Santa Catalina (SC) is a sleepy fishing town that feels like it is going to explode soon with development and tourism. Located six hours west of Panama City on the Pacific Coast, SC has six good breaks ranging from sandy beach to point to reef. On the weekend before I arrived, the waves on the Punta Brava reef break were 15 feet high, but by the time I arrived, they were only 6 feet dropping to 3 feet on my last day.
Santa Catalina is surfable with the low tide bud is under your risk, because the sharp volcanic rock of la Punta, can be very shallow. The best moment to surf in Santa Catalina is in the middle tide, which get hollow and not shallow depending the swell and the wind.
On my next trip I am going to go to Coiba Island and surf the backside. Richard from Catalina Boat tours is the person to see for that sort of thing. And if you want to do a Kayak tour and stay on remote beaches, then see Michael and Heather at fluid Adventures. Heather also teaches yoga and does Thai massage although I did neither on this trip. (Not quite true, I did some pre-surf yoga everyday and managed to get some sit-ups in so when I return, my yoga instructor/good friend Andrea won’t be as much torture).
I stayed at the Buena Vida hotel, owned by Mike, Zack (Mike’s son) & Michelle who were awesome hosts and excellent sources of information. My room was a fully detached cabina with more than enough space, a/c, desk, shower, hot water and very clean. (Something you don’t often see in Latin American beach hotels). They also have a hostel next to the hotel for those on a discerning budget at $10 per person with room for 7 people. It too is very clean and very chill.
They have an outdoor restaurant that serves simple, yet very tasty breakfast and lunch from 7am to 2pm. I recommend the chicken tacos. Also, the menu is vegetarian friendly and things like dressings for salads are served on the side. Buena Vida gets 5 stars out of 5.
Mike & his partner Schmoo have just opened a small beach bar called ‘The Dive’, catering to tourists and expats. Beers are $2.00 compared to $1.00 at the Panamanian bars, but trust me when I say that the atmosphere more than makes up for it. They also have tacos, nachos and margaritas. You have to understand that the local’s bars are not tourist or female friendly, and entering them makes you feel like you’re wearing a white hooded robe in South Central Los Angeles.
If you want more Spartan hostel type accommodations near the beach, then see Emma and Eddie at the Blue Zone hostel. Emma also does surf lessons and has lots of experience with beginners as she also taught for three years in Tamarindo.
For food, I would recommend Las Pibas for burgers and Jammin pizza. Both have a chill atmosphere, cool tunes and frosty beer. Mick and his wife run the Hibiscus Garden hotel & restaurant exactly 10km outside of town towards Sona, and they do an excellent dinner for a very reasonable place. They also have good accommodations on the beach (no surf) and run a shuttle to town.
There is also an excellent Panaderia (bakery) across from the Buena Vida owned by Mike, who bakes great treats and wholesome bread daily. He also has a library and is building what might become a decent grocery store across the road.
A few recommendations. Because the grocery store is empty of anything useful, make sure you bring some food for the beach, water, booze, shampoo and so forth. Pack some extra fins, wax and sun cure. There’s no real surf shop here, and ding repair can take days. Reef booties are a must if you want to surf the points, and be ready for a gnarly entrance across shallow reef to get to the outside.
As for surfboards, it’s really up to you. On trips like this I always try to take a medium (7’) and a small thruster in case it goes off. Don’t forget that airlines have a way of thinking that surfboards are indestructible, so make sure you add extra padding.
There isn’t any nightlife here, so if you want to party then you have to make your own if you get the drift. Jammin Pizza goes off on Friday and Saturday nights, but local ordinances prohibit the sales of alcohol past 10pm. SC is a super chill place where you can read a book, catch up on some letter writing or start crafting a novel. And forget about internet or mobile phones. There are a couple of payphones in town and you can buy phone cards from Emma at Blue Zone if the general store is out.
All in all, Santa Catalina is a perfect place to unwind and forget the world, while chilling on some really good waves.
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