Monday, March 23rd, I spent a very pleasant day at the beach with Avichai, a 26 year old traveling man from Israel. I took a taxi to the beach from across the street of XS Memories and met Avi at lunch, we were nearly the only ones there. He has been traveling for 2 months throughout Central America on a motorcycle he bought in Costa Rica.
Las Veraneras, a lodging and bar/restaurant fried food place is right on Playa Santa Clara and very crowded on weekends with the best beach around (as expressed to me by Americans that had just bought property nearby). I didn't see any other beaches in Panama, but it's one of the prettiest I've ever seen. Las Veraneras tries to collect money from visitors, but I said I was going to eat at the restaurant and the fee was waived. I had french fries... the only non meat thing on the menu. Las Sirenas is located half a mile down the beach from here and is a lovely place to stay if you have your own food to prepare in the villas they rent out.
Avichai putting his motorcycle in a strategic place near the sand where we set up 'camp'.
Playa Santa Clara. There were thatched cabanas on the beach to tie up hammocks that were for rent for $3 a day.
Avi has his own hammock as he sleeps on the beach many nights and insisted on setting it up for me to hang out in while he walked the beach.