The complete guide to visiting Santa Catalina, Panama

If you’re looking for a surfing town in Panama, one good option is Santa Catalina.

I visited the town in April 2023 and generally liked it. However, as I didn’t know entirely what to expect, I’ve put together this article to give you more information about the town and its attractions, and help you to decide whether to visit (and how to organise your trip if so!).

About Santa Catalina

Santa Catalina is a town in the south-west of Panama. It is best known for its location on the Pacific coast, which gives rise to surf beaches catering to beginners and professionals alike.

There isn’t a massive population here, and most of the buildings you’ll see near the beaches are for tourism purposes. There isn’t a centre to the town, just a main road heading towards the beach.

The beaches along this coastline comprise black volcanic sand. Now I like black sand as much as the next person, but I do have to say – this is some of the clingiest sand I’ve ever come across! It takes a lot of scrubbing to get rid of, and even then I kept finding sections of grains which were determined to stay.

I know that black sand beaches have mixed opinions because they don’t have the same pristine look as other, more orangey beaches, but I think they’re gorgeous and absolutely fit in with the surf scenery of the area.

Santa Catalina’s beaches

As for beaches themselves, there are two main ones in town: Playa Santa Catalina and Playa Estero.

1. Playa Santa Catalina: the westernmost beach, this has calmer waters which would make it best suited for swimming, paddle boarding or kayaking. This beach is also where boats dock snorkelling trips to Coiba National Park.
2. Playa Estero: to the east, this large, flat, sandy beach has much more waves and is popular with beginner surfers.

Both beaches can be found where rivers meet the sea, meaning they are fairly wide and spacious. That being said, none were very busy whilst I stayed there; even at the weekend they stayed quiet. Locals and tourists could drive their cars onto Playa Estero and set up camp next to their vehicle – it seemed a great way to relax!

Both beaches also have a couple of bars and restaurants nearby. The choices were better near Playa Santa Catalina, where the majority of the buildings in town are – here, there are multiple restaurants and cafe to choose from, although they were all pretty expensive!

However, if you’re looking for a drink by the beach, Playa Estero is your best bet, with a beach bar (Oasis) and a couple of hotels with bars present by the sand. There’s also a bar next to the beach at Playa Santa Catalina, which seemed more intimate. I haven’t been to any of these so can’t attest to their quality or comfort.

The beaches are also around a 25 minute walk along the main road apart. It’s therefore worth looking at both in advance so you stay nearest the one that works best for you.

La Punta

Between the two main beaches, you’ll find a stretch of volcanic bedrock that you can walk across at low tide. Rock pools form here, and walking across you can observe little fishes, hermit crabs and even the odd shoal in the larger pools.

This stretch, where the coast points out to the sea, is aptly known as “La Punta”, literally The Point. You won’t be able to walk around at high tide – at this point, most of the bedrock is covered with thin discontinuous beaches left behind.

La Punta is probably most notable as being the “best” surf option in the area. I say “best” as, although the waves are notably most consistent and higher here, given that you have to swim out to the waves, plus there being undersea hazards in the form of the rock formations, this one is best reserved for experienced surfers and professionals. Stick to Playa Estero whilst you’re learning!

One of the most exciting things about my visit was that the Pan American Surfing Games were being held at La Punta at the same time. That meant we could sit on the verge above and watch professionals from all over the Americas surfing in the waves. I’d never seen such impressive moves in the water!

However, just to note, access seems to be a problem for the whole stretch along La Punta, with mainly only hotels having an access point to the little beaches along the way. It took around an hour to walk from one beach to the other along this route, which is something to be aware of if you’re looking to make it from one side to the other when it’s approaching high tide.

How does Santa Catalina rate as a destination?

As part of this blog, I give every place I visit a rating so that I (and now you!) can easily compare destinations and decide whether they’re worth a visit – those are the scores you see at the top of the page!

This is how Santa Catalina rated:

• Accessibility: 3/5 – Santa Catalina is small enough to get around by foot and it’s not difficult to access any of the attractions. However, there are no buses in town and the beaches are quite far apart. Also, public facilities like toilets aren’t present and the main attractions (surfing and snorkelling) wouldn’t be suitable for everyone.
• Safety: 4/5 – as in the rest of Panama, the town feels very safe. It just lost a point for me as there are no buses or taxis in the town itself, so moving around at night means walking down dark roads without pavements, making me feel a bit less safe. 
• Enjoyment: 4/5 – we liked the town and its attractions and still had plenty to do. The town itself is pretty sleepy and I don’t know what you’d do if it started to rain… Also, there was frequent thunder and lightning during our visit, which was not ideal when visiting a beach 25 minutes away from our hostel.
• Value: 3/5 – Panama in general is expensive relative to other areas of Latin America, and Santa Catalina is the same. I don’t think value is as good here as in other countries (and is about what you’d expect for Panama).

Overall score: 3.5/5

If you’ve already visited, let me know if you agree with these ratings! Just to note, the ratings are my personal opinion based on my visit, so you might have a completely different experience.

More: how I rank destinations using the Everywhere Ratings system

What to do in Santa Catalina

As a small town, don’t expect plentiful options for things to do here. If you’re a big surfer or diver, the waves and local dive spots are enough to keep you busy for a week or more. If you aren’t, there’s still plenty to keep you busy for a few days, with diving, snorkelling, surfing, kayaking and hiking all on the cards.

1. Take a snorkelling trip to Coiba National Park

Probably the thing that Santa Catalina is known for most of all – aside from surfing of course – is as a start-point for snorkelling trips to Coiba National Park.

Coiba National Park is a group of islands a 90 minute boat ride from Santa Catalina, which includes Coiba Island – the largest island on the Pacific side of Central America – plus 37 other little islands. It’s been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005, has no permanent inhabitants, and is famous for its stunning coral reefs.

On a snorkelling trip, you’ll be able to visit the coral reefs and witness some of the nature which goes along with them, potentially including turtles, sharks, and shoals of fishes. There’s also opportunities to spot dolphins en-route and maybe even crocodiles, depending on what islands you get to explore!

2. Take a surf lesson

One of the best things to do in Santa Catalina is to take a surf lesson on Playa Estero. With consistent, coherent waves and plenty of space to use, this would be a great place to learn.

You should be able to organise a lesson when you’re in Santa Catalina. Lessons cost at $20 for a 1.5-2 hour session and could be organised through your hostel. Alternatively, you can rent boards for $10-15 a day.

If you’re an experienced surfer, it may be worth checking out La Punta to find the best waves! There are also several beaches near to Santa Catalina which may be worth exploring, although I’m not sure how accessible or appropriate for surfing these are.

3. Kayak to Isla Santa Catalina

Five minutes’ boat ride outside of Playa Santa Catalina, you’ll find an island appropriately named Isla Santa Catalina. It’s broad and really dominates the landscape here.

Given the relatively short distance to the island and calmer waters within the bay, you can kayak to the island. I’ve not done this myself but, even from land, it’s clear that there are great beaches to explore. If we had more time we definitely would have checked this out.

There are several places along the main road where you can rent kayaks.

How to get here

Santa Catalina is accessible from both the west of the country and Panama City.

To reach it from Panama City:

1. Take a bus from Panama City’s Albrook Terminal heading to Sona. It should take around 4-5 hours and cost around $10. Alternatively, if not available, you can seek out a bus heading to Santiago and change here to go to Sona.
2. From Sona, take a bus heading to Santa Catalina. It should take around 1.5-2 hours and cost around $5.

In total, the journey will take 7-8 hours and cost $15.

Where to stay in Santa Catalina

When we began to look at accommodation two weeks in advance of our visit, we were surprised by how little affordable accommodation was available – and this was in the off-season! We ended up moving back our visit by a week so we could have somewhere decent to stay.

Therefore, I’d suggest booking at least three weeks in advance. After that point there may will be places to stay, but this may be expensive or could involve sleeping in a tent – hardly fun!

We stayed at the Bodhi and found it to be affordable, friendly and comfortable; plus they can help to arrange tours (and have a cat). For budget travellers, there’s also a kitchen and they provide breakfast.

Tips

If you’re looking to visit Santa Catalina, I’ve compiled my best tips for your visit!

1. Book your accommodation early; you may struggle if not to find a decent place to stay.
2. Bring food and snacks with you. We found prices to be quite high and choices limited, so, if you’re coming from a city, it’s worth buying some ambient food and your preferred drinks in advance.
3. Be careful with your beach towel. We used our towels on Playa Estero and the black sand will cling onto it as much as possible, making it ultra dirty.

Conclusion

I hope – if you make it to Santa Catalina – you have a splendid visit; this surf town is well worth the trip if you have a spare few days in Panama.

If you have visited, please let me know your best tips in the comments!

Other sources of information

• Journey Era’s 10 things to do at Santa Catalina is comprehensive and helped me with planning my own visit. They have great resources for other destinations in Panama as well!
• For more information on possible activities, Gecko Route’s list is pretty handy.
• Need some inspiration? Head to Tiny Travelogue to hear their reasons to visit!