Afternoon Departure
The shortest, most affordable hop to the coast — a daily shared shuttle from Santiago, the gateway to Veraguas, straight to Panama's best surf and diving destination.
$20 per personShared shuttle & rest stops included. This is a shared shuttle service — you may travel with other passengers going the same direction. The trip includes stops along the way for meals and restroom breaks.
Two daily shuttles from Santiago to Santa Catalina — same price, same comfort. Pick the time that fits your plans.
Santa Catalina is Panama's most celebrated surf destination — a remote, rugged village on the Pacific coast of Veraguas Province that draws wave riders, divers, and nature lovers from around the world. Despite its growing international fame, it has kept its authentic fishing-village soul, with unpaved streets, fresh seafood at every turn, and some of the most dramatic ocean sunsets in all of Central America.
The surf here is world-class: hollow, powerful reef breaks that work best from April through October. But Santa Catalina is also the gateway to Coiba National Park — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest marine parks in the Americas, home to whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, manta rays, and an extraordinary diversity of marine life.
Santiago, the capital of Veraguas Province, is the main gateway for reaching Santa Catalina — the last major town on the Pan-American Highway before the road turns south toward the coast. From here it's the shortest hop of all our routes: about 3 hours for just $20 per person. Two convenient departures — the 1:00 PM afternoon shuttle and the 6:00 PM evening shuttle — make it easy to connect straight from a long-distance bus arriving at the Santiago terminal, so you can reach the coast the very same day without changing vehicles or hauling your luggage across town.
Select your date, confirm your seat and receive your booking confirmation by email instantly.
Pick the 1:00 PM shuttle if you want to arrive in Santa Catalina by late afternoon (around 4:00 PM) for a sunset walk or an early night before a Coiba boat trip. Pick the 6:00 PM shuttle if you're connecting from an afternoon long-distance bus into Santiago — it arrives at night, around 9:00 PM. Both shuttles are the same price ($20) and same duration (~3 hrs).
Pickup is from a central meeting point in Santiago, confirmed at booking time for both the 1:00 PM and the 6:00 PM departures. It's convenient if you're arriving on a long-distance bus at the Santiago terminal and want a smooth connection straight to the coast.
Yes! A daily return shuttle departs Santa Catalina at 7:30 AM and arrives in Santiago around 10:30 AM. Also $20 per person — see our Santa Catalina to Santiago route.
No advance payment needed. You reserve your seat online and pay the driver directly on the day of travel.
Book your shuttle from Santiago now. Surf, diving, and pure Pacific paradise are just 3 hours away.