Many hotels dot Panama's prime surfing ground
With the first of this month, the peak surfing season has begun at Panama's Santa Catalina Island. Santa Catalina is home to one of Central America's once-secret surfing sites, the Punta Break. For nearly 40 years, this site remained the property of the surfing community, but as the Coiba National Park opened the area to tourism the veil of secrecy parted and the Punta Break became the destination of choice of surfers from around the world. It also became the destination of choice of those who want to stay at Rancho Estero, a recently renovated facility with a talented and friendly staff of hosts and hostesses who know this area intimately.
Indeed, if you haven't made your reservations at Rancho Estero by now, it is unlikely you will be able to get accommodations there for at least six months. All isn't lost, though, as you're bound to find a Santa Catalina hotel that has undergone a major renovation in the last few years and it is now comparable to Rancho Estero in many respects. It makes a great second choice if you can't find accommodations at Rancho Estero, especially if you're not as interested in talking to locals about the best places to surf in Panama or Santa Catalina, which is really Rancho Estero's specialty.Santa Catalina is an island that is surrounded by many small islands that offer breaks nearly as good as the Punta Break, but the interesting thing is that Santa Catalina also offers you white sand beaches and easy places where you can learn how to surf. It is an island with something for everyone.