Leave the Azuero Peninsula after breakfast and be on Panama's most famous point break the same afternoon — one direct ride, no bus connections.
Shared shuttle, two departures a week. This route runs only on Tuesdays and Fridays, so plan your checkout day around it — seats fill up fast in high season. It is a shared service, so you may travel with other passengers going the same way, and the trip includes stops for food and restroom breaks.
Santa Catalina, on the Pacific coast of Veraguas province, is the birthplace of Panamanian surfing. Its right-hand point break holds size better than anywhere else in the country and works year-round, drawing surfers from all over the world while the village itself stays small, sandy and unpretentious.
It is also the gateway to Coiba National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage marine reserve an hour offshore. Day trips from Santa Catalina reach some of the best diving and snorkelling in the eastern Pacific — whitetip reef sharks, manta rays, sea turtles and, from July to October, migrating humpback whales. Between sessions there are empty beaches at Playa Estero, waterfalls inland and fresh seafood a few steps from the sand.
The shuttle picks you up in Playa Venao at 7:00 AM and crosses the Azuero Peninsula back into Veraguas, reaching Santa Catalina around 1:00 PM — early enough for an afternoon session. It is roughly a six-hour drive in an air-conditioned van, with rest stops on the way:
By public bus the same journey means three or four separate connections through Las Tablas, Chitré and Santiago, with a real chance of missing the last chiva into Santa Catalina. Our shuttle does it in one ride, boards and bags included. Travelling in the other direction? See the Santa Catalina to Playa Venao shuttle, and check all our routes if you are continuing on to Boquete, Bocas del Toro or Panama City.
Pick a Tuesday or Friday, confirm your seat and receive your booking confirmation by email instantly.
Tuesdays and Fridays only. The van leaves Playa Venao at 7:00 AM and arrives in Santa Catalina around 1:00 PM. There is no service on other days of the week, so book the date that fits your trip.
$45 USD per person each way. The shuttle from Santa Catalina to Playa Venao costs the same $45 and also runs Tuesdays and Fridays, leaving Santa Catalina at 2:30 PM.
Door-to-door pickup anywhere in the Playa Venao area, including the surf camps and hostels along the bay. Give us your accommodation when you book and we will confirm the exact pickup time.
Yes — we drop you right at your hotel, hostel or surf camp in Santa Catalina. Just tell us where you are staying when you book.
Yes. Our vans carry a roof rack for boards and large luggage at no extra cost. Let us know how many boards you are travelling with so we can reserve the space.
No advance payment needed. You reserve your seat online and pay the driver directly on the day of travel.
Two departures a week — Tuesdays and Fridays. Reserve your seat before they sell out.
