Playa Arrimadero doesnt have white sand or turquoise water, but is still one of the most beautiful beaches Ive seen.
As of the summer of 2021, Santa Catalina is still in the backpacking ‘sweet spot, as I call it. It has basic infrastructure, meaning a paved lodging, and a few nice restaurants and cafs. On the other hand, the road is bumpy near town, everything is still and the power goes out sometimes - all of which keep out the crowds.
My buddy Mike and I celebrated our 13 years of friendship (see Ecuador 2008) by heading to Santa Catalina to see Parque Nacional Coiba. The bus trip took 10 hours because of any number of possible inconveniences on the maldita Interamericana, and the power was out when we arrived, so it was a pretty challenging day.
Juan and Chris have an impressive operation going here and are passionate about providing a great experience for guests. Their hotel is affordable and their food and drinks are delicious. Unless you want to be right on the beach, this is where you should stay.
Playa Santa Catalina is worth checking out, but crossing the small river near Hotel Mana Ies and walking Playa Arrimadero is a must, especially during low tide
when the sandy beach is two football fields wide. The gentle slope into the sea and the barrier rocas create a dozen layers of waves and the wide, wet swath of sand reflects the sky, making for one of the prettiest beaches Ive ever seen. I made the walk along the road from Casa Iguanitas three times during my stay, passing by construction proyectos reminiscent of Playa Manuel Antonio, Costa Rico 15 years ago - retirement / weekend that will likely ruin the quaintness of the town and usher in larger projects.
Half of the businesses in Santa Catalina have signs advertising trips to Coiba but our hotel handled everything. Snorkeling trips go out pretty much every day and many places have dive trips available too. We left at 8AM, the lancha ride to the huge island of Coiba taking an hour and a half, with some dolphins along the way. We snorkeled in three shallow areas around different islands, seeing colorful schools of fish, reef sharks, giant tortugas, and an octopus. Rays, barracudas, and even whale sharks are but we werent lucky enough to see any. The lunch was paltry as
expected but it was a friendly group of 8 (all Spaniards except us) and the captain and guide were entertaining.
Its a long haul to get to Santa Catalina from Panam City, but we thought it was worth the extra effort.
