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Las
Lajas Beach, Chiriqui
Las
Lajas is a favorite beach of Panamanians
and is a very popular weekend destination
in Chiriqui. Our taxi flew down
the empty but paved road leading from
the Interamerican highway to the coast.
I
was accompanied by Wynette, a Panamanian
friend I met at the International Fair
in David just days earlier. We eventually
pulled up to a white concrete building
with a nice view of the beach. I
plopped my pack down and ordered a cold
beer from the man at the restaurant.
I sat and sipped and immediately felt
relaxed as the waves rolled into the long,
flat beach.
The
Chinese man at the restaurant served a
gigantic platter of fish with fries and
tomatoes for $3.00 which left me feeling
way over stuffed. Cervezas
were 60 cents each. He offered to let
us camp on the beach for free provided
that we continue buying meals at his restaurant.
We
cheated slightly however as I had packed
enough food for two days and carried a
camping stove. I did indulge once
more and ordered another platter of fish
on the last day. At his house located
next to the restaurant were showers which
enabled us to rinse after swimming for
only 50 cents.
The
sand at Las Lajas is a brownish/gray,
but it is a long and expansive stretch
of sand lined with beautiful palm trees.
The weather was hot and muggy, which encouraged
me to make regular trips to the restaurant
for "mas cerveza".
Iguanas
were a regular site, as were mangy stray
dogs and pelicans. The break was
steady and surfable with waves as high
as 6 feet. Most swimmers would wade
up to their stomachs where the surf was
quite mild. I felt fortunate to not have
encountered any sharks, which are known
to inhabit the shoreline of Las Lajas.
One surfer I met said he had seen a shark
in the water with him.
Sunday
attracted dozens of Panamanian families
who drive in for a day on the beach.
Las Lajas seemed undiscovered by travelers
however and I did not notice any other
visitors who were obviously foreign.
We
walked west up the beach until we reached
a group of cabins for rent. The
cabins are on the beach and cost $5.00
per person. They might not be the
most peaceful setting however as there
was loud Panamanian reggae blaring from
the recreation room/bar about a dozen
meters from the cabins.
Across
the field was a stunning stretch of natural
forest which had survived the onslaught
of machetes that have cleared the remaining
countryside for agriculture and cattle
pasture. We were told there was
a lake nearby but we did not find it.
By
Michael Manville
Written
in the year 2000
Lifestyle
Articles
Las
Lajas - Las Lajas in the most popular
beach destination in the Province of Chiriqui,
Panama.
Volcan
Baru - Volcan Baru is the highest
peak in Panama offering incredible ocean
views and spectacular cloud forest.
Santa
Catalina - Santa Catalina has the
best break in Panama for surfing.
Lifestyle
Links
www.thepanamanews.com
Panama's
bilingual newspaper.
www.AMSOC.org
The
American Society of Panama has helpful
information about upcoming events in Panama
and other info about life in Panama.
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