Santa Catalina Beach

Santa Catalina Beach

Santa Catalina is best known as a place for surfing, diving and fishing. Located on the Pacific coast in the district of Sona, about 110 kilometers from Santiago. It offers some of the best surfing spots in Panama. Santa Catalina’s beautiful beaches, lush forests and friendly people make it a great stop for travelers who want to enjoy and experience one of Panama’s best beach destination while being able to travel on a mini budget.

How to get?

Santa Catalina is accessible via a single road from Sona. The asphalt road from Sona to Santa Catalina is well maintained however is curvy. You can get there by own car, bus or taxi. Santa Catalina is about an hour and a half drive from Santiago. Whether you are coming from Panama City, The San Isidro bus line connects Sona to Panama City, at a cost of $11 and 5 hours of travel time. A local bus runs 6 times a day between Santa Catalina and Sona for a cost of $4.65 and takes around an hour and a half. Note that this bus may leave within 15 minutes of its scheduled departure time, depending of the number of customers. Taking a taxi from Sona is a little faster than the bus, but costs $40 (negotiable).

What to do?

With its warm waters and wonderful beaches, Santa Catalina, offers travelers many options for a quiet getaway or an activity filled vacation. Surfing has been the main draw for visitors to Santa Catalina since the 1990´s. Moreover, dozens of little islands and islets a short boat ride from Santa Catalina offers unexplored sand beaches, scuba diving and fishing possibilities. Whether your ideal day is lounging undisturbed on an isolated beach, fishing, kayaking, playing soccer on the beach, or just watch the local people riding the waves of the town beach, Santa Catalina has it all.

What to eat?

A variety of small local restaurants around the town center are open air facilities. The food is homemade, fresh and very good. Santa Catalina offers a surprising variety of international foods, vegetarian options; and of course, an assortment of fresh fish and sea food at affordable prices. Even hostels usually have a kitchen for common use.

Budget?

Accommodations in Santa Catalina range from camping and hostel type rooms to mid-priced hotel rooms. Prices range from $5 per night for camping to around $80 per night for “top end” accommodations.There is a broad offer of mid prized and good value rooms between $40 and $80 per night.