Traveling the world for over a year is an experience that many people dream of, but few get to live out. Sure, the journey is filled with incredible memories, beautiful landscapes and amazing new friends, but it’s not all rainbows and butterflies. A year is a long time. When you’re living out of a backpack and in a constant state of flux, you can get worn down and exhausted. As we entered the final stretch after over 375 days of travel, we departed Colombia and were searching for paradise in Panama. No longer were we seeking out much to do or see. We simply wanted to find a beach and do nothing. Chill, surf, eat, drink and relax.

Turns out paradise in Panama does exist, and it’s located on a quiet unsuspecting beach called Playa Venao.

Playa Venao isn’t a place on the tourist trail. It’s not a beach packed with hawkers selling you fresh-cut pineapple. You won’t find paid lounge chairs with waiters serving you cocktails in coconuts. What you will find is peace, relaxation, and consistent glassy waves to accommodate any level of surfer. This is a locale to enjoy a slowed pace of life. Where you can live in the present moment and get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and itinerary-laced travel plans. Just be. 

How to Get to Playa Venao

Upon arriving in Panama City, you can catch a bus at Estacion Albrook to Las Tablas. From there you can transfer to another bus or find a private car to take you the rest of the way to Playa Venao. In total, the journey will take you about 5 hours and will cost around $15 USD.

What to Bring

Bring chill vibes. Oh yea, and bring some food. When you arrive in Playa Venao, you’re off the beaten path. Paradise in Panama means the local vegetable and fruit truck will stop in once a week. If you miss it, you’re shit outta luck. Other than that, there’s one small mini-market with jacked-up prices for basic necessities. The market is a 35-minute walk along the beach, and if it’s high tide, you’ll have to walk along the road with the howling monkeys hollering in the trees above you.

There’s no restaurant or fine dining scene. (Panga, Playa Venao was legit but closed due to Covid) Paradise has a cost. That means plan ahead, don’t miss the weekly fruit & veggie truck, and cook your own meals. If you need to restock on groceries, it’s about a 40-minute drive to a supermarket located in the town of Pedasi.

Where to Stay

We opted to stay at Hostel Venao Cove, and would go right back in a heartbeat. They had rental surfboards ($10/day) and were located directly on the beach.  (Sadly, they are out of business now due to Covid, there should be a few other cheap options, including a Selina Hostel) At this section of the beach you’ll find tamer waves for beginners. Intermediate to advanced surfers should head towards the center of the beach, where the waves are considerably more challenging. 

The hostel is packed with hammocks to chill out in and a dorm bed will run you about $10/night. There’s a community kitchen where you’ll prepare meals. The fire pit is the spot where you’ll connect with new friends. The fridge is stocked with plenty of Panama beers. They have a vegetable garden where you can pick peppers and herbs. And the best dessert you can imagine is homemade by a local woman and sold by the hostel. Seriously, the most delicious alfajores treats you can imagine.

What to Do

Playa Venao truly is paradise in Panama, offering something for everyone.

• Want to chill? Hammocks are in abundance where you can absorb the serenity of nature.
• Want to party? Selina has drinks and music playing into the night.
• Want to surf? You are in heaven with incredible conditions on a daily basis. Lefts and rights where you can get tubed on this amazing beach break that hosts international competitions. 
• Want to skate? There’s a sweet mini-ramp towards the middle of the beach.
• Ready for a hike? A 30-minute trek through the jungle will lead you to a waterfall.
• Are you a dog lover?  You’ll have plenty of furry new friends that love the beach life and pets under the chin.

Finally, are you looking to meet new people? Your hostel will be the home of your new family where you can share food, stories from the road, waves, joints, and drinks as you soak up the moment and live life as it was meant to be lived, not too seriously. You’re a million miles away from everything and in this moment, nothing else matters besides the company and scenery you are in.

The weather is beautiful, even during the rainy season, which is when we were there. The rainy season runs from late April thru early December, but don’t be discouraged. It mostly means you’ll get a torrential downpour here or there, but for the most part, you’ll have partly cloudy days mixed with some sun and lush green vegetation. 

All Good Things Come to an End

After two weeks of living in paradise in Panama, also known as Playa Venao, our time had come. We were approaching 400 days on the road and it was time to close this chapter of our travels and head back to NYC where we would reunite with family and friends while leaving behind our new family and friends.

Goodbyes were said to friends from Venezuela, Colombia, Honduras, and Panama, but not before a group frisbee toss as the sunset over the Pacific side of Panama’s paradise of Playa Venao. Luis “Don” Harris, a local fisherman, surfer, and all-around good dude, showed us photos from his boat of the tremendous tuna he caught earlier in the day. A reason for the Bros to return and have our bro Don Harris show us how to reel in a monstrous tuna.

We spent 2 weeks sharing drinks, food, conversation, and learning from our new family, helping them with English while they helped us with Spanish. That’s what travel is about. Sharing, helping, teaching, learning and listening. It’s infectious and leads to an appreciation of people and cultures as far as the universe runs wide. 

For two weeks we had no rain during the midst of the rainy season. As we awoke at 6am to catch our van on the dirt road that would take us back to Panama City, and on to NYC, the skies opened up. 400 days on the road, and here was the most rain we had seen. All good things come to an end.

This was our cue. It was time to leave, but our paradise in Panama will always stay in our hearts. I visit there often in my mind. The next time I find myself in Panama, there’s no doubt you will find me in Playa Venao, the beach paradise in Panama.

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