Regeneration in Santa Catalina

Santa Catalina is located on the Pacific coast of Panama. I had heard from several other travelers that the climate there should be significantly warmer and the weather more consistent than in the Caribbean. After spending days in the mountains, I was looking forward to sun and warmth again. Since I was traveling alone this time and a trip by public bus would have meant five transfers and a taxi ride, I decided to treat myself to a shuttle ride. Shuttle means a small bus picked me up at my hostel in Boquete, took me and other travelers to Santa Catalina, and dropped each of us off at our hostel there.

In my travel planning, I had read that Santa Catalina is especially popular among surfers. And although almost everyone I met in Panama had also been to Santa Catalina, it is apparently not yet on the must-see list of many tourists.

When I arrived in Santa Catalina, I was somewhat disappointed. It couldn't really be called a proper place. There was a road that led to a smaller beach and along which several hostels, a few restaurants, surf and dive schools, and two tiny mini-markets were located. Since Sofi had arrived two days before me, she had kindly reserved a bed for me at her hostel. The hostel was off the main road, but closer to Santa Catalina's second beach (Playa Estero), which is larger and in my opinion much more beautiful.

As I said, I had imagined it differently, and my first intuition was to leave again after one or at most two days. But in the end, I stayed there for five days. One reason was certainly the hostel. It was run by a Panamanian family. None of the family members spoke English, but they all managed to create a very familiar and cozy atmosphere. The hostel was quite small, the kitchen in a small hut, and the 'common area' was outdoors. The guests at the hostel were also nice and relaxed, and there was always someone sitting there in the evening, having a beer.

Since the beach was only a few minutes away, it was nice to go to the beach in the morning when it wasn't too hot yet, to go back to the hostel when it got too hot at noon, and to go back to the beach in the evening for the sunset. However, swimming was not always possible because depending on whether it was high tide or low tide, there were many jellyfish around.

Off the coast of Santa Catalina, diving and snorkeling are said to be good. However, it is relatively expensive and I heard mixed opinions about whether it was really worth it. I decided against it and instead tried surfing on my own for a day with Sofi. For someone who had never done it before, I don't think I did too badly. It was definitely fun, and I think I will do it at least once more. Maybe with professional instruction next time...

In addition to Sofi, I also met other familiar faces in Santa Catalina: the Swiss couple (Dominique and Jonas). They introduced me to the world of Panamanian rum, and I have to say, it's not bad at all! I especially enjoyed the 12-year-old Abuelo, even neat.

All in all, my stay in Santa Catalina was a real beach vacation. Although I had already been to several beaches on my trip, going to the beach every day with my book and spending a few hours there is actually quite rare. I definitely enjoyed it, and I can highly recommend Santa Catalina and the Oceans Hostel to everyone.

After the sea, I was once again drawn to the mountains and I made my way to Valle de Anton, this time together with Sofi.

Ps.: By the way, in Santa Catalina there is a nice little Italian ice cream parlor ('La Monchería') that makes really good ice cream - and has different flavors every day.