Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
terrain. Note that there are never taxis in town, unless of course someone is arriving from
Soná.
To get to the ocean-side surf hotels from the bus terminal, take the dirt road on the left
side of the road into Santa Catalina just before the road ends. Each hotel has its own sign
marking the turnoff.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
WESTERN AZUERO
Most visitors access the Azuero via Chitré, but a few hours south of Santiago the
west coast of the peninsula offers some amazing off-the-beaten-path attractions.
Between December and February you can find three species of turtle hatching on
the beaches of Malena. Community volunteers work toward their preservation. To
volunteer, contact
Malena Beach Conservation Association
(Asociación Conservacionista
de Playa Malena;
www.playamalena.org
; tours from US$10 per person, lodging per person incl breakfast
US$10)
. Basic Spanish is necessary. The organization also offers lodging and eco-
nomical horseback riding (US$10 per hour), boat tours and nature walks.
Providing luxury camping (mid-December through mid-May), meals and smart
rancho s/d US$18/30, s/d incl breakfast US$50/75; )
is in nearby Palmilla. The excellent
retreat was thoughtfully crafted by Dutch biologists who also offer recommended
area tours. They also work with the local community in sustainable tourism pro-
jects and in the reforestation of their own property. From Santiago, coaster buses
leave hourly for Mariato, then go on to Palmilla (US$4, 1½ hours). Get off in Pal-
milla.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Parque Nacional Coiba
With the exception of the Galápagos and Isla de Coco, few destinations off the Pacific
coast of the Americas are as exotic (and difficult to access) as this national park centered
on the 503-sq-km Isla de Coiba. Although just 20km offshore in the Golfo de Chiriquí,
Coiba is a veritable lost world of pristine ecosystems and unique fauna.
Left alone for the past century due to its status as a notorious penal colony (
Click here
), Coiba offers intrepid travelers the chance to hike through primary rainforest, snorkel
and dive in a marine park with increasingly rare wildlife. However, as it has virtually no
