Exploring in The Peninsula De Azuero

We are continuing to explore the beautiful Republic of Panama. Our travels are taking us from Playa Boca Chica, where we explored magnificent islands and a remote resort, to Pedasi. Pedasi is also a quiet community where we found a few small bed and breakfast type resorts. Our reservation is at Punta Franca Hotel. We found Punta Franca rustic but adequate. There were over twenty guest rooms, a pool, and a restaurant. We had panoramic views of the ocean, but the resort was sitting on a rock cliff. A visit to the beach involved a long walk or a short car ride. Although the remote location was nothing compared to Regalo where we stayed in Boca Chica, it was on a washed out road about 5KM from the pavement. We met our good friends (adventure partners) Ty and Lyn here, and spent a relaxing afternoon in the pool. We decided to enjoy the restaurant at the hotel for dinner. The food was good but the service left a bit to be desired. Our long wait for dinner gave us time to set a plan for our adventure the following day.

Our hope was that we would get a boat tour to Isla Iguana, but the timing did not work out. We decided to drive south along the coast and explore. After breakfast, we set off in Ty’s truck for a day of awesome adventure. The road was sometimes good and sometimes not so good. We drove past Playa Venao which is probably the largest resort community on the peninsula. There were a few people around, but the activity was light. The main reason we decided not to investigate living here is the proximity to airports, health care, and grocery stores. It is an awesome place to visit but too remote for us. As we drove south we moved away from the ocean and into the mountains. We were speechless at the amazing mountain views and farms along the way.

We knew that the ocean was just on the other side of the mountains where it was obvious to us the most important thing to these people is farming. We rarely saw any houses. When we saw people they were friendly and welcoming even though it was obvious to us that they didn’t often see “gringos” driving around here. At some point we decided to drive until we reached the end of the road. We now refer to this adventure as the “end of the road adventure”. We knew that if we continued south we would reach the south end of the peninsula. We emerged from the mountain road onto a beautiful beach at a town called Cambatul. From there we drove west for a couple of Kilometers on a two-track until the road literally ended. Before it ended we did pass through two small rivers. We turned back and went back to the place where we emerged from the mountain road onto the beach. There we found a quaint little resort with tile roofed cabins on stilts and a restaurant. We took a swim on the beach and were welcomed into their establishment through a path from the beach. Along the path we found showers to rinse off the sand. The Panamanian owner waited on us and he spoke perfect English. His wife was cooking and the menu was exceptional. We had no problem agreeing to return to this place for an entire weekend.

This adventure ended much to soon. As we headed for home we agreed to take another adventure together very soon. We have yet to see any of the Caribbean coast. Our next adventure will be to Portebello on the Atlantic coast, east of the Panama Canal. There are some ancient ruins there and opportunities to explore the  islands.

We are quickly learning that this life is a daily blessing. At times we miss our family, but the world is so small now we can talk as often as we wish. We have a lifestyle here that far exceeds anything we could afford in the States. We have chosen to live in a high end resort community where most of our friends and neighbors are English speaking, but we have the ability to go off on adventures that remind us where we really are. In a few weeks we are going to explore in Costa Rica for a few days. There is a whole big world to explore. We encourage you all to take some chances and spend some time outside your comfort zone. Life is too short. We have been reading in Ecclesiastes during our journey through the Bible and chapter 3 verses 11-13 reminds us that “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil-this is the gift of God.” There is nothing more true for us today.

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Blessings,

Greg and Jen

 

We Explore Boca Chica

The Boca Chica sign is brand new
The Boca Chica sign is brand new

One of the coolest things going on here in Panama is these new signs to promote tourism. We have been trying to snap pictures of these signs on our adventures. Sometimes we get a bunch and sometimes not so many. There are times when we pass one with no possible chance to stop for a picture. The lazy, laid back, port of Boca Chica just got their sign. It is still shrouded in plastic, and the landscaping is under way. We were able to walk right up and take a great picture.

When we left our condo for our adventure we were filled with expectations. Our expectations rarely line up with reality, and Boca Chica was no exception. Our reservation was made for the Regalo Guest House. our host said just follow the signs.

The driveway was literally 18 KM long which computes to around 11 miles. We didn’t buy in for this remote, but it was really a great place. At the end of the driveway (they call it the Y) you make a turn opposite the direction of the main road to go another 6 KM to the village of Boca Chica. Along the driveway we spotted signs for things that we never got to see. There was also an equestrian center and a lot of wash outs. The picture below is what the majority of the driveway looked like. Our host told us that they had a beach 5 minutes from the house, but we didn’t find it.

Upon our arrival we were greeted and offered a welcome cocktail. The place had breathtaking views and a very nice pool. It was also helpful that the chef was more than capable. We knew that driving back into the resort after dark would be dangerous and a crazy idea, so we ordered dinner and took a swim. The hosts are from Wisconsin. they recently purchased the property and had an objective to make it upscale, remote and private. There is a helipad for anyone desiring to shorten the commute. The host asked if I was a pilot. He wanted to make connections for helicopter transits to this beautiful resort. Surfing lessons are available as well as boat tours of the islands on the Golf of Chiriquí.

We made arrangements to take the island hopping tour the following morning. Our hosts offered up a fantastic breakfast then packed a cooler for us and led us to Boca Chica. We found a secure place to park on a side street, then walked a short two blocks to the dock.

Our captain for the day was Victor. He proved to be capable and knowledgeable of the islands. Victor spoke perfect English, which was a bonus that we did not expect. We shared the boat with a Panamanian family. The couple also spoke to us in English. Their perfectly behaved children were also bi-lingual. They ended up joining us for dinner at Regalo. It’s possible that they may become life long friends. It always amazes us how welcoming and friendly the local people are here. Our tour started on Isla Bolanos where we were able to swim and soak in the awesome sites and sounds of the Golf of Chiriquí.

Areas de estudio is Boca Chica
Areas de studio is Boca Chica

Using the map above to put things in perspective to the left is Costa Rica. To the right of Boca Chica is the Peninsula de Azuero. Our next adventure takes us to the far south end of Azuero to a village called Cambutal.

The second stop of island hopping was where we enjoyed a great lunch. It was the only island with commerce. We saw just one small house where they were serving drinks and fresh seafood. we took the opportunity to restock our cooler and have Red Snapper served with salad, rice and patacones. Following lunch we took a swim on the beautiful beach before heading off to our third island.

Our third island stop was Isla Gomez. It was a tiny uninhabited island with a perfect beach. We did not have to share this island with anyone else. Captain Victor gave us an hour to swim and enjoy the beach before returning to the dock at Boca Chica.

After returning to the dock we walked around a bit in the village. There is very little to see and do there. It is a very basic little town of fishermen and tourist boat excursions. This is a very popular destination for whale watching. The whales migrate past here from August to October. This is where whales give birth because of its safe warm waters. Otherwise, everyone here has an agenda of fishing, sightseeing, or scuba diving. There are no cute little shops or restaurants. We opted to return to Regalo for a relaxed evening meal with our new friends.

Filet Mignon
Filet Mignon

We have had a couple of other great adventures over the past couple of weeks. We are always willing to share privately contact information for the tours and accommodations where we enjoy these adventures. Just drop a message and we will get back to you. We still are not endorsing anyone and we do not accept payments for endorsements. If you see an advertisement on our blog that interests you, please click through. We do get paid for that. At one time we thought it would help defray the costs involved in maintaining this site. We were badly wrong on that. To date our pay back is less than $5.  We write the blog because we enjoy sharing our experience in Panama and  beyond. Please enjoy, like, and share. Our reach is limited to you, our readers, and those with whom you share. In a few days we will share other great adventures.

Greg and Jen