Here are some photos from the public boat ramp in the small town of Cañas. This is the nearest boat ramp to Ojo de Agua and one of the most protected ones in the area. There is already one private boat storage and another under construction near the launch. Notice the grass hut in one of the pictures. This is the neighbor next to the completed boat storage. Panama, land of contrasts.
Cañas is a small town located on the mainland near the mouth of the Cañas Estuary. If searching a map, Cañas is just north of the eastern tip of Cañas Island, roughly centered between Playa Venao/Venado and the town of Bucaro. Cañas is a typical small Panamanian town that has a Catholic church, public school, hardware store, a few small tiendas (general store), a few restaurants and plenty of cantinas.
This public boat ramp was recently constructed and is only a few minutes from the property in Ojo de Agua. The Cañas estuary is one of the only protected waterways in this part of Panama. Shielded from the waves of the Pacific Ocean by Isla Cañas, the protected estuary offers a great place to launch. Due to the extreme tidal fluctuations here in Panama, one most launch and retrieve their boat around medium or high tide. Once launched mariners navigate about 40 minutes westward through the mangrove lined estuary which merges with the Tonosi and Viejo rivers near where their mouths spill out into the Pacific Ocean near Bucaro, a small local fishing village located between Tonosi and Guanico.
I also included a photo of the sign announcing that the road is to be repaved from Cañas to Tonosi. Ojo de Agua is two kilometers to the west of Cañas heading towards Tonosi. Those of us that drive this road everyday know that it is one of the worst main roads in the area. I have been hearing for two years that this road is going to be rebuilt. The new road will cut the time down by half to go to Tonosi. Finally! The government has erected the official sign and roadwork has started.
When in the area take a drive through Cañas or catch a boat and visit the island for turtle watching, I may see you there.
There are many quebradas around the property, many deeper and larger than others. Too steep to haul out lumber from cut trees and to rocky for cattle to graze, quebradas are some of the rare areas in this heavily deforested part of Panama that are still relatively untouched. Quebradas are diverse ecological pockets where monkeys, iguanas, birds, and other species of local wildlife live. Fortunately, these shady, cool, reprieves from the tropical sun, are public right of ways and legally protected by the Republic of Panama.
The property in Ojo de Agua is bordered on three sides by very deep quebradas. Although I have briefly explored some of these valleys before, I never took the time to really appreciate their natural beauty. Yesterday, I decided to take a break and hike in the bottom of one and snap some photos to share.
Soon, we will start clearing trails through and around the quebradas, offering special areas for owners and guests to exercise, bird watch, hike, meditate and relax. I will keep everyone posted as we make progress. For now I hope everyone enjoys the photos.
The pictures featured in this post are from one afternoon late in last years dry season when I drove from Playa Venao to Las Tablas .
El Valle de Tonosi
Instead of going the Pedasi route, I decided to head west from Venao and take the “mountain road” to Las Tablas. Passing by the property in Ojo de Agua, there is a turnoff just before Cacao, a small town between Agua Buena and Tonosi, that leads north through the tiny town of Flores and on to provincial capital Las Tablas.
At the time these photos were taken the road was under repair and the drive was slow and bumpy. Along the way I took advantage of the slow pace and snapped some photos while passing through the small mountain villages of Nuario, La Miel and Valle Rico. The “mountain road” has since been completely repaired and now from Ojo de Agua the drive to Las Tablas is a smooth 45 minutes, about the same time to drive to Pedasi. The views are breathtaking and the weather in these higher altitude regions is considerably cooler and windier, a welcomed change from the warmer humid beach areas where I spend most of my time.
Valle de Tonosi and Buenos Aires
Although the end of the dry season can be extremely dry, notice the color of the hills in the pictures, never the less, the landscape remains stunning.
Cows grazing near Las Tablas
It has been especially rainy today and I am dreaming of those cloudless dry season days. Browsing through my photo archive I found these and thought I would share them. If passing through the area, take this route and enjoy the view.
If you haven’t taken trip through the Panama Canal, this is a great time laps video that takes you right to the bow of the boat. Take a quick look - it’s just under 2 minutes long.
This is the first in a series of informative reports I am going to do on different areas of the Los Santos Province and maybe other parts of Panama depending on how much time I have. Some will be more informative than others based on my first hand knowledge and experiences. Excuse me if I shamelessly plug some of the businesses that my friends own, I am hoping they will give me some discounts. Be sure and tell them Charlie sent you! So, today we start with the fastest growing town in the Azuero, Pedasi.
Enjoy!
Located only 30 minutes from Ojo de Agua, Pedasi is the rising tourist destination of the Azuero Peninsula. Already offering annual Carneval celebrations, great activities, quality restaurants, affordable hotels, a local art gallery, a surf shop, a juice bar and internet cafes, Pedasi is slowly growing into a Panamanian tourist destination. Generations of Panamanians have been vacationing in this area for decades, now with the increasing number of foreign visitors and investments; Pedasi is staged to become an international mix of vacationers and residents.
Pedasi Carneval
Although usually quaint and quiet, Pedasi erupts into an incredible festival atmosphere during Carneval, when Calle Arriba and Calle Abajo, upper streets and lower streets, do battle to see who has the prettiest queen, who can party the hardest and who can shoot off the most fireworks. Carneval, or Mardi gras, as it is known in the states, transforms Pedasi into a week long street festival. If visiting here for rest and relaxation, be sure to book a hotel outside of town, because as far as I can tell Panamanian’s don’t sleep during Carneval. Although Carneval is notoriously rowdy in Panama City, Chitre and Carneval epicenter, Las Tablas, Pedasi’s festivities are more subdued, more family friendly and less crowded, but still a heck of a party.
Pedasi Park
For the outdoorsman, great fishing, diving, surfing, waterfalls, turtle watching, horseback riding and exploring adventures can be enjoyed near Pedasi.
Fishing tours are available throughout the year here in Pedasi. One can arrange simple inexpensive trips in a small panga from Pedasi, El Ciruelo, Guanico or Cambutal. But most of the inexpensive captains don’t have fishing gear so come prepared. For those willing to spend more money, looking for a little more comfort and don’t want to lug all your gear down to Panama, I personally recommend Capt. Pascal Artieda with Panafishing Adventures http://www.panadventure.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
I have been on two trips with him and the guy knows how to fish, he can target all types of game and bill fish, well worth the money.
Diving tours can be arranged to Isla Iguana through the local dive shop, http://www.dive-n-fishpanama.com/, located next to the ACCEL gas station near the entrance of town. I have not personally dived at Isla Iguana, but have been told that it is not a difficult dive and a lot of fish are usually seen. It’s probably best diving during the dry season months, when there are few clouds. If not into diving and just want to go snorkel, Isla Iguana is worth the visit, it is a beautiful white sand beach island that appears as if it should be on the Caribbean, it’s small, but beautiful. My family loved it!
Isla Iguana
There are plenty of waves in the area to keep a surfer’s appetite at bay. I should know I probably spend too much time in the water. The nearest waves to town are playa Toro and Lagar point. These short, fast waves, pioneered by the local Pedasi boogie boarder population, break over a combination of rock reef and sand.
Most surfers, me included, generally head toward playa Venao or Venado, depending on the information source, about a 20 minute drive from Pedasi, towards Ojo de Agua. Venao, as it is locally called, is a consistent sand beach break that is usually fun and not to crowded. Weekends can be the exception when surfers from Panama City arrive in packs, escaping the hustle and bustle of the city life for some quiet/quality time in the water. There is a bar/restaurant right on the beach at Venao. It’s nice to come in and order a hot meal and a cold, fifty cent, beer while toweling off from good surf. I love this country! Ecovenao, a lodging setup with a comfortable hostel and two beautiful houses for rent, is right near Venao, ask for Nico or Pablo, they will take great care of you. They also have horses in case the surf is flat. There sign is on the right-hand side of the road about a kilometer after the turnoff to Venao.
Playa Venao
For those willing to travel a little farther, playas Guanico and Cambutal are about an hour and a half from town and offer a variety of different beach and reef breaks. There are a few decent cheap hotels in Tonosí, two nice beach front cabins and a hostel in Guanico and a surf camp and a pricier fishing resort in Cambutal. So stay and enjoy these areas if time permits.
Playa Guanico
Anyone without a surfboard can stop in at Mano Surf Community, the only local surf shop, behind the Centro Comercial Pedasi. They have various shapes and sizes of boards to rent with a full service surf shop, wifi internet and juice bar/coffee shop.
Mano Surf Community
Isla Cañas is a world famous turtle nesting ground. It is only a few minutes from Ojo de Agua. There is a sign at the turnoff between Ojo de Agua and Agua Buena. Follow the Isla Cañas sign to the end of the road and there is a small port where one can take a boat over to the island for night time turtle watching. It is best to go to the port a day or two before the trip and speak with some one at the port to setup a time to meet a guide to go turtle watching.
Turtle at Isla Canas
There are a number of waterfalls and freshwater swimming holes in the area but they are well guarded, as of now, local secrets. That’s all I can say. I have been sworn to secrecy!
La Cascada
Hotels are easy to find in Pedasi, they are all along the main road. First, at the entrance into town across from the Banco Nacional is the Residencial Pedasi, the owners son Beto speaks perfect English, then there is Dims Hostel, located across from the Centro Comercial Pedasi and next to restaurant Angelas, then only a couple of blocks farther on the left across from the dulceria is the Hotel Moscosso, and just past Moscosso on the right before heading out of town is the new bed and breakfast, Casita Margarita, http://www.pedasihotel.com/, English spoken as well. Pedasi is small; all these hotels are only separated by about eight blocks, so look out and don’t pass one.
If you are hungry Pedasi offers more variety then any other small town in the Azuero. By the park there is Tiesto, they serve good pizzas and sandwiches, Restaurante Ejecutivo, locally called Chef Riki’s, after the young Chinese chef, has Chinese food, good, sometimes great, fried chicken, seafood, and local Panamanian favorites. Riki’s does not offer exactly the best atmosphere, but for the value it’s one of the best restaurants in town. As you enter town, on the right-hand side of the road there is Gringo Duseks, Joe and his wife are the friendly English speaking owners. Try the ribs. Also, I recommend Angela’s, next to Dim’s Hostel, good Panamanian food at a good price with a nice atmosphere. For breakfast, my favorite are the breakfast sandwiches, best in the world for a buck fifty, at the Dulceria, located across the street from Hotel Moscosso. Look for the small sign in front of the yellow two story house. They also offer great flan and cakes for and they are very cheap. Don’t go to Pedasi without stopping in.
If vacation means lots of shopping, like all the women in my family, stop in at Baba House, located down the street from the fire house or at Artemania, at the corner of the park, for some local crafted jewelry, art and souvenirs. Baba, a young local Pedasi artist makes hand made jewelry. The guy can do wonders with beach shells, colorful stones and other natural materials. His pieces can also be found at Mano Surf Community. Artemania carries various local artists’ paintings, jewelry and other souvenirs. Carolina, the owner, speaks good English and is very knowledgeable and helpful.
I could go on for hours about the great things in the area near Pedasi. Hopefully the info here will keep the traveler from getting too bored and get them fed and a place to sleep. So, on your way to Ojo de Agua, stop in Pedasi and enjoy what it has to offer. I may see you there.
What do surfing, sport fishing and birding in Panama have in common? Aside from the obvious—the thrill of a lifetime—they are all outdoor adventure activities that require special consideration when packing your bags.
When doing these or other outdoor activities at home, the risks just aren’t as great. An injury as innocent as a scratch doesn’t warrant a second thought at home . . . but when you’re in a remote location, and in the tropics, that simple scratch has just compromised your body’s first line of natural defense against a host of new and unknown enemies.
Bringing a comprehensive first aid kit on your adventure travels is easy, creating a comprehensive and compact first aid kit for light travels is a challenge. Even more challenging is doing it cost effectively. Consider buying a first aid kit specially designed for adventure travel. I know it doesn’t seem logical, but you can actually save money by purchasing a pre-made kit and not going the build-it-yourself route when it comes to first aid kits.
Assembling a comprehensive adventure first aid kit requires that a broad range of products be purchased, most often in quantities greater than you’ll need in your kit. For example, the cost of buying an entire box of surgical gloves to only pack 2 pair can really run the cost up.
When it comes to adventure first aid, Adventure Medical Kits is the hands down leader in the industry. You’ll find their first aid kits in the packs of Everest mountaineers and third world trekkers alike. Adventure Medical Kits make a wide range products for everything from day trips to extended backcountry travel, and even waterproof kits specially designed for boating.
Visit our friends at Applied Vitals to beef-up on your adventure first aid gear. Applied Vitals specializes in emergency and recreational preparedness and carry the full line of Adventure Medical Kits at a great price.
