Santa Catalina is a former fishing village on the Pacific coast of Veraguas, in the district of Soná. It is a surf spot of world fame and the gateway to Coiba National Park, a UNESCO site.
It is about 6 hours by road from Panama City, and the nearest hospital is in Soná.
Punta Santa Catalina has twice hosted the ISA World Surfing Games. The village is also the base for diving, sport fishing and the boat trips to Coiba, and humpback whales pass from July to September.
The district of Soná counted 28,244 people in the 2023 census.
The nearest official station, Guarumal, at 47 m, averages 27.2 °C (81 °F) and recorded about 2,740 mm of rain a year. December to March is dry, April is a transition, and October is the wettest month.
| IMHPA station | Altitude | Average | Months under 100 mm of rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guarumal (116-002) | 47 m | 27.2 °C (81 °F), monthly averages 26.5 to 28.3 °C | |
| Guarumal (116-002) | 47 m | 2,741 mm of rain a year | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar |
The drive is about 6 hours: the Inter-American Highway past Santiago to the La Peña junction. Buses run from Albrook to Soná, then a local bus or taxi. There is no commercial airport nearby; the tourism board only mentions charter flights to a private runway 20 minutes away.
The village has a Ministry of Health post at El Hicaco. The Ezequiel Abadía hospital of the Social Security Fund is in Soná, and the regional hospital, Luis “Chicho” Fábrega, is in Santiago.
There is no official cost of living figure for Soná: the food basket of the Ministry of Economy and Finance includes Santiago but not Soná.
Whales July to October; turtles July to November
Humpback whales off the Pacific coast: the tourism board gives July to September on one page and July to October on another, with September as the best month. Boats must stay 250 m away. Turtles nest from July to November at Isla Cañas, La Marinera and Pablo Barrios.
Official sourceThe Pensionado visa is the same in every province: the US$1,000 monthly pension, or US$750 with a property of more than US$100,000, and the same documents, wherever you plan to live. The discounts of the retiree law apply all over the country.
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