.
That’s what Islas Secas is all about. Spread across an archipelago of 14 islands in the Gulf of Chiriquí, 20 miles off the Pacific coast of Panama, and welcoming a maximum of 18 guests, this private island resort is the barefoot luxury equivalent of Spinal Tap’s guitar amp. Most places are playing from 1-10; Islas Secas takes it to 11.
I had come with my family — Cameron, 11, Elise, 7, and my wife, Gillian — to spend five days living out our Robinson Crusoe fantasies, A-list style: bubbles and beach in the middle of nowhere. The ethos here isn’t just about spoiling guests. It’s as much about preserving the ecosystem: the resort is entirely solar-powered, all of its food and water waste is recycled, and more than three quarters of the land mass is, and will stay, untouched.”
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