Our trip to Panama started with a few setbacks, as described in Part 1 of our Panama Adventure, followed by our joy and amazement when we finally reach our destination of Santa Catalina in Part 2.
We now continue our adventure in Panama:
The actual town of Santa Catalina was incredibly idyllic and quiet. Good food was in abundance. We ate amazing pizza at Jammin Hotel & Pizzeria, delicious lobster and red snapper at Chano’s Point, tacos and ceviche at Donde Viancka’s, and quick eats at Mamma Ines. Truth be told we ate at Jammin’s three nights out of our stay. You can’t beat wood fire grill pizza and the “local vibe.”
A view of La Punta in the distance. It is a long paddle out.
On our final days there were so many options within the water from Santa Catalina’s “La Punta,” which offered up 8 – 10 foot wave sets. Arthur embraced surfing with the proves and getting the terrified rush that every surfer feels when encountered “big ones.”
Arthur descending under the water near Coiba Park.
Eventually, we tried our hand at scuba diving and snorkeling in Coiba National Park where we saw white tip sharks, nurse sharks, jack fish, trigger fish, and coral, of course. On the way to shore, creatures as small as crabs and as gigantic as dolphins and whales delighted our eyes! The entire are is an eco-traveler’s dream.
A school of trigger fish next to our boat.
We never ran out of things to do in Santa Catalina. What an amazing and off-the grid experience for 5 days. Truly, it was a sad leave this hidden gem of Central America; but we’re quite certain it won’t remain this quiet for too long, the area is itching for a bigger tourism industry. We packed up our little Kia Picanto, and head back to the city for a night.
The hotel concierge playing Arthur’s travel guitar.
Before our trip back to the states, we surprising ran upon the old town of Casa Vieja in Panama City. Our concierge in the DeVille Hotel told us about a few spots to enjoy, as he played Arthur’s travel guitar in the moonlight. We ventured into this cobblestone street area; to enjoy a lovely dinner at Diablicos for a traditional Panamanian meal of banana leaf wrapped pork, rice, and beef.
For the rest of the evening, we danced in the streets to live music, and reveled amongst the club and partygoers. Ol’ town Panama City was a fantastic closing curtain to entrée into Central America.
For our first international trip as a couple, we couldn’t image a more authentic and surreal experience than Panama.
Travel Essentials for Panama City and Santa Catalina:
Flight time from the West Coast is about 4 – 5 hour if you connect through the mid west (say Dallas or Houston).
Time of Year:
We went in August, which was perfect for warm water, but watch our for thunderstorms, flooding, and power outages.
