Santa Catalina, Panama: Mini Guide For All Things Surf, Snorkel, Scuba, and Sun!

Santa Catalina, Panama: Mini Guide For All Things Surf, Snorkel, Scuba, and Sun!

Twenty Five Days a Year
Santa Catalina was one of our favourite beach side towns with so many activities to do! Here you’ll find great restaurants, stunning scenery, water activities (surfing, snorkelling, diving, fishing), & so much more. Check out this mini guide for our favourite things to do & places to eat for your visit to Santa Catalina (we HIGHLY recommend you put this place on your Panama itinerary!).
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Santa Catalina, Panama

About Santa Catalina

Santa Catalina
@twentyfivedaysayear
One of our favourite spots in Panama - stunning beaches, great marine life, abundant islands, and most important relaxed and great vibes.
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How To Get Here & Around

We recommend you have a rental vehicle for you stay in Panama, but honestly within Santa Catalina, everything is for the most part walkable so you will not need transportation whilst you are here.  

How Long To Stay

We stayed in Santa Catalina for 2 nights and 2 days, and didn’t feel it was enough time - we definitely rushed it. We would recommend atleast 3 days if not 4 in this beautiful spot to really relax & take advantage of the activities! However, it really depends on how big of a water person you are. If you’re really into diving you may want more days to take advantage of all the marine life here. If you have a great hotel, taking one day to just relax by the pool is never a bad option in our opinion!

Where To Stay

Other options for hotels you can find here:

Villa Coco
@twentyfivedaysayear
This hotel is right beside one of the restaurants we visited and is so beautiful nestled into the trees! The property is stunning with great amenities, such as a pool right beside an amazing bar that serves up some yummy drinks.
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Hotel Santa Catalina Panama
@twentyfivedaysayear
A beautiful hotel with such a great view and restaurant! Perfect if you want to be tucked away in your own paradise.
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Bodhi Santa Catalina
@twentyfivedaysayear
This hostel is the perfect option for meeting new people, spending a little less money, and still having a great place to stay.
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What To Do

Snorkelling / Scuba Diving: Coiba National Park is so close to Santa Catalina and makes it an epic diving or snorkelling location. We booked our snorkel expedition through Expedition Coiba (below) and can HIGHLY recommend it - we saw turtles, reef tip sharks, tons of fish, and beautiful beaches. 

Coiba Island
@twentyfivedaysayear
This paradise is a day trip away from Santa Catalina and known as a great spot for diving and snorkelling activities. The marine life here is something else!
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Fluid Adventures Panama
@twentyfivedaysayear
Rental and tour guide location - they have rentals for SUPs, Kayaks, Surfboards, and a bunch of tours available.
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Kayaking: You can also rent Kayaks from Fluid Adventures to take them out to this island and explore more.

Isla Santa Catalina
@twentyfivedaysayear
A stunning island not too far from the town of Santa Catalina that is just waiting to be explored!
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Relaxing:

Playa El Estero
@twentyfivedaysayear
A great beach to relax, explore, watch the surfers, or try out surfing yourself.
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Playa Santa Catalina
@twentyfivedaysayear
The main beach in Santa Catalina with lots going on!
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Where To Eat

This little town has so many great places to eat at! We were pleasantly surprised at the options AND how good they were. Check out some of these options: 

La Pulpería Tapas Bar
@twentyfivedaysayear
If you're in the mood for a light lunch (tapas style!) and some beverages, this chilled out spot is the place.
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Pizzeria Jammin'
@twentyfivedaysayear
This is a hot and well known spot in this area with delicious pizza. The perfect way to fill up after a big day of adventuring and activities!
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La Moncheria
@twentyfivedaysayear
Be careful of the closing time - you may have to go in the late afternoon! But this spot has delicious homemade ice cream and drinks, and even ice cream sandwiches which we LOVED!
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Santo Taco - Taco & Juice Bar
@twentyfivedaysayear
You can rarely go wrong with tacos! Check out this place for fresh tacos and juices - what a combo.
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Café Panachocolat
@twentyfivedaysayear
Baked goods, full breakfasts, and most importantly coffee to fuel your day before you head off on your adventures!
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Sugar Mamas Cafe
@twentyfivedaysayear
Lots of different breakfast options, fresh baked goods, and delicious coffee (I had the coconut latte and it was surprisingly weird and amazing at the same time!).
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Restaurante Los Pibes
@twentyfivedaysayear
We were SO impressed by this restaurant. It served some great meat options which are perfect if you have a good craving. The outdoor vibe and menu make this a great dinner spot.
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Restaurante "AI MAMITA"
@twentyfivedaysayear
This spot offers delicious seafood and meat options in a truly stunning location. The food is fresh, the drinks are delicious, the service was excellent, and the location was the cutest scene. Plus they have happy hour at the pool side bar just before dinner opens!
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See You In Panama!

If you are looking to visit Panama and see everything it has to offer, consider checking out our three week itinerary (that is EASILY adjustable for more or less time with our input!). 

Otherwise, check out our blog to see our experiences on Panama and many other countries!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Twenty Five Days a Year
With a full time job, there are twenty five days a year I want to FILL with travelling and have been doing so every year. We love to research, plan, and travel to new destinations around the world as much as possible. We travel at least twice per year and quite a bit for work, and love to share our favourite places along the way with everyone who wants it!
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