Veraguas Province Travel Guides | Where to visit & what to do

Surf some seriously sick waves at Playa Santa Catalina and escape to the highland retreat of Santa Fé, famous for its mountain air, bright flowers and lush forests. Boasting both Caribbean and Pacific coastlines, Veraguas Province is a land of tremendous natural beauty. However, Veraguas is anything but a pristine wilderness. From a height, the Caribbean and Pacific slopes of Veraguas look as different from each other as Canada's Rocky Mountains do from Australia's Great Sandy Desert. While the Caribbean slopes are home to lush virgin forests, the Pacific slope of Veraguas is an environmentalist's nightmare. Coverage includes: Santa Fé, Santiago, Iglesia San Francisco de Veraguas, Santa Catalina, Ceramica La Peña, Las Palmas, Parque Nacional Coiba, Parque Nacional Cerro Hoya.

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The island at the center of the park, Coiba, is Panama's largest-a massive 493 square kilometers. It has the second-largest coral reef in the eastern Pacific Ocean. And the waters are filled with big fish-very big fish, as in orcas, dolphins, humpback whales, whale sharks, manta rays, barracudas, amberjack, big snappers, three kinds of marlin, moray eels, and white-tip, hammerhead, and tiger sharks. Sharks and mantas are especially common, and there's a decent chance of coming face to face with a sea turtle. Visibility can be unpredictable, but even on "bad" days one is likely to see some impressive creatures. The diving here has been described as a cross between that off the Galapagos Islands in Equador and Cocos Island in Costa Rica.

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Santa Catalina is a surfing mecca and humble fishing village in the Veraguas Province, located at the end of a pressed-dirt road south of Santiago and southeast of David. The waves here are epic, with a couple of perfect and easy-to-line-up point breaks that average 1.5 to 6.1m (5-20 ft.). Most of the waves are for advanced surfers only, but a sandy break has waves suitable for beginners and intermediates surfing with a local guide. Offshore islands such as Isla Cebaco also have excellent surfing conditions. Beyond surfing, Santa Catalina has accommodations and services and is close enough to Isla Coiba to reach on a day excursion for scuba diving, snorkeling, or eco-adventures. At the moment, Santa Catalina's accommodations are budget-oriented, and some are downright rustic.

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