Tropic Star Lodge

Tropic Star Lodge at Piñas Bay off the Darien coast is at the eastern edge of the Gulf of Panama. Within its marine territory is the legendary Zane Grey Reef, a seamount of rock which rises out of the continental shelf in 350 ft of water. Around its peaks swirl the northern ocean currents, rich in plankton to feed bait species which in turn attract predators in sometimes astounding numbers.

Tropic Star Lodge was named "the best saltwater fishing resort in the world" by the influential Robb Report. The lodge itself sits on a shore-side shelf where a jungle mountain plunges down. It is 150 miles east of Panama City and can be reached only by sea or light aircraft into a nearby strip followed by a 10-minute boat ride.

It was built in 1961 by Ray Smith, a Texas oil tycoon, as his private fief and soon after he moved in he caught one of the first IGFA world record Marlin. Since then over 170 world records have been logged - a global record in itself.

It is owned today by the Kittredge family of Orlando, Florida, and managed by Terri Kittredge Andrews and her husband Mike. There is no "roughing it" at this fishing camp. A staff of 80 caters to a maximum of 36 guests. A master chef offers guests Baked Alaska, Cherry Jubilee and the like after a hard day´s fishing. But leave your laptop behind. There are no phones, newspapers or internet - just a TV monitor in the bar for fishing videos.

Hacienda del Mar

Further west, in the Perlas Islands, another luxury resort offering superb fishing is Hacienda del Mar on the far-flung San Jose Island. Its position far out in the Pacific puts it in very deep water but underwater peaks rise up from the seabed some 9,000 feet below the surface creating marine life habitats frequented by the marlin and sailfish.

Also in the Perlas Islands, fishing boats can be hired from the island of Contadora, a beach resort with a number of small hotels.