We had spent the previous month traveling across Colombia, sailed across a small corner of the Caribbean to Panama with family and new friends, and spent one last night out in Panama City with those folks before we all went our separate ways. Now we wanted a little ‘down time” (I know, our whole life seems to consist of ‘down time’), preferably with a beach, some palm trees, no crowds, and, hey, while I’m wishing, how about a swimming pool. Asking for too much? Maybe. Anyway, we happened upon a town about an hours ride west of Panama City called Coronado. Online research described the beach as one of Panama’s most beautiful, lined with pricey second homes and a magnet for North American ex-pats. We found this to be pretty accurate. The beach was gorgeous – a mixture of black and white sands stretching for miles with the calm waters of the Pacific lapping at it’s shore; there were definitely some HUGE homes along the beachfront – and just about every one of them was empty (at least until New Year’s Eve); and there certainly was an ex-pat community – we had definitely found Canadian Florida (pickle ball anyone?). Oh, and the charming little casita we rented for two weeks – located, along with three others, around a lush yard brimming with tropical foliage, hammocks, a ping-pong table and a . . . pool! Paradise indeed.

Our Coronado accommodation was run by a Canadian woman named Panama Sarah. She certainly lived up to her ‘super host’ tag on Air B&B, given to those owners who provide the best customer service. Need a cooler for the beach – got that. Don’t want to lug groceries back from the store under the hot sun – there’s a golf cart for that. Wondering where to watch the highly-acclaimed New Years fireworks – here’s a key to get you onto the rooftop terrace of the 24-floor beach-front condo tower giving you 360 degree views of fireworks in every direction. Super host indeed.

Our days were spent lounging by the pool if we weren’t walking the beach, or swimming in the ocean, enjoying sunsets or exploring with the golf cart, or traveling further afield by rental car to other beach towns like Santa Clara, Farallon and Buenaventura, or getting up into the mountainous interior to El Valle to visit the Sunday market which offered locally-grown produce and fruits, honey, baked goods and handicrafts. I also discovered Heather’s REALLY competitive side at the ping-pong table as she got increasingly frustrated at being unable to defeat me even once. Admittedly, she was very good for never having played before. I waited until the next-to-last day of our stay to divulge the fact that I grew up with a table in my home, playing regularly for years.

At the close of two weeks we were definitely sad to be leaving, but it was time to get back on the road. Coronado had filled the bill, giving us that much-anticipated break, recharging our batteries, allowing us to make some new friends and do a fair bit of trip-planning for the rest of Panama. Our next stop will be the mountain town of Boquete. When asked about catching a bus there, folks in Coronado told us “It’s easy. Just go out to the highway and stand on the side of the road, then wave your arms when you see a big bus, going very fast, that you think might be going to in the right direction. And hope it stops.” Easy, indeed.