Villa Paula | Established Campground

January 18th, 2024 by siju_campervan

Definitely one of the best campsites we have visited in 17 months! Katty and Nelson are the loveliest hosts ever and they really made us feel like at home. The refreshing swimming pool plus the river in which you can also take a bath and their well equipped kitchen are only the cherry on the cake.

December 20th, 2023 by souldope_overlanding

superb hosts, nice ground, tidy pool, lil messy but clean kitchen, freshly made posas and doggies are interested on our wheels

10p rig + laundry 5

ᕙʕಠᴥಠʔᕗ

Update: Villa Paula is up for sale now……. fingers crossed that the new owner will be kind to the travelers……..

November 17th, 2023 by agibon9

Yes this is indeed a MUST !!!
Came cycling (2ppl), paid 5$/2p/night. We had a room, double bed with fan, could use kitchen, WiFi, shower, WC. Fresh beer for 1$.
Katty and Nelson are absolutely genius !!
We wanted to stay a night. We stayed 3.

October 12th, 2023 by konazach

Definitely a must stay. One of my favorite paid spots for the whole trip. House is on a beautiful river. They have a really nice kitchen and hangout area and plenty of space to park. This is a good place to get mechanical stuff sorted as they have tools and a small space to Do work. Also laundry is $5 a welcome site after Costa Rica.

August 28th, 2023 by staceytourout

A MUST!!! For real, we couldn’t recommend this place more. Stopped right after the border, and we were greeted with smiling faces. The property is beautiful, lots of space for rigs of all kinds. Private, and quiet but close to town. The following morning we were treated to fresh fruit from the property and had a swim in the pool. One of the guests cooked us an incredible lunch in the communal kitchen, and we used the free weights to work out. The hosts offer laundry for a small fee as well. Pet friendly, cold shower and a magnificent garden to roam through. Kathy and Nelson are the type of hosts that will turn your one night stay into 5. We appreciated the warm welcome into Panama, and hope to be back to this place soon.

August 18th, 2023 by thunderingcomb02

Nelson e Katty são pessoas fantásticas, iria ficar de 3 a 4 dias e acabei ficando 2 semanas e meio. Fui tratado como família e a despedida foi difícil. Cobram $ 10 por dia o que vale muito a pena, tem piscina, um rio para refrescar, muitas frutas como coco, teta de chola (única e deliciosa) mangas, abacates, laranja, limão e mamon chino. A Katia presentiou minha cachorrinha com meias e botinhas para sua pata machucada. O Nelson eh um excelente Chef, especializado em comida asiática, foi uma orgia gastronômica! Eles sempre mantém as instalações limpas e organizadas. Parada obrigatória para os Brasileiros que passam pelo Panamá! Para quem curte eles tem um refrigerador sempre cheio de cervejas por $ 1.00 foi o lugar que mais curti nos meus 9 meses de viagem

August 13th, 2023 by almacalu

Este lugar es INCREÍBLE, la gente, la limpieza, los precios, la atención, el amor con el que Kathy y Nelson ayudan y atienden a los viajeros es inmejorable. El acceso es muy bueno, las piscinas super limpias, zonas de sobras, sol, tranquilidad. Dispone de baños, duchas, lavadora, corriente, vaciado de aguas negras, llenado de agua, es decir, todo lo necesario para no querer irse en mucho tiempo.
Dúo Calú viajeros desde España.

August 7th, 2023 by mitreisend.com

Stayed for 1 night. Super friendly owners and beautfiul garden.
Shared kitchen, bathroom, living room and pool.
Wifi.
10USD for 2 in a Van.

August 3rd, 2023 by edithbolz

Hermoso lugar. Estuvimos 2 días, Nelson y Katty unas bellas personas, preocupados en todo momento, nos compartieron frutas de sus árboles y miel de papayas, nos dieron muy buenas recomendaciones. Pudimos lavar ropa también .La piscina con agua cristalina, los pajaritos de colores, los más lindos que he visto. Muchas aves y un monito regalón muy simpático Gran espacio para estacionar y mucho pasto. Gracias por recibirnos con tanto cariño Katty y Nelson.

July 24th, 2023 by jcocivera

A must stop for any overlanders, especially those on Motorbikes. Kathy and Nelson are amazing hosts and went above and beyond in helping us whilst we were there. We had dinner cooked for us and it was delicious and reasonably priced. Highly recommend for anyone entering or leaving Panama.

June 3rd, 2023 by jw.germain

We spent 5 nights 4 days very well here. Nice swimming pool, very nice hosts, tasty avocado. Very nice site with all for big rig.

April 2nd, 2023 by Family4rêveurs

Good place flat and grassy with swimming pool. Water clean from the river. So nice with this hot weather

March 27th, 2023 by martinpaillard

Nelson saw us on the road and made à U-turn to invit us at his place even though we were already heading to it since we saw it on ioverlander. how can we thanks them for their kindness. there is rooms, kitchenette to cook, very nice place to chill along a big swimming pool and cherry on the cake: beer for 1 dollars at your disposal. Cathy and Nelson are huge (the word is little) fan of motorbike, they organise one of the biggest event of biker of Central America. Very happy that we crossed their way. @cathy & Nelson, as i told you, you are more than welcome to stay in five years at our place in France (as they are planning to come with their motorbike)

March 23rd, 2023 by lineetlouvisitentlemonde

un véritable havre de paix !
Spot où il fait bon se poser après le passage de frontière.
les hôtes Katy et Nelson sont des plus aimables, serviables et font tout pour vous mettre vraiment à l'aise.
Le terrain en herbe est super grand, avec une piscine pour le bonheur des petits (et des grands !)
Venez sans hésitation !!

March 11th, 2023 by hihosilver.van

We enjoyed a relaxing overnight stay at Villa Paula. Paula is no longer the proprietor but Nelson and Katie were wonderful hosts. They drained and re-filled the swimming pool on Sunday morning and we swam over and over again to cool off. The pool was crystal clear and the perfect temp for swimming and floating. We grilled under the palapa/ranchera and used the lights at night by the pool. Potable water from a long hose will reach the parking area which is very flat. Plenty of sun or shade for parking, depending on what you are looking for. Nelson brought us a dozen ripe avocados to eat from the trees in the garden. Great first night/day in Panamá!

February 26th, 2023 by michael-koeck

one of the best campgrounds in Panama! the hosts are super friendly, the area for parking is perfectly flat, kitchen and toilets/showers are clean, pool was filled with fresh water, we enjoyed it totally and we would definetly come back!

January 23rd, 2023 by desertfalcon

This place is a gem, especially as the hosts Nelson and Kattie are truly great persons, welcoming and caring and helping. Thank you!

January 11th, 2023 by napoli.k.alexandra

The owners Nelson and Katty (we checked the spelling with her, so this is right!!) are lovely people and so welcoming. When we arrived we saw a for sale sign and got worried but went around the coner to the other gate and were welcomed with fresh avocados. Perfect spot!

January 1st, 2023 by pibock

Don't miss this place, it's a little heaven, not only for trucks or car but also for bikers and cyclers and heaven backpackers, they have room to rent or a huge grassy area to pitch tents, share kitchen.... And the really refreshing pool. That is the place to stop and rest before or after the border.

October 24th, 2022 by avargas

very irresponsible! We tried to make a reservation by Whatsup, they saw our messages and did not answer us! We called and they did not answer the calls! watch out! they are very irresponsible

October 23rd, 2022 by avargas

very irresponsible! We tried to make a reservation by Whatsup, they saw our messages and did not answer us! We called and they did not answer the calls! watch out! they are very irresponsible

September 24th, 2022 by lenaleier

wonderful place. Very well-kept natural garden, clean, large pool without chlorine. Very well equipped kitchen, large covered outdoor area with hammocks and strong wifi. Washing machine can be used. Super friendly operators. We highly recommend.

September 23rd, 2022 by jamantullu

Wonderful place. Katie and Nelson, the caretakers, are really nice people and very interested to get to know people from all over the world. The pool is filled with natural water, huge lawn to play and a lot of fruit trees in the garden. Any size of car can enter. It's still 10$ for the car per night.

September 11th, 2022 by benjisalez

Super buena onda familia que haría todo para ayudarlos en lo que necesiten. El lugar es hermoso en la naturaleza. Perfecto para pasar unos días a descansar y queda cerca de David que es grande ciudad donde se puede encontrar todo. Hay espacio para caravanas, camping hasta cuartos tienen. Yo tuve una experiencia génial allá que recordaré siempre. Gracias Nelson y Kathy.
Favor de mandarles mensaje (WhatsApp) lo más ante posible antes de llegar para que se organizan entre sus varías actividades : +507 6448-5620

August 26th, 2022 by Casita Carrier en roadtrip

We enjoyed a lot our stay here. The kids had a blast, with the chickens and the pool. we all loved the caretakers of the place Katia and Nelson. They are the kindest persons.
Kitchen fully equipped, access to toilet /showers.

10$ per camper per night
5$ if you stay 2 weeks or more

August 20th, 2022 by lunastravelstories

The best place to enter (or before you leave) Panama! The garden is beautiful and has a lot of fruit full of vitamins. There is a pool which gets new water very often so it is very clean and if you have kids, there is a small playground as well. We prepared the car here to cross to Colombia and had a lot of space to do so. The owners are very kind and welcoming and had a lot of overlanders over the years. Please do yourself a favour and stay here for a couple of days.

August 18th, 2022 by 2TravellingAunties

Great place to chillax before crossing the border. Nelson and Katy are such great hosts. The swimming pool water is replaced every few days and a dip in the river is just as nice. Need anything, just ask Katy or Nelson or even Norm and they are super helpful. Nelson is a great chef and we had wonderful sushi and korean chap chey! Sedap!

July 9th, 2022 by chloe.h.rodman

Villa Paula was the perfect place to spend the night after we crossed into Panama in the afternoon. Kathy and Norm are great hosts and even offered to make us breakfast in the morning. There is plenty of room to camp for any type of rig, and there is a clean bathroom with a toilet and shower. We contacted Kathy on WhatsApp at +507 6448-5620 and Norm at +507 6688-5901.

June 15th, 2022 by banovicova.lenka

Staying at Katty and Nelson's Villa Paula is amazing experience. They are both very kind and helpful with anything you might need. Katty brought us to her friend in David to change our motor oil. Villa Paula has equipped kitchen, dining tables, hammocks and also a pool. You can cook with the abundance of avocadoes all around, which is pretty amazing. Katty also showed us how to make tortillas the right way.

If you are heading to or from border, this is definitely the place to stay.

June 14th, 2022 by eva7_

a wonderfull place to stay. we felt like we were part of the family. the hosts and the neighbor are such good people. very generous and helpfull. it is one of the best place we stayed in all central america. we cooked and ate together sometimes for dinner which made our stay even more special. we got to practice our spanish. the land is vast, there is grass, a pool, clean facilities and a nice river. i really recommand staying there, we will miss them!

June 10th, 2022 by Lucas_Meets_World

Amazing first stay in Panama! Stayed here with two other families and the kids had a great time playing. Very welcoming care takers and nice kept grounds. The owner lives on the property too and is very helpful in case you have any issues or have questions. Nice pool and decent WiFi. Monkey stops by every morning to say hi!
Just watch out for the huge avocados... :-)

June 4th, 2022 by juliengrignon29

Super accueil avec Kathy et Nelson ! Nous avons pu brancher notre camper. On se sent comme à la maison. C’est vraiment très sympa. Il y a même un tout à l’égout pour vos eaux noires. Nous recommandons cet endroit nous aussi ! L’accès est simple pour tous véhicules.

May 23rd, 2022 by famillevmsb

The place to be before or after crossing the border. Nelson and Kattie were so kind and welcoming. lot of trees with, oranges, avocado, lemon, mangos that you can take for free!!!
price 10 Usd per night (2 adults, 2 kids).
What a great experience there, we planned to stay one night, de finally spent 4 :-)
there are also rooms to rent, price unknown.

May 13th, 2022 by ScrewItLetsRide

Best place to visit before or after crossing the border of panama and Costa Rica. Plenty of room for camping, RV and also with room rental option. Motorcycle friendly place - Nelson is a motorcycle enthusiast and a good very helpful spirit! Both he and Kathie are great cooks. We absolutely recommend this place! Great atmosphere, wonderful people - with pleasure and great hope we will return there

March 16th, 2022 by roadtrip-panamericana.at

Established campground at the river with a pool, a huge garden, wifi, kitchen access and a bathroom. They have rooms, too. The place is run by great hosts, very kind and helpful. Highly recommended!

March 15th, 2022 by Myysliexpress

We stayed here after bordercrossing. Very nice place to relax, huge grassfield for all kind of rigs. Payment by donation, we payed 10usd for two people. Nice owner, is an overlander himself. We would come again!

March 4th, 2022 by Norm

my house which is still available for all kinds of camping, pool, river, bathroom, shower& large flat area. Quiet and secure. $10 per night negotiable. call Kathy 00507 64485620 spanish, Norman 00507 66885901 English.

February 12th, 2022 by ascassimjee

great people and an awesome place to have a rest.

January 18th, 2022 by .

We stay there one night. Very quite. Nice tropical garden, and a visitor during lunch time : A nice monkey closed to us.

January 17th, 2022 by .

Excellent endroit. Accueil parfait. Superbe jardin tropical.
Une halte très agréable pas loin de la frontière.

September 10th, 2021 by a-way.world

Villa Paula is open again for Overlander! The new family living there offers a bathroom, kitchenaccess, electricity and water for the camper. The place has a huge (flat) garden for big rigs and a great pool. It's still 10 dollars per night negotiable. The Family living there is very kind, they just speak Spanish. +50762506524 is Henrys phone number, it's possible to write him on WhatsApp to prepare him for your arrival.

September 9th, 2021 by Norm

good afternoon, I am the owner of Villa Paula. We are still open for travellers with access for all type of vehicle , the only change is there is no restaurant on site, bit there is a kitchen available. There is also a small double room available with bathroom & a very basic kitchen.
Any payment goes to my caretakers who are Panamanian .

September 2nd, 2021 by a-way.world

We are with the owner and the new housekeepers of Villa Paula. The place is still available! There are a bathroom and a kitchen available for Overlander. There is also the possibility to get water and electricity for the camper. Villa Paula has a huge garden, a river nearby and a great pool. It's a good place to stay with the camper, just 40 minutes away from the Costa Rican border. It's 10 dollar per camper per night, the price is negotiable.

June 28th, 2021 by granjavillapaula5

Hello, We are the old manager of the restaurant and pool of Villa Paula! We want to inform you that villa Paula is currently closed now!

Thank you for your visit!

You can call us +507 69759877 for more information.

Thanks for your visits!

June 28th, 2021 by granjavillapaula5

This place is permanently closed.

June 28th, 2021 by granjavillapaula5

This place is permanently closed.

June 28th, 2021 by granjavillapaula5

This place is permanently closed.

February 3rd, 2020 by cl.gluck

Very nice place. We recommend it. Swimming pool refreshing.

January 18th, 2020 by cooltouren.wordpress.com

Still ten dollars a camper.
Pool was refreshing.
Everything very lazy. Cool.

January 9th, 2020 by peripletsix.fr

Paradise on earth after crossing the border!
If you want to relax, you are at the good place!
Swimming pool for parents, swimming pool for kids, games, river, grassy place, shade, dogs, cats, sheeps...
Norm, the english owner let his employees handle the property.
Jeremar, the husband speak a very good english if you need.
Yamileth, the wife can cook very various things for you. Taste the patacones, they are marvelous!
Be careful for the access with big rig, see the photo for easy acces without high restrictions...
10$ a night, doesn’t care how many you are!

December 28th, 2019 by amraja

followed Google's directions exactly and found the BnB easily. the low clearance bridge was not an issue for my 8'6" rig. nice to have a pool and wifi. the in house kitchen was pretty good. bathroom with shower is available for campers.

October 26th, 2019 by Norm

a further comment, the best entrance is from the cruce de boqueron on the Panamericana to the village of tijeras and take the road next to the minisuper which will bring you to the entrance. There is another entrance which has a bridge with height restrictions.

June 20th, 2019 by Norm

this is the location of my property in Panama, about 40 mins from the pasa canoas border crossing. I am rarely there but my current caretakers are interested in hosting travellers. Space for campers, tents & a couple of basic rooms for rent. Large flat grounds on river bank with cold shower, bathroom, seasonal pool & possibility of electric hook up. Quiet & near to small village with shop & bars/ restaurant. Price negotiable around $10 for vehicle with power & water.