MONO FELIZ (or, “Happy Monkey”) ECOLOGICAL REFUGE
Mono Feliz is situated on Punta Burica, on the western Pacific Coast near the Costa Rican border. Primarily targeted at tourists who want to experience staying in a small and remote nature reserve, this is the place to come for a break from the noise & pollution of city life-where you can wake up to the calming sounds of birds, surf & the more animated sounds of our many monkeys. 6 years in the making, Mono Feliz (named specifically after the “Mono” or monkeys that we are trying so hard to protect-by providing them with a safe haven) is set on 7 hectares of secondary forest, with superb beach frontage.
Mono Feliz has been lovingly established by wandering surfer/sailor and lover of nature John Garvey (commonly known to locals as “Juancho”). John, who originally hails from Los Angeles, USA, has sailed extensively throughout Central America and decided eight years ago that Panama was the place he wanted to call “home”. John now wants to share his little piece of paradise with you. Come and relax and regenerate by absorbing all that nature has to offer.
Wild life is the key feature of Mono Feliz. As well as the small and very cute “Mono Titi” or Central American Squirrel Monkeys (currently on the highly endangered list), there are the “Mono Congo”, or howler monkeys, & the much larger “Mono Cariblanco” (also known as “Capuchin” or white face monkeys). The monkeys generally complete a circuit of the property most mornings, late afternoons & often even more frequently. Whilst the Titi mainly eat bananas, the Congo eat mango & papaya leaves, & the Cariblanco eat banana, papaya & corn. Other daylight wildlife include pelicanos, storks, frigate birds, gavilan (hawks), toucans, hummingbirds, iguanas, armadillos, sloth and a wide variety of buttterflies, moths and other birds. Nightlife animals include frogs, toads and bats. Best of all, mosquitos or sand flies are rare at Mono Feliz!
In terms of vegetation, the Mono Feliz property has coconut palms, cacao, papaya, breadfruit, bananas, plantains and a wide variety of avocado and mango. The living area is surrounded by a tastefully landscaped garden with hibiscus and other native flowers and bushes. We have made an effort to remain as natural as possible by using the materials available to us such as bamboo, driftwood and rocks. Over the last few years the secondary forest has quickly regenerated itself providing a safe haven for animals that had lost their “corridor” (mainly because of the creation of pastures along the coast).
Located approximately 30km from Puerto Armuelles (commonly known as “Puerto”), two thirds of the distance from Puerto to Mono Feliz is generally serviced by local “trucks” that depart the “Mercado Municipal” or market at various times of the day depending on the tide. The rest of the distance is a simple walk along the beach. Commuting is done when the tide is low as high tide means Mono Feliz is basically inaccessible. Otherwise, in the dry season it is possible to reach Mono Feliz by 4-wheel drive, once again armed with a tide chart (some local papers have tide times listed on their front or sports pages, or check this link http://www.pancanal.com/esp/eie/radar/balboa-tides.pdf). Currently we have access to a vehichle that, providing the weather allows, can transport you directly from Puerto Armelles to Mono Feliz. Alternatively you can also commute most of the distance by boat (see overleaf for all details). The most popular method of commuting back & forth is to arrive by 4-wheeler & then leave by boat (or vice versa) to obtain a different perspective of the coastline.
Current facilities include three stand-alone and very private cabins – two are in the garden (one twin and one double) - whilst the “honeymoon” cabina, our most popular, is located on the beach. Mosquito nets are also provided for your comfort although it is unlikely you will need to use them. We also have a large POOL (fed by cool spring water, you may be surrounded by monkeys at times!), fresh water showers, a large outdoor kitchen and numerous nature trails.
Activities offered are a variety of nature walks (including an excursion to Isla Burica), bird-watching, fishing, surfing (a few surfboards are currently available for your use), horse-riding and of course watching an amazing and unique sunset every night. Also offered on the premises are remedial massage and yoga. How To Get to Mono Feliz & Rates– pl see overleaf.
HOW TO GET HERE
Using public transport – simply go to a small coastal town called Puerto Armuelles. Simply catch a bus from the central bus station in David to Puerto (the buses leave every 15 minutes). The trip from David to Puerto takes approximately 2.5 hours via Paso Canoas, on the Costa Rican border.
Aim to arrive in Puerto no later than noon. Go to the Mercado Municipal, or central market in Puerto (this is the second last stop - ask the bus driver). Ask anyone there what time the trucks are leaving for Bella Vista, the smallest town near us. The trip will generally take between 1-2 hours. Ask the driver to let you off at El Medio, the last stop before the trucks go inland to Bella Vista. From there it will take you 45 minutes by foot along the beach and then on an inland track. Once you see Isla Burica, Mono Feliz is exactly half way along and directly in front of the island. Look for our three "Mono Feliz" signs - the first at El Medio - & you won´t be able to miss us.
Other options – as mentioned earlier, you can commute to Mono Feliz by boat or via a private vehicle.
Eric (ph: 6652 9930) can pick you up from the PetroTerminal dock/marina entrance in his boat. (The PetroTerminal is around 5 km south of Puerto Armuelles). Eric lives in Limones, a small fishing town around 20km out of Puerto. He will also be able to take you from El Medio back to the PetroTerminal if you wish. The cost per trip is $35. Alternatively, Tonio (ph: 6662 9533 or 6584 8456), can pick you up in Puerto and take you directly to Mono Feliz, weather permitting. Tonio charges $10 per person each way. You can also ring Fermin (ph: 6568 8045), another truck driver, for more information about departures from Puerto to El Medio. Please note that neither Eric nor Tonio nor Fermin speak any English!
Using a car – you can access Mono Feliz directly by driving your own 4 wheel drive. Certainly this is not difficult in the dry season (October through to June). From Puerto keep heading south along the coast towards Costa Rica. Go through the PetroTerminal and then veer directly onto the beach. About 15 km along you will go though some small fishing villages - Limones, Puerto Balsa - and then, around 20 minutes later, El Medio, where we now have our first sign (of three). Simply keep driving along the beach for another 10 minutes after El Medio and you will see where the dirt track starts (see next "Mono Feliz" sign). Keep to this track and 30 minutes or so later, when you cannot go any further, you will find us (last sign).
RATES (all rates in US dollars and include IPAT tax)
Daily rates are $22 per person (use of the cabin, facilities & most activities). For four or more people, each cabin is $55 maximum. Extra mattresses, pillows & linen can be provided on request. For an extra $30 per person per day, we offer three generous & healthy, home cooked meals. Our focus is mainly vegetarian. Otherwise we can also have fresh local seasonal fish & other seafood when available (including the prized “cambute” - more commonly known as conch, & lobster). Should you not wish to have three meals a day, then breakfast is $8; lunch is $10; & dinner is $12 (usually a three course meal with wine). We have avocadoes & mangoes from April-June.
Horses are available for hire for $5 per person per hour. Two horses and saddles are also currently available. Should more horses be required, this can be organised with some advance notice for around the same cost. Guides are also available. Horses can also be used to transport surfboards to/from either Bella Vista, El Medio or Puerto Balsa. The cost for this is $5 per horse not including the cost of the assistance to load and return the horse to Mono Feliz (please pay all guides separately). Surfboards are also available for hire for $5 per hour.
Camping on the beach (provide own tents) is possible. Cost is $10 per person per day for camping and the use of Mono Feliz facilities including pool, shower, toilet. For another $5 pp per day, you can use our kitchen incl. gas.
Email us on mono_feliz@hotmail.com (if required) for further information. Note that we generally only check emails fortnightly, but you can leave a message on our mobile phone no. 6595 0388 (Panama only) and we´ll call you back as soon as we can.
Juancho and Allegra await your visit very soon!
Mono Feliz is situated on Punta Burica, on the western Pacific Coast near the Costa Rican border. Primarily targeted at tourists who want to experience staying in a small and remote nature reserve, this is the place to come for a break from the noise & pollution of city life-where you can wake up to the calming sounds of birds, surf & the more animated sounds of our many monkeys. 6 years in the making, Mono Feliz (named specifically after the “Mono” or monkeys that we are trying so hard to protect-by providing them with a safe haven) is set on 7 hectares of secondary forest, with superb beach frontage.
Mono Feliz has been lovingly established by wandering surfer/sailor and lover of nature John Garvey (commonly known to locals as “Juancho”). John, who originally hails from Los Angeles, USA, has sailed extensively throughout Central America and decided eight years ago that Panama was the place he wanted to call “home”. John now wants to share his little piece of paradise with you. Come and relax and regenerate by absorbing all that nature has to offer.
Wild life is the key feature of Mono Feliz. As well as the small and very cute “Mono Titi” or Central American Squirrel Monkeys (currently on the highly endangered list), there are the “Mono Congo”, or howler monkeys, & the much larger “Mono Cariblanco” (also known as “Capuchin” or white face monkeys). The monkeys generally complete a circuit of the property most mornings, late afternoons & often even more frequently. Whilst the Titi mainly eat bananas, the Congo eat mango & papaya leaves, & the Cariblanco eat banana, papaya & corn. Other daylight wildlife include pelicanos, storks, frigate birds, gavilan (hawks), toucans, hummingbirds, iguanas, armadillos, sloth and a wide variety of buttterflies, moths and other birds. Nightlife animals include frogs, toads and bats. Best of all, mosquitos or sand flies are rare at Mono Feliz!
In terms of vegetation, the Mono Feliz property has coconut palms, cacao, papaya, breadfruit, bananas, plantains and a wide variety of avocado and mango. The living area is surrounded by a tastefully landscaped garden with hibiscus and other native flowers and bushes. We have made an effort to remain as natural as possible by using the materials available to us such as bamboo, driftwood and rocks. Over the last few years the secondary forest has quickly regenerated itself providing a safe haven for animals that had lost their “corridor” (mainly because of the creation of pastures along the coast).
Located approximately 30km from Puerto Armuelles (commonly known as “Puerto”), two thirds of the distance from Puerto to Mono Feliz is generally serviced by local “trucks” that depart the “Mercado Municipal” or market at various times of the day depending on the tide. The rest of the distance is a simple walk along the beach. Commuting is done when the tide is low as high tide means Mono Feliz is basically inaccessible. Otherwise, in the dry season it is possible to reach Mono Feliz by 4-wheel drive, once again armed with a tide chart (some local papers have tide times listed on their front or sports pages, or check this link http://www.pancanal.com/esp/eie/radar/balboa-tides.pdf). Currently we have access to a vehichle that, providing the weather allows, can transport you directly from Puerto Armelles to Mono Feliz. Alternatively you can also commute most of the distance by boat (see overleaf for all details). The most popular method of commuting back & forth is to arrive by 4-wheeler & then leave by boat (or vice versa) to obtain a different perspective of the coastline.
Current facilities include three stand-alone and very private cabins – two are in the garden (one twin and one double) - whilst the “honeymoon” cabina, our most popular, is located on the beach. Mosquito nets are also provided for your comfort although it is unlikely you will need to use them. We also have a large POOL (fed by cool spring water, you may be surrounded by monkeys at times!), fresh water showers, a large outdoor kitchen and numerous nature trails.
Activities offered are a variety of nature walks (including an excursion to Isla Burica), bird-watching, fishing, surfing (a few surfboards are currently available for your use), horse-riding and of course watching an amazing and unique sunset every night. Also offered on the premises are remedial massage and yoga. How To Get to Mono Feliz & Rates– pl see overleaf.
HOW TO GET HERE
Using public transport – simply go to a small coastal town called Puerto Armuelles. Simply catch a bus from the central bus station in David to Puerto (the buses leave every 15 minutes). The trip from David to Puerto takes approximately 2.5 hours via Paso Canoas, on the Costa Rican border.
Aim to arrive in Puerto no later than noon. Go to the Mercado Municipal, or central market in Puerto (this is the second last stop - ask the bus driver). Ask anyone there what time the trucks are leaving for Bella Vista, the smallest town near us. The trip will generally take between 1-2 hours. Ask the driver to let you off at El Medio, the last stop before the trucks go inland to Bella Vista. From there it will take you 45 minutes by foot along the beach and then on an inland track. Once you see Isla Burica, Mono Feliz is exactly half way along and directly in front of the island. Look for our three "Mono Feliz" signs - the first at El Medio - & you won´t be able to miss us.
Other options – as mentioned earlier, you can commute to Mono Feliz by boat or via a private vehicle.
Eric (ph: 6652 9930) can pick you up from the PetroTerminal dock/marina entrance in his boat. (The PetroTerminal is around 5 km south of Puerto Armuelles). Eric lives in Limones, a small fishing town around 20km out of Puerto. He will also be able to take you from El Medio back to the PetroTerminal if you wish. The cost per trip is $35. Alternatively, Tonio (ph: 6662 9533 or 6584 8456), can pick you up in Puerto and take you directly to Mono Feliz, weather permitting. Tonio charges $10 per person each way. You can also ring Fermin (ph: 6568 8045), another truck driver, for more information about departures from Puerto to El Medio. Please note that neither Eric nor Tonio nor Fermin speak any English!
Using a car – you can access Mono Feliz directly by driving your own 4 wheel drive. Certainly this is not difficult in the dry season (October through to June). From Puerto keep heading south along the coast towards Costa Rica. Go through the PetroTerminal and then veer directly onto the beach. About 15 km along you will go though some small fishing villages - Limones, Puerto Balsa - and then, around 20 minutes later, El Medio, where we now have our first sign (of three). Simply keep driving along the beach for another 10 minutes after El Medio and you will see where the dirt track starts (see next "Mono Feliz" sign). Keep to this track and 30 minutes or so later, when you cannot go any further, you will find us (last sign).
RATES (all rates in US dollars and include IPAT tax)
Daily rates are $22 per person (use of the cabin, facilities & most activities). For four or more people, each cabin is $55 maximum. Extra mattresses, pillows & linen can be provided on request. For an extra $30 per person per day, we offer three generous & healthy, home cooked meals. Our focus is mainly vegetarian. Otherwise we can also have fresh local seasonal fish & other seafood when available (including the prized “cambute” - more commonly known as conch, & lobster). Should you not wish to have three meals a day, then breakfast is $8; lunch is $10; & dinner is $12 (usually a three course meal with wine). We have avocadoes & mangoes from April-June.
Horses are available for hire for $5 per person per hour. Two horses and saddles are also currently available. Should more horses be required, this can be organised with some advance notice for around the same cost. Guides are also available. Horses can also be used to transport surfboards to/from either Bella Vista, El Medio or Puerto Balsa. The cost for this is $5 per horse not including the cost of the assistance to load and return the horse to Mono Feliz (please pay all guides separately). Surfboards are also available for hire for $5 per hour.
Camping on the beach (provide own tents) is possible. Cost is $10 per person per day for camping and the use of Mono Feliz facilities including pool, shower, toilet. For another $5 pp per day, you can use our kitchen incl. gas.
Email us on mono_feliz@hotmail.com (if required) for further information. Note that we generally only check emails fortnightly, but you can leave a message on our mobile phone no. 6595 0388 (Panama only) and we´ll call you back as soon as we can.
Juancho and Allegra await your visit very soon!