LET THE LUCK BE WITH ME

Howler Monkeys and Hatching Turtles

This was my second time around visiting Panama. The first time I was there, I lived there for 6 months. During my 6 months I was able to come across countless crocodiles, a herd of itty bitty monkeys, one Blue Morpho Butterfly and one lonely sloth.

This time around, I decided to head back to Panama for a little Canadian winter reprieve and to visit the friends I made while living there. On this visit, I travelled to Playa Venao and was gifted the divine pleasure of waking up every morning to the howler monkeys (turn the volume up on the video below). And as luck would have it, I just happened to be on the beach one night waiting for my dinner when the baby turtles began hatching to make their first journey to the ocean.

Playa Venao

Where the Jungle Meets the Ocean

Playa Venao is quite the long drive from the capital city, approx. 7 hours, depending on traffic of course. But I believe alternatively you can fly as well, but in my opinion it’s ideal to have a car anywhere outside of the capital as transit is very unreliable.

Playa Venao should be on your list of places to visit in Panama if you prefer the laid back chill lifestyle. It gives major Surf Vibes with sophistication and it definitely lacks the crowds.

It is a beautiful horse-shoe shaped bay known for consistent waves, black sand beach, tons of outdoor activities which include hiking and waterfalls, comfortable accommodation, good food, and surprisingly for being pretty remote it has a vibrant nightlife.

The nearest bigger town would be Pedasi and is about 25 mins.  The beach has become a hot destination for locals and overseas tourists all looking for paradise. And they find it here.

I think the closest place I can compare it to is in Hawaii on Maui there is a tiny town called Paia…this is basically a carbon copy.