Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
rooms (three with shared hot-water bathrooms), you'll need to book. A lovely hammock-
strewn balcony and
rancho
complete the tranquil scene though the cockerels will ensure an
early start. Tasty breakfasts are available, as is takeaway pizza to order. Maps an
d gu
ides can
be a
rranged for excursions to local waterfalls and natural swimming pools. Dorm
$12
, doubles
$44
Hotel Santa Fé
Main road 954 0941,
hotelsantafepanama.com
.
Perched on the hillside
500m before town, this institution has for years attracted fleeing urbanites at weekends
seeking fresh mountain air and relaxation. No-frills rooms (for 2-5 people, with cold-water
showers - hot water, a/c and cable TV extra) are clean though rather
unin
spiring and could
do with a coat of paint, but are cheap. On-site bar-restaurant and wi-fi.
$28
EATING AND DRINKING
Anachoreo
Left after the bus station and first right down a dirt road 6911 4848.
The
rather unatmospheric, cavernous dining room is more than compensated for by the delicious
Cambodian cuisine - stir-fried vegetables, chicken ginger and Fish Amok ($8-12) using fresh
green vegetables and herbs from the garden. All dishes come with steamed rice.
Wed-Sun
5-9pm.
Fonda Hermanos Pineda
Just off the main road.
Really friendly local restaurant serving
mains for around $6. Try the plate of
picadas
- a sampler platter of deep-fried local
favourites: chicken, pork,
hojaldres
, empanadas, yuca chips and
patacones
($6).
Daily
6.30am-9pm.
Restaurante El Terminal
Main road
hotelsantafepanama.com
.
Small a/c room by the bus
terminal, dishing up traditional fried Panamanian breakfasts (under $2) and filling lunches:
chicken, beef or pork in tasty sauces accompanied by a mound of rice, lentils and salad - all
for under $3.
Daily 5am-6.30pm.
Peninsula de Soná and Isla Coiba
Dwarfed by the Azuero Peninsula to the west, the hilly
Peninsula de Soná
has recently star-
ted to open up to tourism. Small cattle farms cover the interior and fishing communities dot
the rocky coastline, which protrudes into the Golfo de Chiriquí. Panama's surfing capital,
mellow
Santa Catalina
, continues to expand as more people use the fishing village as the
launching pad for excursions to the rainforests and coral reefs of
Isla Coiba
, which offers
some of the world's finest scuba diving, snorkelling and sport fishing.
Santa Catalina
At the southern end of the peninsula, the sleepy fishing village of
SANTA CATALINA
reels in visitors for its internationally renowned
surf
spots and is a jumping-off point for Isla
Coiba. As a result, the village has developed into a pleasantly bohemian tourist centre, with
