Although many travellers only see Veraguas while en route between David and Panama City, there are a growing number of reasons to stop here, from the stunning marine life in Parque Nacional Coiba and the glorious mountains of Santa Fé to the pounding surf of Santa Catalina. Travel in the area is relatively simple as most destinations are accessed from the Interamericana, with the majority of attractions within easy reach of the provincial capital Santiago.
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Boasting world-class surf and beautiful beaches, Santa Catalina is widely considered to have some of the most impressive waves in Panama. Its popularity has grown rapidly through surf tourism and as the main jumping-off point for Isla Coiba, known for equally impressive diving. Even so, its distance from major cities and airports has helped this small fishing village retain much of its low-key character.
The village and most of its businesses, many owned by expats, are clustered around the main road from Soná, which ends at Santa Catalina beach. This pebble-strewn strip is where fishermen pull up their boats, unload their catch, and where boats depart for Coiba. Most accommodation and restaurants sit off the beach road, which branches left near the public phone box and runs for about 2km to Playa del Estero. This broad sandy beach is far more appealing and is where most surf classes take place. If Coiba is beyond your budget, the nearby islands of Santa Catalina and Cébaco offer decent snorkelling and attractive white-sand beaches.
For 9-day Panama trips with a Pacific coast focus, Santa Catalina works well as a multi-night base, giving the route enough time for surf lessons, beach days, snorkelling, or a Coiba excursion without making the journey across the country feel too rushed.
Blessed with a striking abundance of marine biodiversity, the group of 38 islands that make up Parque Nacional Coiba (including the namesake) has become one of Panama’s most popular national parks, although strict conservation laws and limited access mean that tourism here is still relatively underdeveloped. For independent travellers, Santa Catalina is the closest destination from which you can access the park, on tours run by locals. To really have a chance of spotting wildlife, you should arrange to stay overnight, so that you can get into the forest at first light.
The laidback mountain village of SANTA FÉ has become popular as a retreat from the “backpacker trail” – which ironically has put it firmly on the must-do list. Like El Valle, the village enjoys lush hillsides and a cool microclimate, but the scenery is far more impressive and, unlike El Valle, Santa Fé is a genuine thriving village – rather than a weekend playground for Panama City’s elite. It is famous for its co-operatives, which were founded in the late 1960s by a young Colombian priest named Héctor Gallego, who wanted to help local farmers get a fair price for their goods. For reasons that are unclear he was persecuted and eventually murdered by General Noriega’s henchmen but his presence lives on here: a statue of him marks the village entrance and a foundation in his name continues to help local farmers. There’s a wealth of outdoor activities here, including hiking, tubing, horseriding and waterfall trips.
Rough Guides combines destination expertise with tailor-made travel planned by vetted Panama local experts. You can use our city and regional guides as a starting point, then receive up to 3 personalized trip plans created from scratch around your preferred pace, experiences, and route through the country. The final itinerary is refined directly with the local travel agent instead of being selected from a fixed package.
written by
Andy Turner
