Santa Catalina offers beach surprises and exploring
When you travel, you learn that surprises exist around every corner. For example, did you know that some of the best surfing you will find in this hemisphere just happens to be in Panama? That's right, Panama's Santa Catalina Island, part of the Coiba National Park, has one of nature's best natural surfing features, the Punta Break. For years, the locals and surfers tried to keep it a secret, but when the park opened and guest facilities like Rancho Estero opened, the story of great surfing in Panama began to spread.
Indeed, when you travel, surprise comes with the territory. For example, for nearly 40 years the surfing world and locals tried to keep the news of the Punta Break a secret. It just wasn't to be, as travelers who stayed at Rancho Estero on Santa Catalina Island quickly spread the story of their surfing exploits, as well as information about the pristine beaches and clean, startling blue-green water. Others heard, made their reservations as Rancho Estero, and, relying on the helpful staff had the time of their lives, whether they just relaxed on silky white sand or on a short board at the big break.
This led, of course, to surfboard traffic jams and so, asking the staff at Rancho Estero, guests soon found that Isla Coiba had its share of breaker fun, as did many of the other small islands that dot Coiba National Park. Surfers found surprising conditions during their visits, as rollers can run from two to nine meters.