The Best Beach in Panama (They Tried to Keep it Secret)

The Best Beach in Panama - a Latin America Scouting Report

A long stretch of white-sand beach, blue ocean tempting you in for a refreshing dip. Afterward, an afternoon spent idling in a hammock with a good book…followed by a barbecue of fresh locally-caught fish or shrimp, and a cold beer.

A perfect day on Panama's best beach--that I almost never got to enjoy.

I pass the turnoff for this beach, called Punta Chame, all the time, while I head out to Panama’s Pacific beach and interior to scout property. I've asked friends and business contacts in Panama about this peninsula, and I'm always told that there's nothing going on at Punta Chame, no point in me taking a look.

One friend mentioned that he spent his weekends there, surfing and kicking back, in a property owned for many years by his family…but that I probably wouldn't enjoy the beach.

I later discovered that this friend was hoping his quiet weekends spent in an undisturbed piece of Eden would last a little bit longer, if I did not get to see it…and write to you about it. So, to him, I must apologize for what I'm about to reveal.

Punta Chame is almost a secret place, known and loved as Panama's best beach by a select few, who jealously guard it and keep it to themselves. Here's how to find it.

It's easy to reach on the Pan-American Highway. Fifty minutes driving from Panama City brings you to a turnoff. From here you pass through wooded, hilly terrain that gradually makes way for mangroves, coconut palms, and small lagoons...and 22 miles of beach, wrapped around the punta, or point.

We've put together a little video about this beach which you can view at The Best Beach in Panama.

Even the Taxi Drivers Don't Know About the Best Beach in Panama

It is an area that our Panamanian taxi driver, Elias, had not heard of. He knew the rough location, and that there was a beach, but that was all. The first thing Elias did when he saw the beach at Punta Chame was to figure out how he could get out of work that weekend so he could come back; the second thing he did was to take photos--lots of photos--to show his friends. Panamanian born and bred, they also couldn’t believe that there was such a gorgeous beach so close to the city.

When Ronan McMahon told you about this beach (see: How I Discovered the Best Beach in Panama), he forgot to mention the road. The first section of the road has been re-paved, and the remainder is being done, scheduled for completion next year. Ronan traveled the unpaved section in relative comfort in a four-wheel-drive, so perhaps he didn't notice. We, on the other hand, crawled along this unpaved section in a low-slung saloon, while Elias tried to navigate the potholes (and some parts had more holes than road), wondering what we were letting ourselves in for, rattled, shaken, and uncomfortable.

But it is this terrible road that makes Punta Chame most interesting to me. It's stopping lots of people (and potential beach home buyers) from seeing what an amazing beach this is for now…but that's only short-term, as the roadworks are already underway.

And it just takes one look at the beach to forget the bumpy road. If you don't want to stretch out and relax like I did, you could go kite-surfing, fishing, and wind-sailing. This is not the place for you if you favor nightclubs and partying. You would have to travel back to Panama City or farther down the coast to the big all-inclusive resorts for that. This is somewhere to relax, spend time with your family and friends, and forget the worries and strains of everyday life...to discover the joy of stepping back a pace, and savoring life.

Why the Best Beach in Panama Hasn't Been Developed--Yet

Punta Chame was originally owned by a wealthy Panamanian family who were uninterested in opening it up for development. Comparisons with Coronado, the closest major beach development, are interesting. Coronado, too, was owned by a wealthy Panamanian family...who decided more than 50 years ago that the way forward was selling land parcels to both individuals and developers. As a result, Coronado is now equipped with a hotel, restaurants, medical facilities, a golf course, an equestrian center, and a mini-mall that includes a large supermarket, along with hundreds of homes (a melting-pot mix of condo towers, tiny local-style homes, and mega-mansions).

Punta Chame, on the other hand, did not start to sell land parcels until five years ago. That fact, combined with the appalling access road, has kept development under the radar here...so far. Plans are afoot for a high-end marina development, and a yacht club, with a major residential component announced this year. Larger tracts of land on the peninsula were bought by owners and operators of hotels elsewhere in Panama. Combined with the road being paved, it all spells one thing: more development, which will push prices up--and Punta Chame no longer being a secret known only to a few.

One small development I saw (called Sandpiper) has three beachfront buildings with six apartments in each building (two apartments per floor). The large 193-square-meter apartments have three bedrooms and three bathrooms. The finishes are high-end rustic in style, with good-quality tiles on the floors, kitchen, and bathrooms. All apartments have ocean views; all have high ceilings. The front building overlooks the social area, which will include a swimming-pool.

How Much Does a Home on Panama's Best Beach Cost?

Prices start at $1,700 per square meter for the ground-floor apartments in the building farthest from the beach, but strolling to the beach will still only take two or three minutes. And, like the road, this is not a guessing game as to when the units will be started or completed, and what they will look like. In a twist to the normal procedure for developments in Panama, this one is finished--a first for me (and I've seen a lot of real estate developments in Panama). Angel, the developer, a genial, affable soul, decided to wait until the end of construction was in sight before selling apartments. He is passionate and enthusiastic about the buildings, the beach, and the area, and spends most of his time living here, next to the project.

If you want to talk to him, drive out to Punta Chame…or contact him online about an apartment on the best beach in Panama.

Margaret Summerfield
Director, Pathfinder Ltd.

Important: Please note that Sandpiper is a client of Pathfinder. To learn what that could mean for you, read this disclosure policy.