One of the questions I get asked all the time by guests staying here at Sol y Mar is which beach they should go to.This post will hopefully tell you all you need to know about the two beautiful beaches we have here at Santa Catalina.They are the village or Santa Catalina beach and the Estero beach
on this post will talk about the village beach,my next one will be about the Estero beach
Santa Catalina Beach is the one right at the village,its the closest to Hotel Sol y Mar,the dive shops,etc.
the beach at Santa Catalina Panama
When you arrive to Santa Catalina and if you drive all the way down the main street,the road will end at the village or Santa Catalina beach,where if you look straight ahead you will be able to see the small Santa Catalina Island,just a short boat ride away(any local fisherman will cross you and your group and drop you off at this beautiful island for about $20 both ways,its a white sand beach and there is no one there).The village beach is,as most Beaches on the Pacific coast of Panama, a black sand beach(of volcanic origin).At first,when you get there,doesn´t seem like much,specially if the tide is high,but look again:to the left,in the distance see the famous Santa Catalina surfing point,and past it the islands Cébaco and Gobernadora.To the right,the half hidden river mouth where most fishermen keep their boats.To see this river mouth you will actually have to walk the beach as a rocky point hides the river from being seen from the road.Once you do this you will see that the village beach is much nicer then you thought at first sight,as right past the river it gets bigger,and a coconut grove that you don´t see from the road either makes it look like the tropical paradise as you imagined it.
If you are getting on a tour to Coiba or getting on a boat to go fishing,surfing,diving or snorkeling ,all the boats leave from the village beach,or if you want to see what the fishermen caught that day this is the place where you should hang out.The kids learn how to surf here,the teenagers play soccer on this beach at low tide and you can watch it all having a meal or a drink at Pinguinos cafe,a thatched roof joint right on the beach that serves good pastas,fish and sea-food straight from the ocean.Whole local families will come to this beach in the afternoons to watch the activity or chat a bit with the neighbours while the kids play in sand and surf.The waves here are usually smaller then any other beach in the area so its a safe,relaxed beach for kids
one way or another,when you visit Santa Catalina you will come to the village beach and succumb to its charm
on my next post,Estero beach
No doubt both Estero and Santa Catalina are beautifull beaches, but in Santa Catalina you can feel the reality of the village, as both locals and tourists get together here to wait for the fisherman and buy fish, to take a boat to Coiba, watch the surfers or simply lay down in the sun…
you are right,and that´s great if you want to socialize,see and be seen,buy fish,get on a boat,but if you are looking to just relaxing on the beach,think Estero is the best option
Later today will make an entry on the blog about estero and upload a great picture from that beach that I got from my friend Richard Brady from http://www.santacatalinaboattours.com
stay tuned and participate on this blog,by leaving your comments,inquiries or suggestions
Hotel Sol y Mar Rocks! Spectacular views and a pool on the way.
thanks,Javier
the pool is being tiled as we speak,that should be finished tomorrow,next week bombasa will come hook up the pump and hopefully soon we will be jumping on it.You´re invited!!
The best thing about Santa catalina and sol y mar for that matter Is Luis.
He is a treasure trove of information about the town the history the locals and for that matter, just a joy and super entertaining to be around.
He played a critical role in me moving there and living there for quite a few years not to mention the pulpo or octopus dish he makes.
There are few people really who genuinely want to be a good host and Luis is one of them
thanks again Schmoo
Thank you for your comments,make sure you come back to this blog and check for new posts and keep participating with comments or any questions about Santa Catalina Panama or Hotel Sol y Mar