Lost and Found Hostel: A Haven for Hikers in Panama
If you’re looking to explore the natural beauty of Central America, look no further than the Lost and Found Hostel. This hostel is situated at the heart of Chiriqui Provinces Cloud Forest and provides a unique experience for backpackers and hiking enthusiasts alike. It’s surrounded by lush rainforests, towering mountains and sparking rivers, providing endless opportunities for outdoor adventures.
We visited the Lost and Found Hostel during our stint backpacking Latin America. For weeks we’d spoken to people talking about the hostel amongst the mountains so we decided we had to try it for ourselves! This guide sets out everything you need to know about visiting this Panama Jungle Resort so you know what to expect before visiting!
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The Hostel
Looking for a fancy hostel with keycards, speedy wifi, and daily turndown service? This may not be the hostel for you. Lost and Found is the sort of hostel that your travelling great aunt might talk about ‘the good ol’ days’ of backpacking.
However, the staff and other lodgers are really welcoming which only contributes to the friendly vibe of the place. After a long journey getting there, we were immediately greeted by staff who were very welcoming. It’s a very easy place to make friends as everyone’s there for the same reason, to have fun and explore!
There’s a range of communal places throughout the hostel. The main table is where everyone generally eats, drinks and plays games. There was an indoor section that people relocated to when the late nights got chilly. Alternatively, if you’re looking to relax then there are multiple hammocks on site that have incredible views of Volcan Baru and the wider cloud forest.
The dorms
As for the dorms, they were nice but simple. Did I feel like the whole shack might suddenly roll down the mountain with every large gust of wind? Yeah, but it didn’t so all good there!
We stayed in pod-style dorms where it had one above and one below. Looking back, I’m glad we ended up with the rooms we did. Being located further away from the common area made it feel like we had more privacy and was a lot quieter. In other dorms, the beds were even stacked three high!
As you can imagine the structure wasn’t top of the range which means you’ll hear every drip, bug and animal that lands on the metal roof of the cabins. If when packing for Panama, make sure not to forget your earplugs! That said, it’s really nice feeling like you’re sleeping out in nature.
The facilities
Despite the hostel as a whole having quite an eco-lodge, backpacker-y vibe, the facilities were cleaner than I’d expected. I was pleasantly surprised by the shower and toilet facilities which were never noticeably dirty and sometimes even had hot water! I even made a huge moth friend in the sink!
What slightly let this hostel down for us personally was the kitchen facilities. They have next to no fridge, freezer or cooking space. If you were planning on cooking your own food while you are there, your options are pretty limited. That being said, it’s not as if there were any places nearby to grab ingredients to cook with!
They do offer a range of snacks and drinks in the hostel at a reasonable price. I was so thankful for this because I ate at least three packs of mini-Pringles a day during our visit!
How the meals work
As there was barely any space for guests to cook, you’re semi-forced into paying $5 each for a family meal. It was really enjoyable when everyone came together and ate their meal together at the end of the day. You got to hear about everyone’s hikes and stories of the day, it was just a great place to make friends! Every day we played games together, learnt about each other’s cultures and had such a laugh!
However, we won’t lie, the food was absolutely awful. Not only was there just not really enough to go around, but it was also tasteless. It wasn’t even the fact it was all vegan food because we don’t mind this at all, it’s just there wasn’t any taste to it. Hopefully, we may have come at a bad time as the chef had just quit right before our visit.
If you do visit, make sure to grab some snacks and a few pot noodles to keep you going. It’s literally in the middle of nowhere so there are no shops nearby.
How to get to Lost and Found
To say that this hostel is in the middle of nowhere isn’t an understatement, but that’s the charm of it!
Even though we were coming from Bocas del Toro in the north, the hostel was actually really easy to get to. We first caught a ferry to Almirante and then walked to the Terminal de Buses a Panama further out of town. This is NOT to be confused with the Terminal de Transporte in town which is the wrong bus station.
From Terminal de buses, we hopped on the public bus heading towards David. Whilst Lost and Found isn’t an official stop, all the drivers and locals know where Lost and Found is. Make sure to let them know where you’re getting off and they’ll drop you off at the correct location. It’s always helpful to have the location on your phone so you know when you’re nearly there.
You’ll literally get dropped off on the side of the road, on a mountain at a significant altitude that feels like the middle of nowhere. From here it’s a 15-20 minute hike past the restaurant uphill to the hostel. Make sure to bring a bottle of water as it’s quite intense hike!
Things to do at the Lost and Found Hostel
Treasure Hunts – The hostel will give you a map of the surrounding rainforest with loads of checkpoints (clues) for you to stop off at. The hike through the jungle allows you to experience some unbelievable views and some untouched natural beauty. Make sure to visit the old radio tower to give you some crazy views over the cloud forest! Other noticeable features are the flowing Rio Brazo de Hornito River and the hollowed tree.
Los Cangilones de Gualaca – Also known as the Gualaca River Canyon, this natural canyon in the earth’s surface with a stream running through the middle. It’s completely free to visit and provides an opportunity to cool down in the baking Panamanian sun. You’ll find people jumping off from the sides, doing all sorts of flips into the deep blue water below. Some people are skilled enough to rock climb all the way back up! This was easily one of the highlights of our visit and we’d love to go back to just do this!
Horse Riding – If you’re a fan of horses or want to try horse riding for the first time, there’s no better place to try it that the Panamanian hillside. The local guides will steer you through forests and meadows which allow you to take in some great views of the nearby rivers and lakes. It even comes with a traditional lunch in the village of Pena, what’s not to like?!
Coffee Plantation and Sugarcane Farm Tour – This tour gives you a lesson in everything you need to know about coffee production and it’s super fun. Included in the price is a testing session and you even get to take part in some of the coffee production as well!
Jungle Lounge Bar – Most nights the hostel will put on a range of games or events for you to enjoy. From giant Jenga to beer pong to Foosball to card games, there are loads of great activities to enjoy with new friends!
How to book the Lost and Found Hostel
While it seems like the kind of hostel you can just rock up at and get a dorm on the day, it is a very popular hostel so we would recommend booking in advance!
We personally always use Hostelworld for our hostel bookings as they have the best prices, reviewing systems and cancellation policies. They also allow you to connect with other backpackers that are visiting the hostel at the same time as you.
However, you can always book directly on The Lost and Found website.
Where to go after Lost and Found?
It will really depend on your backpacking Panama route as to where you can go after. We carried on down the road via public bus to the town of Boquete and LOVED it! If it isn’t on your Panama itinerary already, make sure to check it out as there are heaps of things to do in Boquete!
Whilst we came from Bocas del Toro, others come from Panama City or the southern Islands of Santa Catalina. Both are more destinations to carry on your journey to.
If you feel like you have finished Panama you can always head into the beautiful country of Costa Rica and backpack around there too.
FAQs
The best time to visit is during the dry season, which runs from December to April. However, the hostel is open year-round and offers activities and adventures for guests in all seasons. We visited in January time and it was ideal but a lot colder than we expected.
Yes, the hostel is advertised as open to families and even has family rooms available. It’s a bit of a hike to even get to the hostel so we wouldn’t recommend it for young kids to stay at.
Absolutely! During our visit, the hostel was completely full and there were people coming and going every day. The staff are so accommodating and even let someone stay in the communal area in a hammock for free! Whilst it is unlikely they’ll turn you away if you don’t have a booking, save yourself the trouble and book in advance! If you are arriving late in the day, do phone or email ahead to make sure you are on the dinner list.
This really depends on the type of traveller you are, some people come and never leave! We visited for four days but realistically, we should have stayed for two. I would recommend booking 2-3 nights and then extending your stay longer if you like it.
Yes, there is some wifi in the common areas but it is really spotty and unreliable. This isn’t really the spot for you if you are going to be hunting for a phone signal the whole time. Take some time to disconnect and appreciate your surroundings.
…
Overall, we had an incredible experience at The Lost and Found Hostel! It definitely took us out of our comfort zone and made us connect with nature a bit more than we usually would. We also met some incredible people. By far my favourite thing about this hostel was how sociable it was! Even in the most sociable of hostels, you will always find people on their phones or going about their own activities, but this hostel was completely different. We particularly enjoyed the family-style dinners and drinks in the evenings and something more hostels should try and do!
Have you been to The Lost and Found Hostel, or is it one to add to your bucket list? Let us know in the comments as we would love to know!
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Disclaimer: Some of the links included on our website may contain affiliate links. We may receive some commission from purchases made via these but it will NOT affect the price you pay. This is to allow this site to stay online and ensure that readers use, what we believe, are the best products possible whilst travelling.
Lost and Found Hostel looks and sounds like the perfect base camp when hiking in Panama. So much to do nearby!
We couldn’t agree more, it’s a great place to stay!