24 Mar Playa Santa Clara
By Allison Weiser Guinn
When discussing our idea to retire and move to Panama six years ago, I remember our friend’s reactions and comments with the first being how could we pack up, leave Virginia and our family and friends. How could we quit our jobs, and then a final one after reality set in that we were making the move to Panama was “there are no pretty beaches in Panama”. Well, maybe not in Panama City. But drive ninety minutes west to Gorgona, Coronado and beyond and that is where you will find me pulling up a beach chair, people watching, and thinking “why don’t I do this more often”?
For me, walking on the beach is more essential than swimming in the ocean these days. It’s never a problem checking the tide and whether with one person or as many as ten in a group, walking the beach for an hour or two in low tide (of course) is a check off the exercise list several times a month. But when family and friends come to visit, going to the beach is usually on the person’s list for some R & R. This past week I suggested making our way to Santa Clara Beach.
Our guest had already seen the black and white sand at Playa Serena in Coronado all the way to Malibu Beach on a beach walk. This time I wanted to show off the wide, white sandy beach of Santa Clara.
No one in sight
We have only been to Santa Clara twice before with one time being five years ago in October as we were “researching” Panama. We spent a few hours before the rain blew in watching my nephew kick a soccer ball around with a local Panamanian teenager. One other time was more than three years ago when we had finally moved to Panama. We enjoyed lunch at a restaurant with a beach view.
With the car packed up with the essentials of beach chairs, umbrellas, a cooler and more, we drove the twenty minutes it takes to get to Santa Clara beach. We decide to try our luck parking at Tortugas Restaurant.
Picture from Google
Being a Wednesday, this wasn’t difficult. And being that there was a man waiting for us on the main road to direct us to the restaurant, this was made even more easy. Parking is free. Bonus. Maybe free so we would eat at the restaurant? Some places nearby charge $3. Rather than unload the car, we first assessed the beach area and learned it is $10 to rent a table, four chairs, a palapa (open-sided thatched roof dwelling or hut) and hammock for the day. Forget unloading the car. While alcohol is not allowed, we did have a cooler with water. We could bring this in along with snacks, but there is a waitress that brings a menu with seafood, burgers, wings, and drinks (non-alcoholic and alcoholic). There are also bathrooms, showers, and changing rooms. I decided to take a beach chair to the water after an hour long walk (high tide was approaching but, on this beach, it didn’t matter) and watch the fisherman nearby bring their bounty to all the nearby restaurants.
The others swam and stayed under the palapa in the shade. Even with the tide high, there was still plenty of beach and space. But beware of the current here and watch yourself and especially children when in the water. This area of the Pacific can have very strong currents.
There are several lodging options along the beach, and some say it’s possible to set up a tent and camp along the shore. Hammocks can be rented for a few dollars a night or there are cabins for rent at establishments nearby.
Beach view from these cabins
This is a quiet and uncrowded beach during the week, and I know things change on weekends and holidays when vacationers from the city drive here for some sun and relaxation, so my recommendation is to grab the towel, sunblock, water, snacks, and even a change of clothes, and make a day of it at Playa Santa Clara.
Directions from Coronado: The left turn for Playa Santa Clara is about eighteen miles west of Coronado off the Pan-American Highway. A few miles down the road at the end, turn right to find restaurants on the beach side with Santa Clara school on the left along with Tortugas just ahead of you.