Lago Bay is located near the popular surf town of Santa Catalina where you will find many international restaurants, and boutique shops. The Point offers the best waves in Panama. Estero Beach has a more gentle beach break with a perfect sunset. The surrounding islands make for great beach hopping and fishing.
Nearby Coiba National Park has the best diving in Panama.
What to Do
Surf
Santa Catalina’s is 15 mins from Lago Bay. The famous point break, “La Punta” offers the most consistent advanced surf break in Central America. There are several places to rent surf boards or have private lessons for beginners.
Dive & Snorkel
Diving at Coiba Island is the best in Panama. Think big: whale sharks, manta rays, turtles, moray eels and huge schools of fish. From the boat, chances are good for spotting whales and dolphins.​
Fish
Fishing in Panama is fantastic. The variety ranges from bottom fishing for snapper, grouper and other reef dwellers, to trolling for marlin, sailfish and other deep water species.
Beach Hopping
Coiba National Park is famous for white-sand beaches unique animal life. Cebaco, Gobernidora and Leones are three other islands of interest near Lago Bay.
Bird Watching
Panama in general is well known for it's variety of birds. Lago Bay in particular is exceptional for bird watching.
Getting here
Lago Bay is roughly 90 minutes by car from Santiago. Taking the local bus will take more time (roughly 4 to 5 hours). We recommend taking the car or coming in with the new airstrip. If you are taking the car, watch out for the Lago Bay sign and just follow the road until you see a white gate ahead of you. We may also be able to provide shuttle service.
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From Panama City
You will need to take a minimum of two buses (either direct to Soná and then to Santa Catalina) or three buses (direct to Santiago, then to Soná, and then to Santa Catalina). The commute by bus is approximately 7.5 hours.
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At Albrook Bus Terminal take one of the five daily buses on the Transporte San Isidrio bus line departing to Soná. The current schedule has departures from Albrook to Soná at the following times:
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5:50 am, 8:20am, 10:20am, 12:45pm, 2:20pm , 3:15pm, 4:20pm and 5:45pm
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At Albrook Bus Terminal you can also take a direct bus to Santiago. Schedules are more frequent all day and night. (All bus services going to David will stop in Santiago.) In Santiago, take a $2 taxi to the local bus terminal, and catch the bus to Sona (offered every 30 minutes with the last bus leaving at 6 pm).
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From Soná:
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Take one of the five daily buses departing to Santa Catalina (Duration 1.5 hours).
From Soná to Santa Catalina, the current schedule is:
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5:15am, 8:30am (no Sunday), 11:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00pm (no Sunday) and 4:30pm
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You can also take a taxi from Soná to Lago Bay for approximately $30.00 – $40.00 (USD) for an hour ride.
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You can request to the driver that you be dropped at the LAGO BAY sign on the main road, we are just after Farfan and before the town of Hicaco.
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Book on
Visit Lago Bay
There are lots of things to do in and around Lago Bay. The nearby town Santa Catalina is famous for surfing at the Point and diving in Coiba. The Coiba National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that offers the best bio-diversity diving in Panama.