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What guests are Saying at Rancho de Caldera

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“Wow! Rancho De Caldera is literally a dream come true! Not only is it an exceptionally

beautiful resort with all the amenities, but it is run with an enlightened view of ecological

integrity and sustainability.

You can enjoy the superb cuisine in a

restaurant with a view knowing that

Chef Craig personally knows many of

the producers from whom he

purchases. I enjoy cooking and, unlike

some chefs, he generously shares his

knowledge with people who express

interest, so I picked up a few tips from

him that I can use at home.

If you have any interest in emerging

eco-tourism, you will find the fact that

Rancho De Caldera is permanently off

the grid to be another attraction. They

use a combination of hydro-power and

solar panels for their electricity...”

--A guest from California remarks on Rancho de Caldera sustainable eco-project

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Rancho de Caldera’s Power system: Solar power, Wind power, and hydro-power:

“Rancho de Caldera is a magical place… I spent 4 amazing days there in mid-September,

and haven’t stopped raving about it to friends and family ever since. I work for the

United Nations and so have had the opportunity to travel to many parts of the world, but

Rancho de Caldera is truly special. This is due in part to the natural beauty that

surrounds it – one can spend a long time watching the clouds drifting over the

mountains, or taking in the view from a quiet spot by the pool, or gazing at the stars on

a clear night. But Rancho de Caldera is above all the result of a unique vision – a

commitment to making a dream come true in a way that is deeply respectful of the

planet and of the surrounding community. Like many places worth visiting, as a friend of

mine pointed out, Rancho de Caldera is a short plane ride away from Panama City, but it

can reached from New York City the same day. Gina’s directions are remarkable – I have

rarely felt so certain all logistics of a trip would work out perfectly, and indeed they did.

And once at Rancho de Caldera, there is lots to do: horseback riding, hot water springs,

visiting the nearby town… Visitors can be as active or as laid back as they wish. My only

regret is that I did not have more time to spend there, but I’m really looking forward to

my next visit.”

--United Nations worker from New York

“I was going on a bicycle tour from Atlanta to Panama when

my friend showed me Rancho de Caldera's website.

Paradise -- It became the end destination for my trip. For

four months, I lived very simply -- camping, showering with

a basin of water, eating street food -- waiting and waiting

for Rancho de Caldera. It was magic. The setting, up in the

mountains, makes it seem unreal!! The rooms and service

are top-quality luxury, and the food that Craig (the chef)

serves is beautiful and exciting ... and delicious. Rancho de

Caldera was an amazing reward at the end of a long bicycle

trip. And it was tough leaving, having to return to reality.

In writing reviews for Rancho de Caldera, TripAdvisor really

should provide shortcut keys for ‘amazing’ and ‘beautiful’.”

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--Philadelphian bikes over 4,000miles to Rancho de Caldera “…We ate most lunches and

dinners at the restaurant. The food is creative and delicious. I don’t know if Chef Craig is

in the witness protection program, but this guy could easily be cooking in some of the

best restaurants in the U.S.. Then again maybe escaping to this pristine landscape

inspires some of his dishes. Both lunches and dinners were outstanding. We found

ourselves buying his homemade applesauce, breakfast sausages, and granola. Also a jar

of his ketchup to bring back home… Gina the owner is a warm reflection in this rain drop

of paradise. “Siesta for the soul”, you bet it is.”

--Family of four reflect on their

experience dining at our restaurant,

Madre Tierra, with Chef Craig

“We recently stayed at Rancho de

Caldera for five nights. We had heard

about this eco-lodge through a friend.

Rancho de Caldera far exceeded our

expectations. The web site, though

very well done, does not fully capture

the beauty of the scenery surrounding

Rancho de Caldera. The landscape

consists of rolling hills and lush

vegetation and the sky is full of the most amazing clouds we’ve ever seen-- it’s hard for

the eye to take it all in and even harder for photography to capture it. You can stand in

one spot and turn 360 degrees and find picture-worthy views at each vantage point.

With such dramatic scenery, the only thing that we wanted to do was just sit and

observe, feeling ourselves part of this dynamic environment.

There are lots of activities offered in the area: hot springs, hiking up the volcano, nature

walks, bird watching, tree trekking, coffee plantation tours, white water rafting, etc.

However, beware that upon arriving and seeing the amazing view from your room, you

may spend your stay at the ranch very content to while away whole mornings sitting out

on your balcony sipping coffee and enjoying the surroundings. It is so beautiful there

that you simply feel no need to go elsewhere…

…It was an incredibly memorable and restorative vacation. If you have the chance to go

to Panama, stay at Rancho de Caldera. You won’t be disappointed.”

–French guest, who visited Rancho de Caldera on a romantic getaway

“…Built on a hillside, each spacious and well-appointed cabin has a stunning southern

vista of the surrounding mountains and foothills, dry tropical forest and ranch land with

grazing cattle and horses. On a clear night, the sky is sprinkled with millions of stars...

…We slept very well, and, in the morning,

were content to sip our coffee and absorb the

pastoral peace of our surroundings. We

birded from our deck with binoculars and saw

Fork-Tailed Flycatchers, Crested

Oropendolas, Blue-Gray Tanagers, White-

Collared Seedeaters, Egrets, Muscovy Ducks

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and parakeets. Walking and hiking are recommended activities. The Caldera hotsprings

are less than a 10 minute drive away. For the more adventuresome, rent a couple of the

hotel horses and explore the foothills…”

- Owners of an Inn in Boquete

“My daughter and I traveled to Panama to get some relief from a frigid, ice and snow-

covered landscape in Cleveland, Ohio….In the seven days we were there, we rode their

horses, hiked their 1.2 mile driveway daily, hiked several other trails, went white-water

rafting, spent one morning "tree trekking" (known other places as "zip lining") in a

harness hanging from a wire cable 100's of feet above the mountainous forest, visited

some hot springs tucked away in a remote area, shopped in Boquete on the sides of the

11,500' volcano named Baru, swam in the Caldera River and in Gina and Chris's infinity

pool, napped on our private decks overlooking the mountains and awoke to rainbows

nearly every day.

Other reasons to choose this location: Panama uses US dollars as its currency, is friendly

and safe and does not get hurricanes because of its location south and west of Columbia

(Columbia gets hit instead). If you go, spend one day in Panama City touring the Canal

to make your trip the perfect Panama experience.”

--An American visits with her teenage children

This eco-resort is totally off the grid (it uses renewable energy-solar, wind and hydro

electric). We had total luxurious comfort with none of the guilt of using up natural

resources….My husband and I came with our 14 year old and 12 year old sons. The boys

especially loved the hiking, horseback riding, infinity edge pool and photo opportunities.

Through conversations at dinner with

the owners and the chef, our boys

learned about alternative energy,

sustainable agriculture, sustainable

building practices and other valuable

information for their futures. These

people care about preserving Panama's

natural resources. What an experience

to eat gourmet dinners by Craig the

chef who

specializes in sustainable agriculture.

Each meal was so much fun, like one

pleasant adventure after another. The

restaurant has a rooftop garden where

Craig got the marigolds for the

marigold iced tea he made for us. Each

dish was presented beautifully.

Our 14 year old's advice: "You definitely would want to come to Rancho de Caldera".

Our 12 year old's advice: " You will want to try the chef's food as many meals as you

can".

…We felt very well cared for throughout our stay. I wish that more resorts would follow

this model.””

--Family vacation, guests from Phoenix, Arizona

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“…Kudos to Gina and Chris, the owners, who have created an eco-friendly, self

sustaining, healthy, beautiful and serene environment none of us wanted to leave. An

inspirational place! Most definitely the highlight of our trip to Panama. We hope to return

many times.”

--says guest from Paris, France

“…The people at the resort

were very attentive when we

needed something and at the

same time never disturbed

our privacy. My girlfriend

and I are foodies and we

were excited to hear that

they have a chef at the

resort. We had a fabulous 5

course meal and enjoyed

some of their signature

moothies…. There are other

things to do besides eating

the great dinners, swimming in the pool or enjoying the great view from your cabana.

We went horse back riding, an excursion that the resort set up for us. Boquete has a lot

of offer as well. We went on a coffee farm tour at Fincha dos Jefes ([--] I definitely

recommend this tour). There is white water rafting in the area and we had an

adrenaline-surging experience with one of the local companies we went with. Gina and

the staff at the resort can help you schedule anything you need. I almost forgot to

mention how helpful Gina is! We received an email before we arrived asking about

dinner preferences. We also were given travel information that proved invaluable and the

contact info for a great driver in Panama city. If you got to Boquete definitely check out

Rancho de Caldera, you wont be sorry. Although we have many places we wish to travel

to our experience at Rancho De Caldera temps us to make a trip back there in the near

future, I fear that other exotic trips may never be as good.”

--New York guest and girlfriend rave about the service

“We stayed at Rancho de Caldera for our honeymoon in July. It was the last stop on our

two week tour of Panama before heading home. After researching all the choices in

Boquete, we booked three nights at R de C and we couldn't have been happier about our

choice. The surroundings are spectacular! Being married to a photographer, I know that

photos can be enhanced and sometimes when you get there you can be let down. Not

here, the website is a good representation but the actual beauty is extraordinary…

…The dinners were scrumptious. Chef Craig has an amazing gift and our last dinner still

stands as the best meal I've ever had. We still dream of that masala dipping sauce and

the curried trout! Gina was always available when we'd call from the road because we

were lost or needed some assistance. She made sure our every need was met. And let

me tell you about the shower! Oh my goodness, the showers and water pressure were

out of this world! We loved their attention in providing luxury accommodations while

having minimal impact on their surroundings.

My favorite past time while at R de C was sitting on the balcony, watching the horses

graze below with the rain providing the soundtrack. The smells, scenery and sounds are

what I try to remember when life today gets a little to hectic. We will be back, sooner

than later we hope!”

-Michigan honeymooners

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“I went to western Panama

to teach locals and Ex-

Patriots how to trim their

horses hooves. Little did I

know I would be staying in

paradise at Rancho de

Caldera.

I had a phenomenal room

looking out to the mountains.

Owner Gina stocked my

kitchenette with local fruit,

organic coffee beans, and

breakfast foods. Tropical

birds shared my breakfast

crumbs on my porch…. Every morning and evening, I swam, stretched, sipped coffee

and admired the view in total peace and quiet.

Chef's Craig ethnic cuisine offered at lunch and dinner is exquisite. Treat yourself to a

large bag of his homemade granola too! Gina and Craig are now designing vegetable

gardens so no doubt you will be eating some of their bounty.

For those of you visiting for pleasure, Rancho de Caldera is within driving distance to

innumerable sights and experiences. I visited the nearby town of Boquete but am so

glad I stayed in the perfect solitude of the Rancho away from the tourists. It is

advertised as a Siesta for the Soul and it is!

Western Panama is a well kept secret and I can't wait to visit again next year. ”

--Delaware guest

“…Owner Gina Cronin will go out of her way to be sure you have a great experience - do

as little or as much as you like….The rooms are too amazing to describe accurately -

every room has a huge glass wall of doors that leads out to a huge porch full of furniture

overlooking the gorgeous mountains - the sun rises and sunsets are indescrible. The

resort is small but boasts an infinity pool, horses, and a first class chef making amazing

meals from food grown right there in many cases… All rooms have mini fridges and

microwaves, the suites have full gourmet kitchens. Internet access is available but you

won't want to work - too relaxing!!!!”

--Florida family vacation

“…Romantic beyond compare!”

--a couple from Indiana celebrates their relationship

“…We ate dinner twice at the resort's restaurant, Madre Tierra, and had an incredible

three course gourmet prix fixe meal for just a little more than we paid for lunch at a

mediocre place in Boquete…”

--guest from DC compares experience dining at Madre Tierra to dining in Boquete

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“…Words and pictures cannot do justice to the incredible views, the peaceful setting, and

the out of this world meals we enjoyed while on our vacation. This is a place we will

definitely be coming back to.”

--A married couple reflects after vacationing 7-days with their parents at Rancho de

Caldera

Additional guest comment who participated in an art principles workshop:

"I attended an art principles workshop this past weekend, taught by artist Marni Craig

and hosted at Rancho de Caldera by Gina Cronin Such a treat! Beautiful surroundings,

wonderful accommodations, pleasant company, good course content, and great food.

The website advertises ‘A siesta for the soul’ and they make good on the promise.

Soooooo glad I went, and can’t wait for a repeat experience"

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