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Just under two hours from Panama City is Playa Santa Clara, a stretch of beach that development seems to have forgotten. With my group of friends, we rented a car, hopped in, and took the trip to this beach on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
We followed the road signs and arrived to find a nearly deserted white sand beach that seemed to stretch for a good distance.
Veraneras
Because the weather wasn’t all that great for swimming and the surf was a bit too strong, we spent a couple hours at Veraneras, a small beachside restaurant with bungalows available for rent. There were reasonably priced drinks available along with several meat and seafood options for lunch. The food was decent.
A walk a bit down the beach showed us the same scenery – nothing. The owner of the restaurant said weekdays are very quiet and relaxing, but on weekends, the beach attracts big crowds. There are more developed and upscale beach areas nearby, like Playa Farallón, but this nearly deserted beach had exactly what we needed to escape the madness of Panama City.
Getting There
To get to Playa Santa Clara, it’s easiest to have your own vehicle, otherwise, any bus heading west from Panama City can drop you off at the turn-off to the beach.
