Our Address
Hotel Santa Catalina
Kenny street, road to Estero beach. Santa Catalina. Veraguas provinceTel.: +507 6571 4387
hotelsantacatalinapanama@gmail.com
If you are looking for a pretty virgin destination and one of the most popular in Panama, then this small fishing town can be an ideal option.
He was about 10 years old without visiting Santa Catalina, a town literally at the end of the road. When I started going I had no cell phone signal or web connection. I had to visit a café that offered the Internet connection service to have contact with the outside world. I remember paying for the time used and that in those days I could afford to disconnect. It took six to seven hours to reach this destination in the Veraguas province from Panama City. Today, the road is in perfect condition.
Santa Catalina has changed a lot, but still has problems that slow down its development. There are many establishments that still do not accept a credit card. And there is no bank or ATM in the town, the closest is in Soná, which is an hour away by car or an hour and a half by bus.
Many tourists who arrive without cash are forced to return to look for money to enjoy their stay. Luckily, there is already a cell phone and Internet signal, but it is not the most consistent in the world. If you are looking for a pretty virgin destination, then Santa Catalina may be an ideal option.
Hotel Santa Catalina (hotelsantacatalinapanama.com) is an accommodation focused on families and groups of friends. Its 18 rooms are quite spacious and have three to six beds. All have air conditioning, private bathrooms, cable television and Internet. The larger rooms have a small kitchen and living room. In front of each room is a terrace with hammock. People use it to let the swimsuits dry after spending some time in the infinity pool or on the beach.
A small playground is ideal for those who have children. In addition, there is a restaurant called Pescao, which, as the name suggests, offers seafood and other fresh and local food.This hotel faces the most famous wave called La Punta. From the entrance of the hotel you swim through a channel to reach it. It is only for advanced surfers, since it is a right point break with 15 feet of face and a route of more than 400 meters of surf. It is consistent all year, but it is smaller during the summer from January to March. Vicky, a native of Australia, organizes surf retreats with Sergio, her partner, who is from Argentina.
Santa Catalina Retreats (santacatalinaretreats.com) works with the Santa Catalina Hotel organizing surf and yoga retreats all year long. The people who participate are beginner and intermediate surfers ranging from 20 to 70 years of age.
Fredy Gaviria and his wife María Fernanda are from Colombia. Her family runs a diving school for 30 years and since 2005 they are operating in Santa Catalina.
His company is called Expedicion Coiba (expedicioncoiba.com) and is a PADI diving school. People can take courses to become certified starting in the city with practices in the open sea in Portobelo or Coiba.
If they do not have much time, it is also possible to do a trial dive to see if they want to be certified.
Certified divers can tour for a day or more. Freddy tells me that he has clients who dive for more than 10 days in a row, but what he recommends is two or three days, sleeping in Coiba.
The national park has 39 islands with many sites suitable for diving. Those who go for a day usually do so on Channels Island, which is the closest.
Sleeping in the park allows you to explore the north and south. When I asked him what his favorite place was, he replied “Wao, everywhere!”
Bufet ‘has a rock with a lot of marine life where schools of fish and brunettes are seen. ‘Mali Mali’ was named after a park ranger who was imprisoned on the island. This dive site has a lot of soft and lively coral. ‘Sombrero de pelo’ has a 40-meter wall with colorful soft corals.
In 2004, he closed the prison in Coiba, which had been operating since 1919. During the dictatorship they sent political prisoners. He was famous for being a brutal prison with torture and extreme conditions. It is not known exactly how many people died on the site, but it is still believed to be haunted. Those who visit can see the prison that is being eaten by the jungle.
Since 1992, Panama created the Coiba National Park, which includes the island of Coiba and 38 smaller ones. It is next to the Gulf of Chiriquí and has a unique biodiversity. You can find 760 species of fish, 20 cetaceans and 33 types of sharks. Many species are endemic to the island, including howler monkey and Coiba agouti. The Smithsonian has a research center for tropical species there that continues to find new species.
Tourists who visit the park usually go to a small island called Granito de Oro. It is the favorite place for snorkeling and has a small white beach. Many go to Coiba to see the famous crocodiles, walk the prison, the trails, the thermal wells and the beaches.
The cabins of the Ministry of Environment, which have been closed for a couple of years, are in terrible condition.
Santa Catalina is a place known for being a surfing destination in Panama. There is a wave for every type of surfer.
The beautiful El Estero beach is ideal for learning, since it has small waves and not many people arrive. There are no dangerous reefs or rocks, the floor is sand. Then there is Punta Brava; and you can surf on the beach of the town when there is a big swell. On the other side is Punta Roca. Those who wish to go a little further can visit the island of Cebaco.
La Punta is the best wave in Panama and is world class for its consistency. Paste from different directions depending on the sweet and create tubes. The channel allows surfers to reach the wave without being tired of rowing. If they are in the middle of the impact zone, they take the foam, go to the canal and row back to the peak.
Santa Catalina has been visited by international surfing champions since the 70s. However, it was never filled with people like other destinations. Those who visit her are surprised by this. Usually, most surfers are locals, including many children who have incredible talent.
We went with Javier (birdcoiba.com) to see birds in Santa Catalina. This American arrived in the area 30 years ago, when he belonged to the Peace Corps. In a dance he met “the most beautiful girl in town” and invited her to dance. He ended up marrying her and living in Santa Catalina. As he has lived in the town for so many years, he has been able to see its transformation.
He organizes tours around the town and on his property, which is on a cliff with beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean. We went to his property to see birds along the way. To get there we had to walk along the public beach, crossing the mangrove river. It also makes tours to Coiba, where 147 species of birds can be seen, of which 96 are residents, 40 migrants and 12 accidental. You can go for a day or several, if you want to appreciate the rest of the park.