Panama 6 - Veraguas Province

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
Veraguas Province
POP 227,00 / ELEV SEA LEVEL TO 3478M / AREA 10,050 SQ KM
Why Go?
Santiago......................136
San Francisco..............137
Santa Fé.......................137
Las Palmas.................. 141
Santa Catalina............. 141
Parque Nacional .
Coiba...........................145
Parque Nacional .
Cerro Hoya.................. 151
Best Places to
Eat
¨¨Anachoreo (p140)
Nearly 500 years ago, the Spanish were lured here by the
region’s natural beauty, with robust rivers, stunning peaks
and the promises of vast gold reserves. Though the gold ran
out and colonies failed, the essence of Columbus’ first impression remains.
The Galápagos of Central America, the wildlife-rich
Unesco World Heritage Site of Isla Coiba draws divers, birdwatchers and paradise seekers. Surf village Santa Catalina
has become a destination in its own right. Hikes to waterfalls and swimming holes around the highland village of
Santa Fé offer an off-the-beaten-path retreat.
The isolated Caribbean coast of Veraguas will soon be accessible by the Carretera de Caribe, a now half-constructed
cross-peninsula road bound to change the future of the
region and places on the way, like Santa Fé. In short, this
deforested region of ranchers and subsistence farmers is redefining itself. Tourism may help recast its fragile fortunes.
¨¨Chano’s Point (p145)
¨¨La Panaderia (p145)
¨¨Los Pibes (p145)
¨¨La Buena Vida (p145)
Best Places to
Stay
¨¨Hostal La Qhia (p140)
¨¨Hibiscus Garden (p142)
¨¨La Buena Vida (p143)
¨¨Time Out (p144)
¨¨Oasis Surf Camp (p144)
When to Go
¨¨Feb–Mar The best months to hit the world-class surf
breaks in Santa Catalina and along the Veraguas coast.
¨¨Dec–Feb Three species of turtle nest on the beaches of
Malena in Western Azuero Península; community volunteers
guide these very off-the-beaten-path trips.
¨¨Dec–Apr Dry season means the the best weather for the
beach, but the May–Nov rainy season means waterfalls near
highland Santa Fé are big – though trails may be muddy. In
October many services are closed.
81º30'W
81º00'W
0
0
135
Veraguas
Province
Highlights
40 km
20 miles
1 Explore the
Isla Escudo
de Veraguas
Golfo de los
Mosquitos
9º00'N
9º00'N
astounding natural
beauty of Parque
Nacional Coiba
(p145), above or
below the water line
2 Surf some
Colón
Santa
Catalina
Rí
Road under
construction
ra Central
Cordille
an
oS
Río C o bre
Pa
b
Veraguas
lo
Cañazas
1
o C
o r it a
Soná
Sa n Pedro
La Mesa
ío
a
Las
Palmas
Río de
Jesús
Cruce
SANTIAGO de Ocú
1
Atalaya
Puerto
Mutis
Ocú
Po
Río n
Santa
María
8º00'N
Montijo
Herrera
a
ay
El Golfo
de Montijo
Playa Santa
Catalina
Isla Gobernadora
7º30'N
Golfo de
Montijo
Río
Su
El Tigre Humedal
Santa
Catalina
Mariato
Palmilla
Malena
Western Península
Isla
Azuero de Azuero
Cébaco
Peninsula
7º30'N
Río Pavo
Isla de
Coiba
Arenas
PACIFIC
OCEAN
Parque
Nacional
Cerro Hoya
Punta
Playa
Ventana Cambutal
(14km)
81º30'W
81º00'W
4 Visit the Iglesia
San Francisco de
Veraguas (p136), one
of the best examples
of baroque religious
art and architecture
in the Americas
5 Get inspired
ug
Cat
e
Parque
Nacional
Coiba
San Francisco
R
Inter a mer ican
Olá
highland village of
Santa Fé (p137),
famous for its
waterfalls, steep hills
and lush forests
Ver aguas Province Vera

g uas P rov i nce H i g h l i g h t s
Rí
8º30'N
Rí o San Ju
an
Rí
Alto de
Piedra
Tolé
Río
Coclé
Santa Fé
a
8º30'N
3 Retreat to the
o
Veragua s
r
RíoCalo vébo
Bocas del
Toro
8º00'N
seriously sick waves
at Playa Santa
Catalina (p141),
Panama’s legendary
surf spot
off the beaten path
with a retreat to
the crowd-free Isla
Gobernadora (p147)
6 Adventure
to the Western
Azuero Península
(p148), with remote
coastal appeal and
community turtle
tours