THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Panama - page 212

10min walk to the bus station. Transport leaves for Panama City from the south side of the
Interamericana opposite the Hotel Dos Continentes at similar intervals.
Westbound buses The large buses to Santiago, Chitré and Las Tablas pull in for a pit stop
at the Restaurante Universal , just east of the Hotel y Suites Guacamaya ; David buses rarely
stop since they're usually full. Other westbound transport picks up passengers at the petrol
station at the Interamericana junction with Av J.D. Arosemena.
BY MINIBUS
Regular minibuses for the beachside resort of Santa Clara leave from 200m down J.D.
Arosemena at the junction of C Victoriano Lorenzo, whereas all other minibuses can be loc-
ated round the marketplace.
Destinations Aguadulce (hourly 5am-7/8pm; 1hr); Chiguirí Arriba (6am, 9am then every
60-90min until 6.30pm; 1hr 15min); El Copé (every 20min, 6am-7pm; 1hr); La Pintada
(every 10min 6am-8pm; 20min); San Miguel Centro (infrequently; 1hr 30min).
ACCOMMODATION
All the accommodation listings given here lie on the Interamericana and are suitably motel-
like, with midweek reductions. Cheaper, very basic lodgings can be found round the plaza in
town.
Hotel Coclé Interamericana, Iguana Mall west of Av J.D. Arosemena 908 5039, hotel-
cocle.com . Bland, new business hotel currently offering the highest level of comfort in town:
modern rooms with large beds, room service, safe, large flat -scr een TV and laundry service.
Plus there's a business centre, gym, pool and bar-restaurant. $85
Hotel Dos Continentes Interamericana, at the junction with Av J.D. Arosemena 997 9326,
hoteldoscontinentes.net . Long-standing labyrinth of rather faded e n-s uite rooms with de-
cent beds and noisy a/c units, offering reasonable value nevertheless. $33
Hotel La Pradera Interamericana, several hundred metres west of Av J.D. Arosemena 991
0106, [e-mail] . Decent modern ameni-ties plus an on-site bar-restaur-
ant and small pool. $55
Pensión Los Piños Intermaericana 200m east of Av J.D. Arosemena 997 9518. Easily
missable, s qua t building offering eleven cheap basic rooms with bathroom and fan (extra for
a/c & TV). $25
EATING AND DRINKING
Inexpensive places serving traditional food are dotted along the main street and around the
market, with more varied cuisine served in the hotel restaurants.
Gallo Pinto No. 1 C Nicanor Rosas. One of several in this local chain with comida típica
for $3-4 in all its outlets, though you can't beat this one for people-watching, on the corner
overlooking the market. Daily 6am-8pm.