7 Days Tropical Surf Camp in Santa Catalina, Panama

You will stay at Rancho Estero that offers a series of 6 cabanas for you to enjoy all year round. Rancho Estero provides fresh water, electricity and free internet access. Each cabana has comfortable beds, clean sheets, pillows, fresh towels, and a tiki-tropical flavor you deserve when basking in this paradise. There is a central shared kitchen for your enjoyment. Rancho Estero also has a great patio area with hammocks and a wonderful deck overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Playa Estero. We require a minimum of 2 persons per room booking.

Driving directions from Panama City

• From Panama City, you will head to Santiago first. Panama City to Santiago is a pretty easy drive in the Highway 1, known as the Pan American Highway.
• The hardest part of the trip is finding the turn for Soná. It involves several turns through Santiago. The first turn is to the left, just before a gas station about half way through the town on to Avenida Central.
• Avenida Central will take you through the main shopping area and run directly into the big white Cathedral.
• At the Cathedral, turn right and immediately back to the left, following the side street of the Cathedral.
• In one block (at the back of the Cathedral), turn right.
• Continue for 2 more blocks and turn left where a small sign points to Soná.
• The road to Soná is a two lane highway and is bumpier than the Pan American Highway, but in decent condition. Usually, it takes about 45 minutes.
• Shortly before entering Soná, there is an intersection with a gas station on the corner and a large number of signs. The gas station is where you turn left.
• This puts you on the road to Santa Catalina. If you need money, bottled water, gas, food, or supplies, you should stop here or drive short into Soná because here, you will have what you need to bring to Santa Catalina.
• About half way to Santa Catalina, you will make a left turn at a well-marked intersection.
• From Soná to Santa Catalina will take you about one hour.
• Once you are in the downtown of Santa Catalina, there is only one main intersection where you turn left and follow the road for roughly 3 minutes, then you will see the entrance of Rancho Estero on the right side.

Arrival by bus

From the Albrook bus terminal in Panama City you can take a direct bus to Soná (or one to Santiago and from there to Soná). If you leave early in the morning (around 8 a.m.), you will arrive in time for the afternoon bus to Santa Catalina that leaves at 1:35 p.m. from Sona. The last bus leaves at 4:45 p.m. (but sometimes it leaves early if it is full already). From Soná there are 6 buses a day: 5:30 a.m., 8:40 a.m. (not on Sundays), 11:20 a.m., 1:35 p.m., 2:40 p.m. (not on Sundays), and 4:45 p.m. (on Sundays, it leaves at 4:30 p.m.). But, you can also take a taxi from Soná to Santa Catalina (around 40 USD).