Page 170 - The Rough Guide to Panama (Travel Guide)

168 The Azuero PeninsulA The souThern coasT
ACCoMMoDATion
Hospedaje Martha C Moisés Espino T994 1012. Ideal rooms, with pale stone-tiled floors, set around an interior
for budget travellers, offering small, clean a/c en-suite courtyard. Standard business-style decor is offset by the
doubles plus cheaper options ($18) with fan and shared stylish bathroom with decorative floor tiles. Other pluses
bathroom off a long corridor. $25 are the rooftop pool and bar, a decent restaurant and
Hotel Don Jesús C Ramón Mora, north of Parque welcoming staff. Pay the extra $17 for a balcony. Cheaper
Porras T994 6593, Whoteldonjesus.com. Pleasant midweek rates $93
lodgings in a converted family home with neat rooms and Hotel Sol del Pacífico C Agustín Cano Castillero T994
good service. Guests share a comfortably furnished lounge- 1280. This fairly central three-storey modern block offers
balcony area for breakfast ($4–5) and relaxing. There’s also the best value in town, with clean, comfortable rooms with
a pond-size pool. $44 a/c and TV – though it’s worth checking out several – and
★ Hotel Presidente C Pablo Arosemena, half a block hot-water showers of varying temperatures. For an extra
east of Parque Porras T848 3071, Whotelpresidente $16 you can get a larger, more modern and comfortable
.com.pa. An attractive three-storey building boasting 34 room. $50
eATinG
★ La Maestra C Pablo Arosemena, half a block west of T994 6372. Nicely prepared Panamanian dishes at
Parque Porras T6758 9866. Great, chilled spot featuring reasonable rates (mains from around $11), ensuring that
psychedelic art inside and out, and with an alternative vibe. the restaurant attracts more than just the hotel guests.
Prop up the bar and try out the craft beers, or sprawl across Daily 7am–10pm.
cushions and sip a glass of sangria while browsing one of Restaurante y Pizzería El Caserón C Moisés Espino at
their books. They offer great soups and salads, burgers and C Agustín Batista T994 6066. This congenial open-sided
4 chips, deli sandwiches ($6–8) plus a weekday menú ejecutivo joint with outdoor terrace is a reliable choice, serving
($6), and also host occasional jam sessions on Fri nights. Free
moderately priced seafood and parrilladas (mains $8–12)
wi-fi. Mon–Sat 8.30am–10pm, Sun 3–10pm. and cheap pizzas (from $6); you can bring a beer to have
Restaurante Hotel Piamonte Av Belisario Porras with the meal. Daily 7am–10pm.

The southern coast
At the flat southeastern tip of the peninsula, the tiny, quaint colonial town of Pedasí,
40km south of Las Tablas, is the centre of an unlikely development boom, attracting
tourists and luxury real-estate agents in equal measure; as yet, though, its character
remains relatively intact. The nearby wildlife refuges of Isla Iguana and Isla de Cañas draw
wildlife enthusiasts, while the waves that batter the headland and southern coastline act as
magnets for surfers. As the main road turns southwest, beyond Pedasí, skirting the golden
arc of Playa Venao and the mangrove-lined bay encircling Isla de Cañas, the farmland
becomes hillier and more rugged, eventually arriving in Tonosí, the peninsula’s last main
town, nestled in a valley. Heading south from there, a tarred road heads south to the
remote coastal community of Cambutal – another surfing destination – halfway along the
coast. To the west, the Azuero’s western massif looms, containing its highest peaks, which
top 1500m and crown the little-explored Parque Nacional Cerro Hoya.

Pedasí
The town of PEDASÍ lies near the southeastern corner of the peninsula. A former small
fishing village, it was catapulted into the national consciousness in 1999 as the birthplace
of Panama’s first female president, Mireya Moscoso (see p.302), whose picture greets you
on arrival. There’s nothing much to do here once you’ve glanced around the main square,
but it is a tranquil place to hang out, and provides a base for trips to Isla Iguana and Isla
de Cañas, as well as being within easy reach of a string of great surfing beaches. Other
activities that can be organized, depending on the season, include snorkelling, kayaking,
horseriding and turtle watching. The growing expat community means there is some
comfortable accommodation and decent restaurants, though places tend to come and go.

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