Panama is Central America's New Scuba Diving Treasure and Santa Catalina is the Crown Jewel (continued)

Scuba Coiba offers day trips from Santa Catalina to Isla Coiba, but a worthwhile experience is their 2 to 3 day trips which combine diving with ecotours of the islands. To protect the island, overnight accommodations are only available at the ranger station.

The Pacific waters around Santa Catalina are warm year round, although currents around the deeper waters of Isla Coiba can create cooler thermal layers. Don’t expect the 100+ feet of visibility of the Caribbean, but 50+ is common and ample to see the awesome sites.

Santa Catalina is definitely off the beaten path, even for Panama. But its remoteness is what has kept it protected from the throngs of casual weekend warriors. Santa Catalina is located on the Pacific coast, a 5 to 6 hour drive from either Panama City or David. The road was recently paved all the way into town making driving there an easier proposition. Airport transfers can be arranged with some of the local hotels. For the truly budget minded, the public bus system is also an option.

Divers that want to be amongst the first to explore unspoiled sites and an abundant fishery, should have Santa Catalina, Panama on their short list of scuba diving vacations. It takes a little extra effort to get to Santa Catalina, but great and unique experiences usually do. Back to the beginning

About the author: Dennis Chafin travels for pleasure and shares his experiences through his writings. LasikDocFinder.com is a LASIK information site his company Breaker Medical Group owns and operates as part of their medical website development company.