This Panama Luxury Private Island Resort Didn’t Have a Beach. So It Created a ‘Floating’ One.

What do you do when your private island retreat is missing a beach? If you’re hotelier Dan Behm, you build one yourself.

The former tech exec, who opened the Bocas Bali resort in Panama last September, has just added what he claims is the world’s first “elevated beach” to the exclusive Frangipani Island in Bocas Del Toro.

“When we were first introduced to the private island I needed a little convincing to see past the absence of a white sand beach, but the island had everything else and some things I didn’t even know I wanted, so we started to think about how we could construct a beach that looked to be part of the island without any negative impact to the mangroves, coral or surrounding sea life,” Behm told Robb Report via email.

The engineers at Panama City’s project management firm Marazul worked alongside local contractors Jose Murillo and Erika B to build Behm’s dream beach manually, using very little modern machinery. And, after roughly nine months of painstaking work, the singular overwater structure is finally complete.

Named after the Indonesian word for butterfly, the new Kupu-Kupu Beach is approximately 90 feet long by 20 feet wide and has a silhouette similar to the aforementioned winged insect. Accessible via a wooden boardwalk, it comes complete with the all-important white sand, palm trees and stylish lounge chairs. In addition, the “Tipsy Bar” will sling cocktails and light fare to beachgoers.

Unlike a regular beach, though, Behm’s creation features a series of quartz-tiled stairs on the edge that cascade down into the 30-foot-deep crystal waters. This allows guests to enter the seas gently, sort of like a swimming pool. From here, you can also partake in snorkeling, kayaking and other water activities.

Of course, Bocas Bali is about more than the beach. The boutique resort features 16 custom overwater villas that were shipped halfway around the world from Bali after some 1,100 hours of Javanese hand carving. Similarly, the resort’s Elephant House Restaurant was also shipped from Bali and is about 100 years old. Another highlight is the Colonnade clubhouse, which includes a 70-foot freshwater pool, café, gym and spa.

To top it off, Bocas Bali is 100 percent off-grid. All electricity is generated by solar panels, while catchment basins store fresh rainwater for all the retreat’s needs.

But Behm isn’t done yet. The hotelier told Robb Report the resort is getting a handful of breathtaking treehouses designed by Balinese designer Elora Hardy, along with a collection of world-class botanical gardens. The first treehouse will be completed on July 1.

Best start packing for Panama, folks.

Rates start at $1,100 per night during peak season and $900 per night during green season. That fee includes all meals and non-motorized water sports.

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