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By car or bus on a beautiful four lane highway from Panama City. You can rent a car, or take a bus from Albrook Terminal for a couple of bucks. The taxi ride will cost you about $70 one way. The major resorts have transportation services from the international airport in Panama City.

There are now six major resorts on beaches close to Panama City. The first beach resorts are just over the bridge 15 minutes from Panama City-the Playa Bonita Intercontinental and Westin Resorts. An hour further there are three all inclusive resorts: Royal Decameron, Playa Blanca Resort, the Royalton and a Sheraton resort. The Buenaventura Bristol is true upscale resort with the best golf course in Latin America. Coronado Hotel and Golf Resort and the Decameron have excellent golf courses. Small hotel options include Las Sirenas featuring individual cabins right on the beach.

Gourmet Dining: Vista Mar Resort community has a seaside gourmet restaurant run by one of Panama's best French chefs, with elegant decor and beautiful views of the ocean. Local Seafood is a specialty.
Great Views and Seafood: Las Pipas Restaurant and Bar on Playa Blanca is right on the beach near the the Decameron Resort. See their ad on the sidebar.
Los Camisones, near Santa Clara is a Panamanian favorite with an extensive seafood and Panamanian menu. Popular dishes are Galician octopus and jumbo prawns.

Highlights

Miles of uncrowded beaches, beach resorts, retirement and vacation communities, year-round golfing, surfing, kayaking and side trips to the picturesque mountain town El Valle de Anton.

Beaches

One of your first pleasant surprises will be how warm the water is- all Panama's Pacific coasts have warm water year round and good weather year-round. From March to mid-December, best to beach in the morning because it often rains hard for a spell in the late afternoon. For day trips, the San Carlos Turiscentro offers day tripper facilties including showers and pools on an excellent beach for $25 per person and $30 on weekends. You can beach for free on other beache. We recommend Santa Clara and and Palmar beaches which have facilities for day trippers including restaurants with bathrooms and beach equipment for rent. El Palmar Surf School on Palmar beach offers surf lessons with a certified instructor for a reasonable price. Tel:240.8004

Golf

One of the best things about this area is that you can golf year round- the temperature doesn't change. The so-called rainy season is usually just a heavy shower in the afternoon- leaving every morning ideal for golf.

Buenaventura Golf Course at the Bristol Buenaventura Resort

Buenaventura raised the bar for golf in Latin America. Designed by Jack Nicklaus. this course is widely regarded as the best golf course in the region. Its signature hole cuts into the Pacific Coastline with stunning views of white sand beach. From caddy concierges to specialized golf instructors, golfers have all their needs are attended to. Stay at the luxurious Buenaventura Resort with all the amenities- restaurants, spa and a beach club house.

Coronado Golf and Beach Resort

Panama's Riviera's original golf course, designed by Tom and George Fazio, this is an 18 hole, par 72 course. Stay at adjacent Coronado Beach Resort with a private beach, fine dining, pools, jacuzzis, sauna, 4 professional tennis courts, 4 restaurants, beach club, equestrian club, full service gym and more.

Mantaraya Golf Club by Royal Decameron Beaches

Next to one of Panama's best beaches, an 18 hole, par 72 course designed by Randall Thompsen. Includes two driving ranges, a practice putting green, and 6 flood lit par 3 holes for after-dark enjoyment, as well as the all inclusive Royale Decameron Resort with 3 whirlpools, 8 specialty restaurants and pizzerias, beach, lobby and pool bars, gym, spa, tennis courts, convention center, casino and a discoteque

Surfing

Another thing the residents love here is that they can surf everyday. Rio Mar, el Palmar, Teta and Malibu are the most popular surf beaches. Check the swell chart before you leave or it might be flat when you get there. The best waves are from May-September. Punta Chame is good for windsurfing Feburary-April and there's a cable park there for wake-boarding.

Search for a Retirement and Vacation Community

An increasing number of American families and retirees are choosing to buy a second home and live in this area. The attractions: uncrowded beautiful beaches, competitive housing prices, proximity to metropolitan Panama City, year round golfing and surking, two English language schools and an active community of foreign residents.

This area was featured in Business Week July 2009 in an article Panama-the Next Florida. Residents interviewed loved the peace and the fact that they could surf everyday.
Panama's Riviera has all the important services need for a comfortable life- cable TV, internet, two American-style supermarkets where you can find just about everything you can find in a US supermarket, restaurants, home supply stores and services and a medical clinic- the San Fernando Clinic which is an extension of one of Panama's major hospitals.
Another attraction of the Pacific Coast beaches are their proximity to the cool picturesque mountain communities like El Valle de Anton and Los Altos de Maria, just half an hour away.