MY EXPERIENCE IN PANAMA came full circle as I lay on the massage table at The Spa at The Santa Maria in Panama City. As I nestled into the plush bed for a 90-minute Cacao & Coffee Santa Maria treatment, I reflected on the previous afternoon spent tasting both chocolate and coffee — and now on experiencing their therapeutic benefits in a different, restorative way.
Opened in February 2018, The Santa Maria, a Luxury Collection Hotel & Golf Resort, feels like an urban sanctuary. The property features an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course, thoughtfully curated interiors with handmade items that highlight Panamanian culture, dining options including Mestizo and Ocean Prime, an outdoor pool with city views, event space and a calming spa.
Panamanian culture is woven throughout the resort and is central to the spa’s identity. Treatments here blend indigenous healing traditions with locally sourced ingredients, offering a personalized experience for each guest. Before the spa’s relaxation took hold, however, a different form of indulgence awaited: a chocolate and coffee tasting that set the stage for the day’s sensory journey.
Tropical Chocolate Café in Casco Viejo showcases some of the most beautiful handcrafted chocolates I’ve seen. Housed in a renovated mansion, the café is a tree-to-bar producer that owns a cacao plantation in Almirante, Bocas del Toro, and carries the product through every step of production. The chocolates in the display cases are handpainted and filled with fresh ingredients and fruit purées.
I sampled an assortment of decadent confections; the pineapple flavor stood out. When the chocolate shell gave way, a creamy, bright pineapple filling offered a clean, fresh contrast to the rich exterior. Watching the shop’s chocolatiers work added depth to the experience, and I left with a neatly packaged box of pineapple chocolates — a perfect gift for my mother’s birthday.
Back at the resort it was time for coffee. The on-site coffee shop and deli, staffed by coffee specialists, serves award-winning Panamanian Geisha harvested in Boquete’s highlands. I tried several varieties, including a Cuban-style coffee, and ended up buying a Panamanian blend to take home. The aroma and flavor of the beans lingered as I headed to the spa.
At the spa, chocolate and coffee were highlighted for their skin and therapeutic benefits as much as their tastes and scents. Cacao is rich in vitamin C, magnesium, antioxidants, omega-6 fatty acids and enzymes that support cellular repair; it also increases circulation and can improve complexion. Coffee, abundant in antioxidants, boosts circulation and helps make skin feel smoother and brighter. Beyond delighting the palate, both ingredients offer notable benefits for skin health.
Coffee scrub © THE SPA AT THE SANTA MARIA
The Cacao & Coffee Santa Maria treatment is a thoughtful combination of those benefits. It began with an organic coconut oil massage, chosen for its moisturizing and skin-nourishing properties. A full-body coffee exfoliation followed, and an obsidian stone was used to remove the scrub before my body was coated with an organic cocoa mask and wrapped. While antioxidants and nutrients absorbed into my skin, the therapist performed a soothing head, neck and shoulder massage.
What I remember most vividly from the treatment was the natural aroma that filled the room. Instead of synthetic scents or overpowering essential oils, the space was scented with the fresh, authentic smells of real ingredients. Those aromas transported me back to Tropical Chocolate Café and the coffee tasting — the bright pineapple notes, the warm roasted coffee, and the rich chocolate that finished the experience.
The coconut oil lent a tropical, creamy undertone, the coffee grounds brought an energizing, earthy scent, and the cocoa mask offered a sweet, warming finish. Together they created a layered sensory experience that complemented the physical benefits of the treatment.
For guests seeking a treatment more rooted in Panama’s native traditions, the spa’s signature Espiritu Santo massage uses the essence of the nation’s emblematic flower. The flower’s natural fragrance infuses the massage oil, and the technique uses light, flowing strokes meant to relax and restore.
I left Panama with a deeper appreciation for the country’s culture and its bounty — and with renewed admiration for the beauty and benefits of chocolate and coffee. Both flavors and ingredients are now reasons not only to indulge my senses but to nourish my skin and well-being as well.
The Santa Maria, a Luxury Collection Hotel & Golf Resort, Panama
Santa Maria Boulevard
Panama City, Panama
tel 507 304 5555
santamariahotelpanama.com