Panama has got it all. Rainforests, mountains, beaches, a modern city, the canal and people from all over the world. Welcome to the most multicultural and exciting place in Central America.
Panama means “the place of abundant fish,” but people like to say that everything is found in abundance here. And it’s true, as visitors will quickly discover for themselves. You’ll find an abundance of wildlife in Panama’s many national parks, an abundance of white sand beaches, hundreds of islands, more banks and shops than you would have dreamed possible, the Panama Canal and, of course, a fantastic quantity of fresh seafood, including fish.
Panama land with incredible beaches on two oceans; seven distinct Indian cultures; nearly 1,000 different bird species in vast national parks; over 1,500 islands perfect for diving, fishing, surfing and kayaking; fascinating historical monuments; and, last but not least-a thoroughly modern infrastructure. Welcome to Panamá, cultural bridge of the world. Panamá really is much more than a canal!
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Tropical Paradise – Santa Catalina
Santa Catalina, Panama offers beautiful black sand beaches on the shores of the Chiriqui Gulf in the state of Veraguas. It is a fishing
village which existed in quiet seclusion until discovered by adventurous surfers in the 1970s. Protecting their hidden world class surf, Santa Catalina was kept secret by the surfers for quite sometime.
Today, Santa Catalina offers a smattering of surf camps, low cost hotels and a few eating establishments. Still fairly secluded, the closest town with ATM, grocery, other basic service is Soná which is about an hour away.
Literally a tropical paradise, Santa Catalina offers some of the best surf in Panama, the closest access point to Isla Coiba with its world class diving, great local dives and fishing and quiet charm for relaxing. It’s beautiful beaches, lush forest and friendly people make it a great stop for travelers wanting to enjoy some of the best of Panama’s natural beauty and local flair on a minimal budget.
Santa Catalina Beaches
The beaches of Santa Catalina are wide black sand beaches created by rivers flowing from the surrounding hills and farms. The 2 primary beaches are Playa Santa Catalina located in front of town at the end of the paved road and Playa El Estero on the eastern edge of town at the end of the dirt road.
The width of the beaches is determined by the level of the tides. Santa Catalina tide changes can be as much as 20 feet in a given cycle, creating an additional quarter mile of beach width and maintaining clean, uncluttered beaches.
Most of the fishing trips, dive trips, and other boat traffic launch from the beach at Santa Catalina. El Estero is a bit more secluded and home to the Oasis Surf Club. It El Estero offers gentle waves and a good sand bottom for learning to surf, body surfing or pleasant swims.
Surfing Santa Catalina
Surfing in Santa Catalina Panama is world class. Kept secret for years by Panama’s surfing elite, word has gotten out about Santa Catalina’s consistent and powerful break. Santa Catalina offers the most consistent, easy to line up, big wave in Central America if not all of the Americas. Even still, because of it’s remote location and the number of options, surfing is relatively uncrowded much of the time.
Most of the surf is for experienced surfers with the exception of Estero, where beginners can practice on smaller, yet consistent waves and a sand beach.. Lessons and board rental are available from a local surf camp.
For experienced surfers, Santa Catalina offers powerful hollows that break both left and right. The bottom is rocky and the volcanic rock can be tough on feet, heads and boards! The waves roll in year round and typically range 4 to 15 feet, with the largest between February and August when faces can push 20 to 25 feet.
The water is warm year round. Wetsuits are not needed. Bring plenty of sunscreen, warm water wax and a pair of reef shoes to protect against the volcanic rocks.
Scuba Santa Catalina
Like the surfing, Scuba diving in Santa Catalina is world class. Local diving is excellent and in just over an hour, you can be diving in the 
Isla Coiba National Marine Park. Isla Coiba is often referred to as a cross between the Galapagos and Cocos Islands.
The word “panama” is an indigenous word meaning an abundance of fish. Diving in both of these areas illustrates the truth in Panama’s name. Large schools of tuna, wahoo, and other game fish can be seen as well as numerous pelagics, such as white tip reef sharks. Seeing eagle rays, barracudas, and turtles are very common.
June to September, sightings of humpback whales, wintering from South America are possible. Depending on the season, possibilities include pilot whales, orcas and dolphins. Shark possibilities include whale shark, tiger, bull and hammerheads.
The only land based scuba operator in Santa Catalina is Scuba Coiba. They use a 25 foot fiberglass boat set up to accommodate 6 divers comfortably and have well maintained rental equipment. Their staff is mulilingual, including english, spanish and german.
