Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hospedaje Ecológico Nahual
At the beach T-junction 6620 6431,
nahualpanama.com
.
Two minutes from the sand, this very rustic backpacker retreat carries out genuine eco-prac-
tices: it recycles - including human waste; serves food from the organic garden, which is
rampant (so with plenty of bugs); and is strict about allowing only biodegradable soaps and
repellents and saving water and electricity - so it may not be for everyone. Dorms and triples
share showers a
nd
there are
sha
red kitchen facilities. Healthy vegan meals served for little
over $5. Dorms
$10
, doubles
$40
Las Lajas Beach Resort
Right at the beach T-junction 6790 1972,
laslajasbea-
chresort.com
.
Set back from the beach, a dozen expansive, tiled, minimally furnished rooms
(one with wheelchair access) look onto the lawn through floor-to-ceiling windows. The two
upstairs suites have spectacular sea views from the balcon
y and
there's a large pool and bar-
restaurant serving moderately priced American-style food.
$176
La Pepita de Marañon
C Principal, Las Lajas village 6225 2027,
lapepitapanama.com
.
Small B&B run by a young, dog-loving Italian couple. There's a quirky “glass house” double
room featuring creative use of recycled bottles in the stone work and a two-storey room with
two double beds that can sleep up to four ($76). Twenty minutes from the beach ($
3 fo
r trans-
fers) the place also runs inexpensive tours to Ngäbe communities and the interior.
$44
Santiago and the central highlands
The administrative, economic and cultural capital of Veraguas province,
SANTIAGO
is a
bustling centre of around forty thousand inhabitants. Founded in its present location in 1637,
and previously of great agricultural importance, it is now a thriving commercial hub - evid-
enced by the proliferation of banks and a state-of-the-art baseball stadium. Situated almost
halfway between Panama City and David, Santiago is a major transit point as well as a mar-
keting centre for the livestock, rice, maize and sugar from the surrounding farmlands. If trav-
elling round Panama by public transport, it's highly likely that at some stage you will, at the
very least, spend time in the bus terminal or stranded on the Interamericana, though there's
little incentive to venture further into town unless you happen to coincide with the
patronales
around July 25, which draw in the crowds for some serious partying.
Of greater interest to the tourist is the city's status as the entry point to the undulating
Pensinsula de Soná, at the tip of which lies
Santa Catalina
, the country's surfing capital, and
as gateway to the cooler mountain slopes of the
central highlands
, which are sprinkled with
tranquil farming villages and the charming hilltop village of
Santa Fé
. Closer to town, a few
kilometres outside Santiago, are a couple of delightful
village churches
worth a detour, both
accessible by bus.
