Hotels near Kumana National Park, Panama

The cabanas are super unique and right on the beach. Waking up to the sound of the ocean and a tasty breakfast is amazing. Just a short walk down the beach there’s a surf spot with restaurants and board rentals. It’s the perfect place if you’re looking for something a bit different and really special. Would definitely recommend! There’s a bus going to Panama from Arugam Bay and the owner of the property helped me to get a tuktuk taxi to the Cabana, so it was no problem that I don’t have a vehicle.

The comfort is simple but everything you need is there: clean toilets, fridge, large open-air shower with good water pressure, and electric sockets in the rooms. Exactly what we were looking for — the feeling of being alone in a small paradise of nature. An endless beach with no one around, a starry sky at night, and a stunning sunrise over the ocean for early risers. Extras like a beach volleyball court with ball available, hammocks, and very attentive staff made the stay even better. The owner also organized two unforgettable activities for us: one of the best safaris we had in Sri Lanka at Kumana National Park, and a peaceful boat trip on the Panama lagoon, which felt like friends showing us around their home.

Secret Paradise is a beautiful wooden cabin surrounded by nature right by the sea. Malika and her family make sure everything is perfect – from cleanliness and service to excellent local cuisine. It’s a very peaceful place to relax, yet close to more touristy areas like Arugam Bay (about 20 minutes by tuk-tuk). We’ll come back as soon as we can, it was amazing!!!

Lovely and quite villa, the hotress and the brother are very friendly and willing to help.

This is THE place to stay if you are interested in safaris within Kumana NP. We had an exceptional driver (as good an animal spotter as our guide!). We were lucky enough to have Sam as our guide. He is a BBC wildlife videographer and knew so much about the animals and their behaviours. It gave us the best chance of having so many great leopard/animal encounters. The food and hotel staff was also fantastic. If I come back to Sri Lanka I would skip Yala and come here for a few nights more. There is no mobile signal in Kumana to alert other drivers to where wildlife is so usually the leopard encounters are just yourself and no-one else. Just note - the national park is still about 45 min drive away from the hotel and Panama is a quiet place (more peaceful than Arugum Bay). Its def not a party place like Arugum bay. Safaris are from 5am until about 6.30pm. I would also recommend maybe bringing a neck buff and protection for expensive camera equipment (towel to cover). There is a lot of dust that kicks up off the road.

This is a really good hotel and nice service. The staff are friendly and helpful. The food was superb with authentic Sri Lankan flavours which we have not experienced in city hotels. Overall experience is 10/10.