Overwater
Punta Caracol Acqua Lodge
Panama
Palafitos over a Caribbean lagoon
Thatched, solar-powered stilt cabanas strung along a boardwalk over a shallow coral-and-seagrass lagoon off Isla Colón, each opening straight onto the water with kayaks and snorkel gear included. Dinner is served on a deck over the reef, and the only way in or out is the lodge's boat. The catch: Boat-only access and genuinely off-grid — solar power, no beach, no roads — and the lodge closes each year from mid-November to mid-December.