Beaches and Islands of Panama

Beautiful Beaches in a Pairadice of a country.

This beach is also a great surf spot and collides with Punta Chame, they are separated by a river where there is a great surf spot called Malibu Beach. There are many new condos projects, resturants and hotels being built in these communities.

Punta Chame:
The beach which has some of the best white sand in the Republic of Panama. It is a long stretch with water on both sides and only a few houses compared to the other popular Panama beaches. The place is a world class spot for kite surfing and sport fishing.

Coronado:

Here you will find the most developed of all Panama beaches. It is a gated Panama beach that comes with restaurants, bars, groceries stores, large beach homes and Panama beach condos. Besides from its developments, it has a beautiful bay were you can also find good surfing and it is only minutes away from Malibu Beach.

It is hard to think of any metropolitan city anywhere with so many fine beaches nearby. Along the Pacific Coast just outside Panama City, there begins a string of pretty beaches of white sand and sapphire blue waters. This is the preferred location for the vacation homes of Panama’s wealthiest families. Getting there is easy, just an 45 minute drive from the Panama Canal and Panama City on a modern four lane highway. This lovely coastal area of Panama has Central America's only beach front golf course. Mike Kennedy would love to surf and golf in this community. Malibu, Punta Chame, Gorgona, Coronado, Rio Mar, Santa Clara and Playa Blanca. It does not get any better than this.

Beaches

San Blas
Four beach areas not to miss if you are a beach aficionado:
Isla Contadora, Isla Taboga, Bocas del Toro and the San Blas Archipielago.
Beaches near the Panama City
Within driving distance of the capital and near Fort Kobbe by the Panama Canal is Kobbe Beach. It has dressing booths and other facilities you might enjoy. Playa Blanca, Farallin
Playa Blanca is about a 90 minute drive from Panama City and is an excellent beach and rivals Miami Beach. There are may resorts located here including: Royal Decameron Beach Resort, Golf & Casino and Barcel?? Playa Blanca. Isla Taboga
Located in the Archipielago of Panama Bay and only a fifty minute cruise by boat from Panama City, you will find the stunning island of Taboga (known as the "Island of Flowers"). The boats depart from Pier 18 at the Port of Balboa at 8:30, 11:30 and 14:00 and 16:00 and costs is usually $6.00 round trip. On the way you will pass right under the Bridge of the Americas along with the huge container ships going into to and from through the Panama Canal. This island is one of the most tranquil and quietest locations you will ever visit because it has only 1,500 inhabitants and no cars. Taboga‚ magic will fill you with a remarkable feeling of calm and peacefulness. There are many attractions that can be seen as you walk along its beautiful lanes covered with flowers. Taboga is a small island but is large in history. In 1532 the Spaniard, Pizzarro launched his attack against the Inca's from Taboga and the church of San Pedro is the second oldest building in the western hemisphere. In recent years, Taboga has been a fishermen's village and offers a charming and comfortable environment of sand and sun. Exactly how the island got its name is still a question today. A number of people believe that Taboga is an Indian name for fish, and many others believe it means "mountain of water". Founded in the XVI Century by the Spaniards it has been a history of important events, a strategic port for the people from Spain during the time of the conquest of Inca Empire.
Panama Jack recommends going to the private beach of the Taboga Hotel to the right of the port. An entrance fee of $5.00 is worth the money as you can rent a beach umbrella, enjoy a Pin?° Colada with a seafood lunch and enjoy the white sandy beach where the water is so clear and blue. Word has it that if you reserve a room at the hotel before going there, you can go to the island on the hotel's private boat. Bocas del Toro
Bocas is one of Panama's top tourist attractions and with good reason. Where else can you take pleasure in beautiful beaches with scarcely a person in sight? There are many beaches located on and around the 206 islands. Bocas has not been hit by big scale tourism and its marine environment has remained unspoiled. It is a haven for manatees, tarpon fish, fresh water turtles, caimans, the red frog found only in this region, the beautiful red-billed tropic bird, the brown booby and 131 other bird species, 36 of which are on the endangered list according to the World Wildlife Fund. Over a dozen coral reefs (studied by marine researchers of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute) and the red and white mangrove trees protect and nurture a unique marine environment. Las Perlas
Haceinda del Mar is nestled within a chain of islands known as the Pearl Archipelago (Las Perlas) lays the magnificent Isla San Jose. With gentle breezes and surrounded by warm Pacific waters, the resort boasts of organic home grown food, a spring-fed swimming pool and caba?±as that are awesome. Isla Contadora
Isla Contadora Island Resort is a magnificent facility with old-world charm and elegance. It has a casino, boasts 13 beaches of pure white sand, swimming pool, lighted tennis courts, snorkeling, diving, fishing, and waterskiing, just to mention a few activities and amenities. Isla Contadora Island Resort is awesome. If you are going to stay at the resort a van will pick you up from the runway and transport you to the doors of the hotel. It is a romantic getaway that is worth every cent. Isla Grande, Province of Colon
From Portobelo drive beyond to the village of Guaira and there you can take a small powerboat to the Isla Grande,it is just a few hundred yards offshore). The beach is exceptional and you will probably have to yourself on weekdays. On weekends the locals arrive in force. San Blas Archipelago, San Blas
The San Blas Archipelago is a chain of tropical isles along the Atlantic coast of the Republic of Panama that stretch along approximately 200 miles of Panama's Caribbean coastline. The San Blas territory is defined from the seaward continental shelf to the top of the jungle-clad continental divide. Around 50 of over 365 of these islands that make up the Archipelago chain are inhabited. About half of the islands are within sight and easy traveling distance of the jungle and hills of the mainland The San Blas Islands offer two matchless attractions The Caribbean islands are of spectacular beauty and you have an opportunity to visit the villages of the San Blas Indians to learn about their fascinating culture and way of life. The San Blas Archipelago is situated in indescribably beautiful aqua waters and were selected as one of the top two "best cruising destinations in the world" by Cruising World and Le Monde Voyage magazines. Here you feel refreshingly "away from it all" ‚ ah far from modern civilization and close to nature. The popular CBS‚ Survivor program chose one heavenly San Blas island, Sapbeinega for a thank you reward‚Äù party for the Survivor competitors. The islands have been the subject of numerous National Geographic articles over the years- indeed this is an experience ‚Äúright out of the pages of National Geographic.
Accommodations consist of simple and comfortable native style cabins with roofs and walls made of thatched palm trees. The all natural accommodations blend in perfectly with the tropical scenery and are in harmony with nature. You may find Panama Mel Gibson hanging out with friends on one of these beaches, Mel has purchased a large tract of Panama beachfront.

Kuna Yala Province - San Blas Archipelago
One of the most beautiful parts of Panama is the archipelago of San Blas. Located along the Caribbean coast it is comprised of 365 islands called the San Blas archipelago. It was established in 1938 as an autonomous Indian territory . The land and marine park of Kuna Yala offers both land and sea treasures. On the mainland, the Cordillera de las San Blas ‚mountain range rises above this gorgeous, unspoiled, unexploited and relatively unknown island paradise.

Named the San Blas Islands by the Spaniards, and officially known as Kuna Yala (territory of the Kunas). Its 365 islands spread out along 212.5 km bordering the Caribbean coast. The continental and island territory covers 5,875 km2 and it borders with the Province of Colon on the west, with Colombia at the extreme east and south with Panama and Darien provinces. San Blas has a population of over 32,000 ethnically homogeneous people called Kunas. They are originally from Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia .

The Kunas have a structured society that adheres to strict rules. Kuna elders meet on a regular basis and decide the regulations and programs that need to be implemented. Women are held in high regard and they are considered the pillars of the society. Women wear short-sleeved mola blouses, a long skirt wrapped around their waists and a colorful scarf. Their ankles and arms are adorned with rows of beads.

They are in charge of stitching the bright colored cloths, molas, which they use as part of their own daily wear and which now, with the increasing number of tourists visiting their islands, provide income to the families. Molas are well known in Europe and Japan and are popular in the US through sales made in Costa Rica.

Contestants in the Miss Panama Pageant wear dresses with mola motifs and technique.

The U.S. Armed Forces had a special side-treaty with the Kunas. The men were employed on most U.S. bases, Pacific to Atlantic, and were provided with living quarters. Many worked as janitors and cooks and general handymen. The women stayed back home. After the Americans left, many remained in the vicinity of Panama City and Colon and other towns because of the availability of jobs but this time they brought their families with them. A large number have stable jobs, have bought their own homes and their children attend college in the cities. More and more Kunas are moving to the mainland in search of jobs. In the past, their economy consisted of growing coconuts which were traded for food, clothing or accessories and the mainland territory provided them fresh water and farmland to grow crops.

The Kunas are very protective of their natural resources as they have a special spiritual rapport with nature. Their territory is jealously guarded and no trespassing of the "wagas" (non-Kunas) is allowed. Wagas who have had cottage hotels on the islands (with consent by the Kunas) have had their permits revoked at no notice for not respecting their traditions. Nowadays Kunas have many simple lodgings on their islands. Usually the cost of the lodging includes three meals and excursions to the uninhabited islands for swiming and snorkeling. There are eco-trips to the mainland forest as well. Of the approximately 50 island communities Porvenir, Nargana, Wichub Wala, Nalunega, Carti-Guptupu and Ailigandi are some of the largest. For a fee you can even arrange to camp on one of the nearby tiny islands, but bring your own food and water.

Getting There
Aero Perlas provides daily morning departures to six different San Blas communities. Flights are also available through Aero Taxi and Aviatur. An overnight stay is necessary as there are no afternoon return flights. One of the shortest trips is a 30-minute flight to El Porvenir and there is lodging available at Nalunega and Wichub Wala and at Carti.

A Weekend in San Blas story by Jeremy Shorenstein

In a world where there are few places left that can truly be called paradise, San Blas easily fits the bill with its beautiful sandy beaches, temperate clear waters, and native cuisine. My friend Juan Carlos told me that I must visit San Blas during my one week visit to Panama or else it would be a wasted trip. While driving in Juan Carlos’s truck (a 4x4 is a must when driving to San Blas), we were given an amazing view over the tropical rainforest while en route to Carti, a coastal town with an air strip, where caught a boat with the native Kuna Yala people to Isla Aguja(a-goo-ha). When the boat pulled up to the island I felt as if I were in a fairytale; I thought only places this stunning existed in children’s stories and on postcards. Aguja is one of 365 beautiful small islands scattered with palm trees, giving ample space to set up a hammock and relax. For what felt like a steal of a price, we received three meals a day and sleeping arrangements in a small tent. The food was exquisite! Unfortunately we took our trip during the time of lobster repopulation; however we were pleasantly greeted with fried fish, coconut rice, and patacones (fried plantains). After arriving, eating, and setting up our tent for the night, the rest of the day was spent relaxing in the sun and spying on the secret lives of barracuda, squid, and an assortment of colorful reef fish. That evening we had another delicious meal, followed by conversation with other international travelers varying from Chilé to South Africa. While drinking coconut juice out of a freshly opened coconut, a Russian man named Serge told us how he spends one month of every year in San Blas because it is so gorgeous. Before bed we smoked Cuban cigars on the dock, looked at the stars, and wondered how such an enchanting place could exist.

The following morning we were greeted with an offer to take a ride to Isla Perro (Dog Island) where a sunken ship has become a snorkeler’s paradise. We snorkeled around the entire island, easily seeing down 20-30 feet, followed by a quick nap in the sun, some dinner, and another nap under a palm tree. While leaving that night I felt as if I had been transported to another world and was now leaving what could easily be described as heaven. Fortunately the drive back left for another amazing evening view over the rolling hills of Panamanian rainforest. I have never experienced such serenity as I did on those islands and plan to return as soon as I can for some pure and undeniable relaxation.