Staying Overnight in Santa Catalina, Panama Accommodations in Santa Catalina, Panama range from surfer/hostel type rooms to mid priced hotel rooms. Overall, they can be characterized as simple, even rustic. Your choices are either on the beach, in town or with a view; A/C or no A/C; private bath or shared bath.
Prices range from $5 per night for camping to around $60 per night for "lodge" accomodations.
Blue Zone Surf and Dive Camp Blue Zone surf and dive hostel is located on a bluff above the beach a short walk or drive from the center of town and close to some of the best surfing areas. Directly in front of the property lies the picturesque island of Santa Catalina.
The nicely decorated hostel offers five rooms and three shared bathrooms, common kitchen and dining area with refrigerator plus laundry facilities. Blue Zone is one of the few places in Santa Catalina that offers internet service.
Blue Zone Surf and Dive Camp Website
Casa KeniaLocated conveniently at the main intersection in town, Casa Kenia is a private home rented out by its owners. It includes a full kitchen, 2 bedrooms, bath, storage area for surfboards and an outdoor patio area for relaxing in the evening.
La Buena Vida La Buena Vida is located on the main paved road on the left as you enter Santa Catalina. La Buena Vida offers 2 quaint guest quarters that are very clean and well maintained. Owners Mike and Michelle help local women create and market jewelry in their adjacent gift shop. Their café should be open soon for an American style breakfast and lunch. Atop the hill behind the lodging, they have cleared a scenic area with great views of the Pacific.
Oasis Surf Camp The only accomodations located directly on the beach, Oasis is at the end of the dirt road on Playa El Estero. A line of cabins offers bunk beds with cold water showers. The restaurant offers pasta dishes for diner with other options for breakfast and lunch.
Further from town and the main break, the Oasis is a very popular choice because of its beach front location and friendly Italian owners.
Punta Brava LodgeLocated directly in front of the main break at Santa Catalina, Punta Brava Lodge offers unique adventures to outlying islands with their 2 new pangas, each equiped with a 200 hp outboard .
On site internet, telephone make this a unique lodging opportunity for Santa Catalina. Rooms have A/C, television and DVD players.
The lodge can also arrange for transfers from the Panama City airport in their own vehicles.
Rancho Estero Rancho Estero is located at the end of the road to Playa El Estero and is on the bluff overlooking the beach and the surf. It is a series of small cabins and offers camping.

Rolo's Cabins offer some of the closest access to Santa Catalina Beach and the main surf Break. Located on the paved road just before the beach, it is convenient to the surf break, scuba shop and town.
Most of the rooms offer very clean hostel type accommodations with community baths available, however, Rolo has recently completed the addition of 2 units which offer private baths and A/C.
Sol y Mar Sol y Mar is on a hillside as you arrive in Santa Catalina from Sona. It is a quiet spot, a little further from the beach from most of the options, but offers nice rooms with a/c and hot water. Features which are lacking in many of the other Santa Catalina hotels and surf camps.
Located on the point overlooking the main point, the Delgado family are Santa Catalina natives, offering simple rooms with fans. Meals are offered on sight. This first and foremost a surf camp..
Santa Catalina is about an hour and a half drive South Southwest from Santiago. Whether you are coming from Panama City or David, you will travel through Santiago.
Santa Catalina is a five to six hour drive from Panama City's Tocumen International Airport and a four to five hour drive from David.
Using public transportation, buses can be ridden from Panama City or David to Santiago. In Santiago, change to the bus to Sona. In Sona, catch the Santa Catalina bus.