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#1 of 1 lodge in Pinas Bay
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Travellers' Choice
Tropic Star Lodge: World Class Fishing Adventures TROPIC STAR LODGE has been Rated the #1 Saltwater Fishing Resort in the world by the Robb Report. Fishing the legendary waters off Piñas Bay, Panama is an adventure of a lifetime for all anglers. Fulfill your fishing fantasy! Tropic Star Lodge has provided the ultimate in offshore and inshore fishing adventures for our guests for the past 59+ years. We invite you to discover why we’ve been named “the Best Fishing Resort in the world.” Tropic Star Lodge is a veritable paradise cut out of the side of a mountain at the edge of the Darien Jungle on the Pacific coast of Panama. The Lodge is situated 150 miles south of Panama City. It can only be reached by boat or plane, since there are no roads within a hundred miles. A charter plane lands on an airstrip in Piñas Bay. You then take a ten minute boat ride to Legendary Tropic Star Lodge.
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Property amenities
Free internet
Pool
Personal trainer
Free breakfast
Beach
Hiking
Airport transportation
Spa
Internet
Pool / beach towels
Saltwater pool
Shallow end in pool
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Complimentary welcome drink
Outdoor dining area
Snack bar
Special diet menus
Wine / champagne
Poolside bar
Fishing
Patio
Table tennis
Walking tours
Board games / puzzles
Couples massage
Facial treatments
Foot bath
Foot massage
Full body massage
Hand massage
Head massage
Manicure
Massage
Massage chair
Neck massage
Open-air bath
Pedicure
24-hour security
Concierge
Gift shop
Outdoor furniture
Sun loungers / beach chairs
First aid kit
Laundry service
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Room features
Air conditioning
Housekeeping
Safe
Wardrobe / wardrobe
Laptop safe
Private bathrooms
Wake-up service / alarm clock
Hair dryer
Room types
Ocean view
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Charming
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
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220Reviews16Q+A66Room tips
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This is a stupendous lodge in a stupendous location. What really stood out was the fantastic staff and the attention to detail in our trip arrangements, flights, transfers in Panama City and day to day life at the lodge. The accommodations and meals were wonderful. The fishing was terrific with 5 dorado caught, 12 pacific sailfish and a 400 lbs. Black Marlin, a fish so incredible to see that I still see it when I close my eyes. An astounding sight when it leaps out of the water behind the boat. I had a captain and mate that were an outstanding team and they were relentless fishermen. We had no rain to speak of and no biting insects at all. Fabulous pool and bar. 4 amazing days in the jungle with amazing scenery.
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Property's Favourite Review
Tropic Star is a must on the buck list. I could have not asked for a better staff at the lodge or a better captain and mate. I will be going back!!!!! They went out of their way to make you feel welcomed and a part of the team when fishing. thanks very much Freddy
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Date of stay: March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
Response from Mallory White, Guest Services / Front Office at Tropic Star Lodge
Responded 24 Mar 2022
Dear Dream753206, Thank you very much for taking the time to leave your five star rating of your stay at Tropic Star Lodge. We really enjoyed your visit! Thank you for your nice comments about our staff and the crew you fished with. We look forward to see you guys back to the Lodge soon! Best wishes, Mallory and Richard White
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
My son and I traveled to the Lodge during Thanksgiving week. From the moment of arrival to the time of departure, everything about our stay was absolutely perfect! The accommodations and the property was beautiful. We were nestled up against a lush rainforest with tropical plants all bursting with flowers and fruit. The food was delicious and well-prepared. And the fishing was outstanding. We caught 7 sailfish and too many dorado to count during the week. My son also hooked up with a huge black marlin (who threw the hook). The staff and service was absolutely outstanding. I seriously can’t think of one criticism to make about any part of our stay. For us, this was a trip of a lifetime and the memories we made will stay with us forever. We want to go back!
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Definitely take advantage of the laundry service.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Mallory White, Guest Services / Front Office at Tropic Star Lodge
Responded yesterday
Dear LisaM, It was great having you and your son visit us over Thanksgiving week. It was so special for us to be part of your mother-son trip. Thank you for taking the time to review your stay with us. Congrats on your fishing and we hope to see you both return for a Marlin rematch. All the best wishes, Mallory and Richard White
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
Absolutely world class experience, front to back. INCREDIBLE fishing but even more incredible people. Marlin, Sailfish, Mahi, Snapper, ALL were caught. Ross and Richard run a tight ship, but everyone and anyone that’s works for them believes in the mission. Service, drinks, dinner, all world class. Boats, captains, and crew as good as it gets! I was blessed to share this adventure with my wife, and ladies and gentleman are both treated exceptionally well!
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Go ASAP
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Mallory White, Guest Services / Front Office at Tropic Star Lodge
Responded 1 week ago
Dear michaelzH4097AL, We're very happy to know that your bucket list trip to Tropic Star Lodge was five-star and that Richard and Ross took great care of you. Congratulations on your special catches and especially that Marlin! We are happy to know that you found the fishing incredible as well as our on-land services. We very much enjoyed your stay and we hope to see you and your wife back soon! All the best wishes, Mallory and Richard White
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This is the most epic fishing destination! Richard White and Ross Alford will make your stay and fishing experience the best ever! It was the best fishing of my lifetime! They have a fleet of 31 foot Bertrams and the captains/mates are very knowledgeable. The food and resort is great! In three and a half days of tagging dorado, we tagged 70 from 33 inches to 56 inches or about 60 pounds! We also released three sailfish and kept 4 yellowfin tuna. The resort is very remote and they manage everything in house! If you want epic fishing and great staff, go to Tropic Star Lodge!!
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Travelled with friends
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Bring your camera for the beautiful photo ops!
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Mallory White, Guest Services / Front Office at Tropic Star Lodge
Responded 1 week ago
Dear novicetraveler55, We appreciate you taking the time to review your recent fishing trip with Tropic Star Lodge. Congratulations on tagging all those Dorado. Tropic Star Lodge is proud to be part of your research and ocean conservation effort. We're glad you enjoyed the food, staff, as well as the epic fishing. We look forward to seeing you soon. All the best wishes, Mallory and Richard White
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
My husband convinced me to go to Tropic Star for our 10th wedding anniversary. I was very hesitant because 1- I am not an "angler" 2- there is not a typical resort beach and 3- I was sure I'd get 1 million bug bites in the jungle. Everything at Tropic Star exceeded my expectations (and I have stayed at many Four Seasons resorts). The room accommodations were oversized and very clean. We stayed in a Villa with a dining room, 2 bathrooms, outside Jungle shower and huge walk-in closet. The room was FANTASTIC! The staff was incredibly helpful and truly makes you feel at home. Richie & Ross create a very fun atmosphere where the entire group staying at the Lodge gets to know each other and becomes friends over the week stay. The food is amazing, you'll forget how you ever fed yourself before Tropic Star. Every meal is the best you've ever had -- and they'll even feed you tuna sashimi on the boat if you catch a Tuna. Incredible! There is laundry service as often as needed and they'll even wash your shoes - which you may need after hiking to the beach through the jungle or getting fish blood on them! The fishing days are pretty long - boats left the dock around 6:30am and returned at 4pm. We fished during a slow week, so our boat didn't catch any Sailfish or Marlin, but other boats did. We caught many Tuna and Mahi which were really fun and large fish to catch. Our largest Tuna was about 60lbs and largest Mahi about 80lbs. We were disappointed not to catch any billfish, but we had fun and stayed busy still catching other fish. The captains and mates are all incredibly skilled, knowledgeable and fun to fish with. The boats are very comfortable and spacious, we upgraded to a Bertram with an AC cabin, which I recommend because it gets very hot in the afternoon and having a little relief was well worth staying comfortable and being able to fish the full day. If your husband is trying to convince you to go to Tropic Star, I would highly recommend it. Even if you're not an avid angler, you'll have a great time. The fishing days are long, but full of excitement with monster fish (even aside from the billfish). The spa is wonderful, the hike to the secluded beach is a very cool experience. If you're ready to get off the beach and experience a true adventure, then you'll love Tropic Star Lodge! ...oh, and I didn't get any bug bites :)…
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: The spa fills us quickly and a massage feels amazing after a long day of fishing, highly...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Mallory White, Guest Services / Front Office at Tropic Star Lodge
Responded 19 Sept 2023
Dear J3407SNjennym, Thank you for celebrating your 10th wedding anniversary with us! We are happy to know that we exceeded your expectations and that you enjoyed the most special part of Tropic Star Lodge -the comradery. We know that guests have high expectations when it comes to catching billfish here, and although it wasn’t in the cards for you, we’re thrilled that you had fun catching Yellowfin Tuna and giant Dorado. Thank you for taking the time to leave your review of your experience on the water and at the lodge. We hope your husband can “nudge” you to return to Tropic Star Lodge for that billfish! All the best wishes, Mallory and Richard White
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Amazing place with fantastic service. The food is great. The team makes you feel like family. The fishing is world class. We went as a family and cannot wait to come back. The attention to detail really shows. What a special place! Thank you to the entire team for a trip of a lifetime.
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Spend time in Panama City. It has a lot to offer.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Mallory White, Guest Services / Front Office at Tropic Star Lodge
Responded 18 Sept 2023
Dear D1633DVjoeg, Thank you for leaving your review of your recent trip to Tropic Star Lodge. We are glad to know it was an amazing experience. Thank you for mentioning our staff and the food. We'll give the compliments to the Chef and extend the thanks to the entire team. Congrats on all your special catches! We look forward to you returning for your next fishing adventure. All the best wishes, Mallory and Richard White
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
This place is simply amazing! Our experience at the lodge exceeded all our huge expectations we had build up before arrival. We knew that the fishing would be great but we could not imagine how good it really was. We cought dreamfishes and got to walk the plank several times. First ever pacif sails plus like 25 more of them during the week, Cubera snapper and so much more. But the fishing is not everything. What really surpriset us was the amazing staff, every staff contributed to us feeling like we became part of their family and we could not be happier. Thank you all!
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
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Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Mallory White, Guest Services / Front Office at Tropic Star Lodge
Responded 29 Aug 2023
Dear Mangeflodmark, Thank you very much for taking the time to leave your review of your fishing vacation to Tropic Star Lodge. Congratulations on your dream fishes! We love seeing you walk the plank to celebrate your first catches. We’re so glad to know that you had a great stay with us, and we hope to see you again soon because like you said, you’re now part of our jungle family. All the best wishes, Mallory and Richard White
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
If you enjoy fishing, especially saltwater big game fishing, quit thinking about other places and contact TSL and book your trip. Every part of the entire experience of traveling to Panamá and getting to the lodge, fishing and returning back home has been thought out, meticulously planned and executed to perfection so many times-you need not worry about anything but bringing appropriate fishing clothes and shoes. Where else can you expect to catch anything from inshore species (roosterfish, African pompano, wahoo, cuberas) along with the offshore species ( Marlin, sailfish, dorado, tuna) on the same or back to back days. Accommodations are outstanding, food is exceptional and the staff does an amazing job taking care of you during your stay.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip: Come when you can but understand that during black Marlin season (Jan & Feb) it is no secret...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Mallory White, Guest Services / Front Office at Tropic Star Lodge
Responded 29 Aug 2023
Dear BHMBigDawg, Thank you for taking the time to leave your kind review of your recent trip to Tropic Star Lodge. We strive to ensure every part of the experience is effortless so you can sit back and relax from the time you step of the plane in Panama City. The diverse fishery is awesome to experience and it’s one of the aspects of fishing here we’re very proud of. Thank you for mentioning our accommodation, food, and our passionate staff. We hope to see you back to Tropic Star Lodge soon for your next fishing adventure! All the best wishes, Mallory
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Another Fantastic Visit to Tropic Star Lodge!!! My Fishing buddy and I caught 11 Marlin, including one Black Marlin and 10 Blue Marlin, 10 Pacific Sailfish and several Yellowfin Tuna and Big Dorado, last week at Tropic Star. We got a double hook up on Marlin, and for the first time for us, One Marlin was a Black Marlin and the other was a Blue Marlin. That was the second Double Hook up on Marlin for us, at Tropic Star. Tropic Star Staff always impress with their attention to customer needs and excellent service. The recently upgraded accommodations are world class in every way. Their restaurants and food service are better than most 5 star restaurants. Their Service, as always was the Best. I had an injured left foot mobility challenge this visit and they were able to accommodate me with a very much appreciated scooter to shorten my walking distances. YES!!! we will be returning to Tropic Star Lodge Again!!!! …
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled with friends
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Mallory White, Guest Services / Front Office at Tropic Star Lodge
Responded 22 Aug 2023
Dear georgec528, Thank you for taking the time to review your trip to Tropic Star lodge. We’re so happy to know it was a fantastic visit for you and your fishing buddy. Congratulations on your exciting double hook-up with a Blue and Black Marlin. What a day! Thank you for also mentioning our accommodation, food, and our passionate staff. We’ll be sure to pass along the compliments. It’s always such a pleasure having you visit and we look forward to seeing you back at Tropic Star Lodge soon. All the best wishes, Mallory and Richard White
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ALSO KNOWN AS
tropic star hotel pinas bay
LOCATION
PanamaDarien ProvincePinas Bay
NUMBER OF ROOMS
18
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Frequently Asked Questions about Tropic Star Lodge
What are some of the property amenities at Tropic Star Lodge?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
What food & drink options are available at Tropic Star Lodge?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Tropic Star Lodge?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Does Tropic Star Lodge have airport transportation?
Yes, Tropic Star Lodge offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Tropic Star Lodge?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Spanish.
Does Tropic Star Lodge have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the ocean view available here.
Is Tropic Star Lodge accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.