Page 174 - The Rough Guide to Panama (Travel Guide)

172 The Azuero PeninsulA The souThern coasT
ACCoMMoDATion
Prices are often much higher for weekends. If you’re self-catering, note that a truck from Las Tablas trawls the main
beach resorts on Mon, Thurs and Sat mornings to sell fresh vegetables.

La Choza 200m from the beach break; contact Hotel El (see below). Camping $7, dorms $12, doubles $33
Sitio T832 1010, Wfacebook.com/la-choza-de-playa ★ Venao Cove West end of beach T6427 2129,
-venao. Compact, comfortable fan-ventilated rooms, a Wplaya-venao-panama.com. Brightly painted hostel in a
breezy balcony and intimate garden-rancho kitchen great setting, overlooking the beach, with two comfortable
facilities – all at the back of the beach, in a shady spot. eight-bed dorms, shared kitchen and bathroom facilities
Dorms $15, doubles $35 and bags of hammock room for lazing around. There are also
★ Eco Venao 1km west of the beach entrance T832 ten spacious, light private rooms with shared kitchen and
0530, Wecovenao.com. On a hilltop overlooking the bay, balcony; it’s worth paying extra for the rooms overlooking
this lovingly restored wooden farmhouse offers eight bunks the beach. Camping $7, dorms $12, doubles $50
and a couple of simple private rooms with shared kitchen Villa Marina East end of beach T263 6555,
and bathrooms, plus some moderately priced cane-and- Wvillamarinalodge.com. Tucked away at the back of the
thatch cabañas and two stone bungalows spread across the sand, this spacious hacienda-style boutique hotel is set in
grounds. Campers share the lodge facilities, including the lush grounds surrounded by tropical forest with a stone
numerous hammocks and a volleyball court. Boat trips can infinity pool overlooking the beach. Tastefully designed
be arranged, or you can explore the bay on horseback or in a with all mod cons (a/c, cable TV and safe). Continental
kayak. There’s a great on-site restaurant, Los Sombreros, too breakfast included. $99
eATinG
4 La Bicicleta 50m east of the beach entrance T6201 goes for $3. Daily 8–10am & noon–11pm; kitchen closes
9338. Cosy, quirkily decorated café, with a handful of seats
at 9.30pm.
inside and out, offering a few cheap eats – menú del día Los Sombreros Eco Venao, 1km west of the beach
($5) or whole grilled fish – plus inexpensive beer and juice. entrance. Hilltop restaurant under a rancho with a good
Daily 7am–5pm. atmosphere and good food, though the menu is limited.
Pizzería Gavilán Beach Break Surf Camp, east end of Veggie and meat burgers or a whole fish ($9) are served
the beach T832 1124. Excellent pizzas and a fabulous with various accompaniments, charged separately ($4–6).
location bang on the beach – no wonder it’s a popular Healthy or traditional breakfast fry-ups are available, too.
hangout. Thin-crust pizzas range from $9 to $16 and beer Daily 7am–9pm.
Refugio de Vida Silvestre Isla de Cañas
In the bay to the west of Playa Venao, nestled among the mangroves and a stone’s throw
from the swampy shoreline, lies the long sliver of land that is REFUGIO DE VIDA SILVESTRE
ISLA DE CAÑAS. The island is synonymous with turtles, which arrive annually in their
thousands, availing themselves of a glorious 14km band of sand to lay their eggs.
Turtles are not the only attraction, however. The reserve extends into a muddy tangle
of mangroves both on the island’s shore-side and along the mainland, providing
roosting and nesting sites for waterbirds, which can be seen close up on a round-the-
island boat tour, which also takes in a pre-Columbian archeological site (with little to
see) and a strangely formed cave dubbed the “casa de piedra”. You can also enjoy a
couple of hours’ gentle fishing or a ride in a horse and cart around the island’s beaches
and cultivations – rice, maize, banana and cocoa are all grown alongside vast quantities
of juicy watermelons, which should definitely be sampled.
ArriVAl AnD DePArTure islA De CAÑAs
TO THE JETTY pass via the island dock if requested. The early-morning
By bus Take the bus from Las Tablas (1–1.30pm; 2hr) or bus leaves Cañas at 7am.
Pedasí (7am & noon; 1hr) to Cañas village; you may be able By car The turn-off to the jetty is 6km west of Cañas
to persuade the driver to drive the extra distance to the village, opposite Fonda El Refugio; from there it’s another
island dock (El Encerrao) for a few extra dollars. A very 2.5km down a tarred road to the dock.
occasional minibus runs between Tonosí and Cañas and will By taxi A taxi from Pedasí costs around $35.

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