Santa Catalina, Panama Travel Guide: Surf & Scuba Heaven

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There aren’t too many surf towns that are also fantastic scuba diving towns but Santa Catalina Panama is one of them! 

This tiny town of no more than a thousand people is located on the Pacific Coast, with great surf for all levels and access to Coiba Island, one of the best snorkel and dive sites in Panama. 

We spent a couple of days enjoying the barefoot, chilled-out vibes, snorkelling with turtles, sharks and rays at Coiba Island, surfing the gentle waves on the black sand of El Estero Beach and swinging in hammocks during an afternoon rain shower. 

Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side when we visited Santa Catalina. We were half-expecting this visiting in mid-June at the start of the rainy season, but I’m forever the optimist and really hoped the thick grey clouds would budge. Spoiler – they didn’t. It put a bit of a dampener on our time here, but we could see how amazing this little town would be when the sun was shining! 

Santa Catalina is becoming more popular, but it’s important to remember it is a tiny town with very few amenities, so you need to prepare for your visit. This guide will cover everything you need to know about Santa Catalina Panama, like getting there and around, where to stay, info about what to bring, what is (and isn’t!) available in town and the top things to do.

About Santa Catalina Panama

Santa Catalina is a small fishing village in the Veraguas Province on the Pacific Coast of Panama. Surfers put this tiny town on the map, flocking to its world-class right-hand break, La Punta. 

Santa Catalina is also the closest departure point for adventures to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Coiba Island. A snorkelling and scuba diving heaven, with a pristine underwater world and remote, untouched islands. 

Although Santa Catalina is becoming a popular fixture on many Panama itineraries, it’s still very small and undeveloped. Amenities are limited here.

The roads are dusty, there is only one ATM that frequently runs out of cash and most businesses don’t accept credit cards. Expect a town-wide power outage at least once during your stay, and wifi is weak at best. There are only two small minimarkets with a strange and limited variety of groceries and restaurants open when they feel like it. 

If you’re looking for a happening town, you won’t find it here. But if you’re looking for a laidback, surfy gem where the days revolve around the tides, you’ll find it in Santa Catalina. 

The town is stretched across three mini areas: 

• 📍 Town centre and Playa Santa Catalina: the main road running into town ends at Playa Santa Catalina and has the biggest concentration of shops, restaurants and accommodations. 

• 🌴 Catalina Farms: about halfway between town and Playa El Estero, there is another cluster of accommodations and restaurants. I’m calling it ‘Catalina Farms’ as that’s the name of the main road here, but it doesn’t necessarily go by this name! This area overlooks the La Punta surf break. We stayed here and it meant we could easily walk one way to town or the other to Estero. 

• 🌊 Playa El Estero: about 2 km (1.2 mi) from town along a paved road, Playa El Estero is the best place for beginner and intermediate surfers. There are a handful of surf camps and basic accommodations here, with a few small eateries. 

Getting to Santa Catalina

• 🚙 Rental car: we met a lot of people in Santa Catalina who had rented a car in Panama City and road-tripped here. I don’t think this is necessary, as you don’t really need a car once you arrive in town. If you decide to drive, it’s a 6+ hour trip, with the last stretch from Soná on a very bumpy, unpaved road. Make sure you fill up your tank in Soná as there are no gas stations in Santa Catalina. 

• 🚐 Shuttle: the easiest way to travel around Panama is via tourist shuttle, which goes directly from one destination to the other without stops.
  
  Given Santa Catalina is quite small and remote, there aren’t a lot of shuttles servicing the town. The most common shuttle route to Santa Catalina is from Boquete (book here) which is what we took. 

• 🚌 Bus: because the town isn’t well-serviced by shuttles, most people use the public bus to arrive or leave Santa Catalina. We arrived by shuttle but took the bus(es) to our next stop, El Valle de Anton (although we recently discovered a shuttle from Santa Catalina to El Valle de Anton, but it oddly doesn’t run in reverse).
  
  You can quite easily get to Santa Catalina from anywhere in the country by bus, but your route will be slightly different depending on where you’re coming from.
  
  No matter where you’re coming from, you have to get to Soná to take a bus to Santa Catalina, which takes 1.5 hours. What changes is whether you need to stop in the town of Santiago or not. 
  
  If you’re coming from Panama City (or anywhere along the Panamerican Highway in the east, e.g. El Valle) there are direct buses to Soná so you shouldn’t need to travel via Santiago. Although buses to Santiago are more frequent should you miss one to Soná.
  
  🚌 Panama City – (Santiago) – Soná – Santa Catalina
  
  If you’re coming from the northwest (Boquete, Bocas del Toro), you will need to travel via Santiago as there are no direct buses to Soná. It’s a more convoluted trip, which is why we decided to take a shuttle from Boquete, to save time and 4 buses. 
  
  🚌 Bocas del Toro (Almirante) – Santiago – Soná – Santa Catalina
  🚌 Boquete – David – Santiago – Soná – Santa Catalina

Getting around Santa Catalina

• 👣 On foot: once you arrive in Santa Catalina, you’ll pretty much get everywhere on foot as there are no other transport options. The furthest you’ll ever have to walk is from the centre of town to Playa El Estero, which is 2 km (1.2 mi) and should take no more than half an hour. 

• 🚲 Bike: if you can find a bike, it would be a fantastic way to get around in Santa Catalina. Some hotels, like Hotel Santa Catalina, include them for free for guests, but there are no other formal rental shops (Catalina Rides did exist but it seems they are closed now). It would be a matter of asking around with your accommodation or when you arrive to see if you can find one. 

• 🚗 Rental vehicle: unless you’ve come with a car, you won’t find any for rent in this tiny town.

• 🚐 Colectivo: we did hear whispers of a local colectivo that runs around town between beaches, but we didn’t see it and I wouldn’t rely on it. The only transport I can confirm is out of town to Soná. 

• 🚕 Taxi: there aren’t many or any taxis in Santa Catalina. You may get lucky with one coming in from Soná but don’t count on it. 

Where to stay in Santa Catalina

When choosing where to stay in Santa Catalina, consider the heat. It is unbearably hot at certain times throughout the year, so you may want to have air conditioning or at least some decent fans.

Some of the best accommodation options around Santa Catalina for a range of budgets are: 

BUDGET 💰

• Bambuda Santa Catalina: a brand new (July 2024) hostel from the kings at Bambuda who have other excellent hostels in Bocas del Toro and Boquete, their Santa Catalina property looks of the same calibre. A fancy, flashpacker hostel for sure, in an epic location overlooking the coast. 

• Bodhi Hostel:  located on the main street in the centre of town a short walk from the beach, Bodhi is another hostel chain in Panama. They have dorms but are better known for their palm-thatched private huts, in the tropical gardens. There’s a pool and free breakfast. 

• Rancho Estero: if basic, beachfront digs that focus more on surf than aesthetics are your vibe, then Rancho Estero is a great choice. It’s a lovely tropical property perched on a hill overlooking Playa El Estero. Rooms are rustic, to say the least, but you’re not supposed to spend that much time in them! 

MID-RANGE 💰💰

• Bambuda Santa Catalina: Bambuda is too nice not to mention twice! They do have dorms, but the property feels just as much like a boutique hotel, with funky cabins overlooking the surf, an amazing pool and an on-site restaurant and bar. 

• Hotel Oasis & Surf Camp: a super laidback option right on the beachfront at Playa El Estero. They have some cheaper options, but it’s worth going for their mid or higher room categories, and getting your own little beachfront cabin. 

• Coibahouse: located on the main beach in the centre of town, this large tropical house has multiple rooms, some with private bathrooms, a communal kitchen, a huge balcony with hammocks and a spectacular ocean and sunset views. 

BOUTIQUE LUXURY 💰💰💰

• Villa Coco: S T U N N I N G modern property oozing with tropical vibes. They have an amazing pool and garden area, boho-style villas with outdoor showers and free bikes to easily get to the beach and town. 

• Hotel Santa Catalina: one of the original hotels in Santa Catalina, it has a stunning location perched on a cliff overlooking the water, with an amazing pool, great restaurant and earthy, tropical rooms. Lots of rental gear like bikes and boards are available.

• OceanFront Bungalows: a 9.9/10 rating is pretty hard to beat! This collection of three self-contained bungalows is right on the beach overlooking the La Punta surf break. It’s a tranquil hideaway with everything you need. 

Things to do in Santa Catalina

Coiba Island

The best thing to do in Santa Catalina is to get out on the water and visit the Parque Nacional Isla Coiba (Coiba Island National Park) aka underwater paradise. 

This UNESCO World Heritage-listed national park protects Coiba Island, 38 smaller islands and the marine area around it. More than an hour by boat from Santa Catalina, Coiba Island is very remote and is home to some unique and endemic species that are basically sheltered from the rest of the world! 

It’s truly an underwater paradise and was one of the most pristine ocean environments we’ve experienced in Latin America. And we didn’t even scuba dive! The marine life we saw here in one day beat Bocas del Toro and the San Blas Islands combined! 

🤿 Read our complete guide to Coiba Island

There are a couple of different ways to visit Isla Coiba: 

• 🤿 Day trip with snorkelling: if you don’t want to (or can’t afford to! Diving was too much for our Panama budget!) dive, day trips depart from Santa Catalina, including 2 – 3 stops for snorkelling, time exploring Coiba Island and lunch on one of the smaller islands, Rancheria. We recommend Expedicion Coiba or Discover Coiba. 

• 🦈 Scuba diving: if you are a diver (or you want to learn) scuba diving around Coiba is some of the best in Central America. Multiple dive shops in town offer daily trips out to the islands for two or three tank dives. Expedicion Coiba also offers diving, and Panama Dive Centre and Diving Coiba are both well-rated. 

• ⛺️ Overnight tours: if you want to extend your time on this stunning island, there are overnight and multi-day tours available where you will camp on Coiba. We were desperate to do this, it looks like an incredible experience, but it’s only offered in the peak of the dry season from January to April and we were too late. Discover Coiba offers overnight/multi-day tours. 

Surfing

Next to Coiba Island, the reason most people come to Santa Catalina is surfing! The town is famous on a global scale for the right-hand break, La Punta, which breaks consistently offshore almost all year. 

Surf breaks 🌊

• La Punta: this is one for the intermediate and advanced surfers, La Punta is an offshore, right-hand break. You can climb down rickety staircases on the cliff near Hotel Santa Catalina to paddle out via a deep channel between the rocks.

• El Estero: for beginner surfers and those looking to improve, Playa El Estero is the place to be! This sandy beach break is the perfect place to learn without the risk of rocks or reefs. 

Surf retreats and camps 🌊

If learning or improving your surfing is your primary motivation for coming to Santa Catalina, you can join a surf retreat or surf camp. These vary in quality and inclusions, but basically, you’ll have accommodation, board rental and lessons included in a package, possibly meals or transport too.

Some of the best options around Santa Catalina are: 

• Waluaa: proper fancy surf and yoga retreats, usually held at Hotel Santa Catalina or Villa Coco. Check their website for dates. 

• Rancho Estero: a very casual, rustic surf camp near Playa El Estero, they have multi-day packages with lessons and board rentals. 

• Oasis Surf Camp: right on the sand at El Estero, they offer good combo packages. 

Rentals 🌊

A lot of accommodations rent out boards, especially those near the breaks like Hotel Santa Catalina, Rancho Estero and Oasis Surf Camp. There are also some informal rental stands along the beach at El Estero. 

Brayden rented a board for a half day from Rancho Estero for $15. 

Lessons 🌊

If you don’t want to commit to a surf camp or retreat, you can still organise individual lessons in Santa Catalina. The places I mentioned above are the best places to start, and most offer drop-in lessons for non-guests. 

Isla Santa Catalina

A little forgotten about in the shadow of Isla Coiba, just offshore from Santa Catalina is Isla Santa Catalina.

It’s an uninhabited island, that is rough and rocky on its back, ocean-facing side, but calm and sheltered on the inner side, with a beautiful white sand beach that is more similar to the beaches in Bocas del Toro than the black sand beaches in town. 

For a fun adventure, you can rent a kayak and paddle out to the island. Depending on the tides and your fitness, it should take around 1 hour to get there from town. 

You can rent kayaks from Fluid Adventures if your accommodation doesn’t include them. 

Alternatively, any of the local fishing boats hanging around the main beach can drop you off on the island for a small fee and collect you at a pre-arranged time. 

There is nothing at all on the island, so pack some drinks and snacks to enjoy a beach day on a private island! 

This was another activity the weather ruined for us in Santa Catalina, and we ultimately decided not to go as it was really rough and windy. 

Sunsets

Another thing the constant grey clouds interfered with in Santa Catalina was the sunsets. 

With its west coast vantage point, you can see some seriously stunning sunsets from most places in Santa Catalina if the weather cooperates.

Playa Santa Catalina and Playa El Estero both have excellent views, and there are a handful of casual beach restaurants and bars where you can grab a beer and enjoy the show. 

It might not have worked out for us this time, but planning your day around the sunset is a must-do if you’re in a Pacific Coast surf town in Central America!

Yoga

I don’t know what is about surf towns, but where there is surf, there is yoga! Santa Catalina is no exception. 

Hotel La Buena Vida used to be the go-to yoga place in town, but they have sadly closed down.

Waluaa who runs the surf retreats also offers yoga retreats, where they usually allow non-guests to join drop-in classes. You can get in touch with them directly to confirm the schedule, the times and location change each week.

Where to eat in Santa Catalina

Santa Catalina is one of those surf towns that is constantly changing. Funky new cafes and promising local restaurants pop up all the time, only to be closed again by the time the high season draws to a close. 

The best way to find places to eat is to wander around and see what’s open when you visit. Oh and don’t rely on opening hours being adhered to! 

Where you eat also depends on where you stay, as restaurants are spread out between the main street, Catalina Farms area and Playa El Estero. 

These are some tried and true favourites:

• 🐠 Donde Vianca: local fave with amazing ceviche, delicious patacones (fried plantains) and whole-cooked fish. Try their homemade passionfruit (maracuya) salsa, it was to die for. 

• 🍕 Pizzeria Jammin: the best pizza spot in town, with a nice outdoor garden seating area. 

• 🍹 Pescao @ Hotel Santa Catalina: one of the nicer places to eat and drink in town, they have a beautiful infinity pool and great cocktails.

• 🍝 Restaurante Pinguinos: an Italian owner runs an informal, beachfront restaurant with some tasty pastas and good seafood. 

• 🌮 Santo Taco – Taco & Juice Bar: a relatively new taco spot in a very funky setting. They weren’t open when we visited, and it looks like there have been a few teething issues, but worth a shot! 

• 🍜 PanaWok: another new spot right near Santo Taco, it’s a super funky build-your-own stirfry wok with noodles or rice. 

• 🥦 Sasy: a great local run spot with a mix of Panamanian and international cuisine, with a focus on vegetarian food. 

• ☕️ Café Panachocolat: this is the biggest and longest-standing cafe in the centre of town. My smoothie bowl was tasty but Brayden’s croque monsieur was average. The coffee was decent considering the location. 

• 🍌 Surfers Point Açai Bowls & Smoothies: this never seemed to be open when we walked past but it’s on the way to Estero and a refreshing acai bowl or smoothie is the perfect post-surf fuel. 

• 🍦 La Moncheria: tasty Italian gelato, try the ice cream sandwiches!

Santa Catalina Panama travel tips

Get all our Panama travel tips in our Panama travel guide

• 🌤️ Best time to visit: Santa Catalina has a steamy Pacific climate year-round. Be prepared to be HOT no matter when you visit. For the best chance of clear, sunny days, visit during the dry season, November – April. The wet season May – October doesn’t mean rain all the time, but there’s a much higher chance of persistent overcast weather and at least afternoon or evening showers.
  
  If you’re visiting with a specific purpose (surfing, whale sharks, whale watching etc.) check the best seasons for those activities as it doesn’t always coincide with the best weather.  

• 🗓️ How long to stay: unless you’re taking a surf camp, yoga retreat or doing a dive course, you don’t need to stay too long in Santa Catalina. We spent 3 nights here and thought it was enough time to visit Coiba, surf, and explore the town. If you want to slow down and chill out, you could easily stay for a week, so long as you’re aware of the lack of amenities in the town.

• 🫶🏼 Safety: is Santa Catalina safe? Yes, Santa Catalina is generally a very safe place. It’s a tiny village with no more than a thousand residents. Everyone knows everyone and it’s very relaxed. 

• 🗣️ Language: Spanish is the official language in Panama and is, of course, widely spoken in Santa Catalina. Anyone involved in tourism (hotels, scuba diving, most surf instructors) can generally speak some English but this is a great place to practice your Spanish! 

• 💰 Currency: the official currency of Panama is the Panamanian Balboa. However, the Balboa is tied at a fixed rate of 1:1 with the US Dollar, and they use US Dollar notes, there are no Balboa bills. You will see Balboa coins and should expect to be given change in a mix of both currencies. 

• 🏧 ATMs: there is one ATM in Santa Catalina, out the front of Abarroteria Elisa. You shouldn’t rely on it working though, as it frequently runs out of cash. It’s best to come fully stocked with cash from your last destination.
  
  This is especially important because there are only a handful of places in town that allow you to pay by credit card. Only when the machine is working, which seems to be not often! Most places whack a hefty % fee on top, so ideally you want enough to cash.
  
  Bigger establishments (large hotels, scuba diving shops) will allow you to pay by card, but if you know you’ve got an expensive bill, I’d check in advance to be certain of any fees. 

• 📱 Phone & SIM Cards: pre-paid phone plans in Panama are excellent, with unlimited data for the duration of your plan, which is usually 7 or 10 days, for around $6 – $7. Tigo and Mas Movil are the best providers. There aren’t specific phone shops in Santa Catalina but both the minimarts should be able to help you top up. I probably wouldn’t count on being able to buy and set up a SIM card here though.
  
  The phone signal isn’t the strongest in Santa Catalina. Our phones worked, but not super fast, and whenever we lost power, the phone signal would drop too. 

• 🥑 Groceries: supermarket selection in Santa Catalina is limited to two very small minimarts, Abarroteria Elisa and Mini Super Wahoo Rock. The selection is limited and the prices are high. Frutería G is a fantastic fruit and vegetable shop in a little shack on the main street, we found that cheap and plentiful for fresh produce. They also make delicious smoothies! 
  
  If you’ve got a kitchen in your accommodation and are planning to cook, I’d recommend bringing some ingredients with you if it’s feasible. We booked a shuttle from Boquete to Santa Catalina, so we knew it wouldn’t be too bothersome to carry a bag of groceries and we pre-bought ingredients to cook up a big meal to last us a few days. 

• 💧 Can you drink the water: surprisingly, yes you can drink the tap water in Santa Catalina. You should check with your accommodation before drinking it to be 100% sure, as it depends on where they source their water from, but most places will have safe drinking water from the tap. 

• 🔌 Amenities: the electricity in Santa Catalina frequently goes out which means no aircon, no internet and no phone signal either. We lost power for about 5 hours one night and it was stifling. Bigger hotels usually have generators that kick on when the town power goes out, but you should be fully prepared for a blackout. 

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Final thoughts: Santa Catalina Panama

After visiting many surf towns throughout our 6 months in Central America, I can say that Santa Catalina wasn’t our favourite. I know we didn’t see it at its best though, on the verge of the rainy season with some unlucky and persistently grey weather. 

Putting aside how we felt about the town, we can’t deny it has great surf and Coiba Island was spectacular! It was a highlight of our time in Panama, and Santa Catalina is worth visiting for Coiba alone. 

Depending on which direction you’re travelling, the next stop on your Panama itinerary will likely be Boquete or El Valle de Anton. 

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• How to Visit Coiba Island, Panama: Pristine Underwater World