In this guide
What Punta Pacífica is
Wikipedia describes Punta Pacífica as “a planned sector of land reclaimed from the sea, a residential zone located in the San Francisco district of Panama City”. In other words, the land did not exist as firm ground: it was filled in over the bay and developed from a master plan, which explains its orderly layout and its tower skyline. The same source lists among its buildings the JW Marriott Panamá (formerly Trump Ocean Club) and the Bellagio Tower, Venetian Tower, Bahía Pacífica, Bellamare, Aquamare, Aqualina and Pacific Village condominiums. Housing in the area is therefore mostly vertical, and the tower apartment is the dominant format. See the Punta Pacífica entry (in Spanish).
The client’s original article describes the area with “impressive sea views” and a location close to the center, and adds that shopping centers, restaurants and hospitals are within reach. That general description can be partly checked, as detailed below. See the original article on Venta de apartamentos Panamá (in Spanish).
Services near the area
Of the three kinds of services the original mentions, two could be verified with open sources, and the third remains a general claim:
| Service | What could be verified | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital | Pacífica Salud, Hospital Punta Pacífica, at Boulevard Pacífica and Vía Punta Darién. It presents itself as affiliated with Johns Hopkins Medicine International and reports six Joint Commission International accreditations at its Punta Pacífica site, plus 24-hour medical emergencies. | Pacífica Salud |
| Shopping mall | Wikipedia lists Multiplaza Pacific among the area’s facilities. A travel guide describes it as a space with major luxury brands, plus restaurants and movie theaters. | Wikipedia · Panama Stopover |
| Restaurants | They appear within the mall’s offering according to the travel guide cited. The original does not detail them and no official per-area listing was found. | Panama Stopover |
Store counts for Multiplaza Pacific differ between the sources consulted, so they are left out. The exact distance from each project should be measured on the real route.
What Ocean Reef Islands is
Ocean Reef Islands is one of GLP’s flagship projects. GLP’s website presents it as a 19-hectare private community in Panama City’s bay and states that these are “the first man-made islands in Latin America” (in the original Spanish, “las primeras islas construidas por el hombre en Latinoamérica”). Its private residential marina with a Yacht Club is described as the heart of the project, and the page adds heliports and controlled access. See the project on the GLP website. These characterizations are GLP’s own and were not checked against an independent source.
The master-development page gives more concrete data. The project has “only 137 residential lots” spread over two islands: Island I, with ground floor plus two or three stories depending on the lot’s location, and Island II, with 65 lots on 8.7 hectares and ground floor plus five levels. It also declares restricted access 24 hours a day, design guidelines prepared with EDSA, and amenities such as tennis, paddle tennis and squash courts, volleyball and a children’s play area. See the master development. On size, the official site indicates the islands measure 103,251 m² and 87,552.95 m² and are joined by a bridge. See the official site.
That detail helps clarify the search: the official site places the project “facing Punta Pacífica”, not inside it. GLP’s own page, for its part, labels the project with the name of another sector, Punta Paitilla. Anyone comparing listings may find both forms, and the exact address is worth asking the developer about.
The marina has its own page. According to the site, it offers more than 150 slips for yachts from 40 to 200 feet under a medium and long-term rental program, and a yacht club with a pool, restaurant, bar and gym. See the marina.
Property types at Ocean Reef Islands
The residences section of the official site lists the projects that make up the island. The table below collects only what that page indicates; the EMD original mentions most of the same names. See the residences page.
| Project | Type per the official site | Size indicated | Declared feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Palms | Apartments with 2 to 3 bedrooms | From 127 m² | Beachfront, presented as a private resort |
| Seascape | Apartments with 2 to 3 bedrooms | From 149 m² | Waterfront, same private-resort approach |
| Casa del Mar | Villas | From 200 m² | Facing the sea with city views |
| Ocean Villas by Mallol | Villas or penthouses | 535 m² | Exclusive building for 4 families |
| Ocean Villas by George Moreno | Villas | 664 m² | Facing the sea with city views |
| ALMAR | Penthouses | From 403 m² | Private oceanfront PH for 6 families |
| PH Waterfront 5, 6, 8, 21 and 40 | Penthouses | From 244 m² to 491 m² depending on the building | Private buildings for 4 to 6 families, with views of the marina or the ocean and the city |
Data from the English version of the residences page. The Spanish version, consulted the same day, shows several of these projects as completed (Seascape, Casa del Mar, ALMAR, the Ocean Villas and the PH Waterfront units) and The Palms, The O Club Residences and Ocean Reef Park as available. The two versions do not match, so actual availability should be confirmed with GLP. For PH Waterfront 40 the site indicates 3 bedrooms and 320 m².
The EMD original adds its own descriptions, such as private terraces, pools or a jacuzzi in some penthouses and high-end finishes. Those details come from the client’s text and do not appear on the official page consulted, so they are best checked against each project’s plans and data sheet before being taken as fact.
Oceanfront villa, apartment or penthouse
The three categories answer different needs. The differences in the table are derived from the sizes and descriptions on the official site, not from any legal standard.
| Criterion | Apartment | Villa | Penthouse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example on the island | The Palms, Seascape | Casa del Mar, Ocean Villas | ALMAR, PH Waterfront |
| Indicated starting size | From 127 m² and 149 m² | From 200 m² up to 664 m² | From 244 m² up to 491 m² |
| Privacy | Shares the project with other units | More separation, depending on the project | Buildings designed for few families, 4 to 6 per the site |
| Views | Of the water, per project | Of the sea and the city | Of the marina, the ocean and the city |
Two methodological notes. First, the site itself lists Ocean Villas by Mallol as “villas or penthouses”, which shows that commercial names do not always match the category. Second, private buildings for a few families operate under the horizontal property regime, whose mechanics Radar’s guide explains in how a PH works.
How to choose and what to ask the developer
A sound decision starts from one’s own criteria rather than the project name. These steps organize the comparison:
- Define the use. Permanent home, second residence and use with a boat slip are different profiles, and the marina weighs more in the last one.
- Pick the format. Apartment, villa or penthouse, depending on the space and privacy sought and the table above.
- Confirm the project’s status. Given the gap between the two versions of the official site, availability and construction stage are best requested in writing.
- Review the documentation. Plans, horizontal property rules, maintenance fee and what it covers.
- Measure the real surroundings. Travel the route to the hospital, the mall and the workplace at the usual hour.
Useful questions for the developer, without getting into prices:
- Is the project available, under construction or delivered, and what is the expected delivery date?
- What exactly does access to the Yacht Club and the island’s amenities include, and what is paid separately?
- Is the boat slip purchased, rented or tied to the unit?
- Which design and use rules apply on the island, given that guidelines prepared with EDSA exist?
- What is the legal regime of the property and which property taxes apply? Radar’s property tax calculator serves as a reference.
Looking for official information on the island’s projects?
GLP publishes the Ocean Reef Islands page with its description, the marina and the sales team’s contact.
Buying as a foreigner
Anyone living outside Panama and interested in an apartment in the area first needs to understand the general framework of the purchase. Radar’s guide to buying property in Panama as a foreigner gathers the requirements and steps of that process. GLP’s sales contact also appears on its home page.
Frequently asked questions
Where are apartments for sale in Punta Pacífica?
Punta Pacífica is an area of residential towers, and Ocean Reef Islands is developed next to it; the official website places it “facing Punta Pacífica”. The projects with apartments on that island are The Palms and Seascape, per the official site.
Which apartments for sale in Punta Pacífica, Panama, belong to GLP?
GLP’s project in the area is Ocean Reef Islands, on two artificial islands with a private marina. Its residences include apartments, villas and penthouses, and availability should be confirmed with GLP because the versions of the official site do not match.
What is near Punta Pacífica?
Pacífica Salud, a hospital affiliated with Johns Hopkins Medicine International, and the Multiplaza Pacific shopping mall. Both are listed among the area’s facilities.
How can a foreigner buy an apartment in Punta Pacífica, Panama?
The general process for foreigners is explained in the Radar guide linked above. For a GLP project, the sales team confirms the documentation and the availability of each unit.
What is the difference between a villa, an apartment and a penthouse at Ocean Reef Islands?
Per the official site, apartments start at 127 m² and 149 m², villas range from 200 m² to 664 m², and penthouses from 244 m² to 491 m² in buildings for 4 to 6 families. The commercial classification can vary, as with Ocean Villas by Mallol.
Related articles
- Buying property in Panama as a foreigner
- Horizontal property in Panama: how a PH works
- Property tax calculator
More Grupo Los Pueblos projects on Radar Panamá
- Oceana Residences & Skyhomes in Santa María: Collections and Area Guide
- Panamá Viejo Residences: location, models and amenities
Sources
- GLP, Ocean Reef Islands, project description.
- Ocean Reef Islands, master development, lots, islands and location.
- Ocean Reef Islands, residences and Spanish version.
- Ocean Reef Islands, marina and official site.
- Wikipedia, Punta Pacífica and Wikipedia, Hospital Punta Pacífica.
- Pacífica Salud, hospital and affiliation.
- Panama Stopover, Multiplaza Pacific.
- Venta de apartamentos Panamá, original article (in Spanish).
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