Award-Winning
Luxury Eco Resort
Selva Terra has been awarded the 2025 Global Recognition Award for its exceptional commitment to sustainable hospitality and community service excellence. The resort operates completely off-the-grid and has achieved 100% energy and water independence, due to its comprehensive solar energy infrastructure and artesian wells that provide safe drinking water for guests.
Operating on an island highlights the importance of resourcefulness, you become conscious of what you consume, what you waste, and how you move through the world. Island living naturally invites mindfulness. Every drop of water, every ray of solar power, every bite of food—it’s all connected to this place. Our footprint is intentionally light, and yours will be too. Responsible luxury tourism is at the core of everything we do, while setting new industry standards for environmental stewardship and social responsibility.
Solar Grid
Operating on an island requires a heightened sense of resourcefulness and conscious living.
Selva Terra is completely off-the-grid thanks to its expansive solar grid system which powers up the eco resort. Post its installation in 2024, the resorts’ dependency on fossil fuels has reduced dramatically.
Artesian Wells
The eco resort’s self-sufficiency model encompasses proprietary artesian water wells that provide safe drinking water for all guests and operations while eliminating dependence on external water sources and reducing environmental impact significantly. Furthermore, in an effort to reduce one time use plastics, every room comes equipped with reusable water bottles to use during your stay.
The Finca
Fresh and locally sourced ingredients are at the core of our cuisine. The resort grows fruits and vegetables at our finca, with the goal of producing everything we can at home. All bananas, plantains, and passionfruit are sourced from our finca.
Ocean-to-Table
Food independence has been achieved through notable sourcing strategies where up to 90 percent of fish served is caught directly by resort staff.
This ocean-to-table and farm-to-table approach ensures freshness while supporting local ecosystems and reducing transportation-related carbon emissions that typically burden traditional hospitality operations.
Eco Adventures
Surrounded by jungle and the ocean, the resort offers some of the best nature tours Panama has to offer in one place. During your free time, you can swim, kayak or SUP in the resorts bay or explore the magical mangroves. For the more adventurous soul, perhaps try surfing just a 5 minute paddle away.
You will encounter wonderful creatures such as howler monkeys and iguanas and an extensive variety of birds including toucans, parakeets, lance tailed manakins, pelicans and frigates. The landscaped gardens are home to dozens of species of tropical birds. On a snorkeling or scuba diving trip, you can spot gigantic turtles, eagle rays, parrotfish, pufferfish, whale sharks and reef sharks. If you visit during whale watching season (July and November), you can witness the humpback whale migration.
Tips While Visiting an Eco Resort in Panama:
While many of these problems have complex solutions, to help save marine life in Panama, remember:
- When choosing your sunscreen, be careful of the ingredients you put on your body, as they will be washed out to sea. Choose a sunscreen that is free of oxybenzone and octinoxate (generally known as reef killers), zinc, PABA, or parabens.
- Pay attention to where your fish is sourced. While at the Resort you can be sure that the fish offered has been sustainably caught; however, once you leave, be sure to continue verifying that your fish is sustainably sourced.
- When utilizing snorkeling equipment, be careful to not touch reefs as this could cause damage. In addition, be mindful to refrain from making sand clouds, as this could disrupt and damage the ecosystem around you.
- Follow the Facebook group of the World Marine Heritage to be more involved.
Helpful Resources:
http://www.coibanationalpark.com/marine-conservation.html
Press Releases:
WINNER 2025 Selva Terra Island Resort Celebrates 2025 Global Recognition Award™