Panama’s beaches have been some of the best-kept secrets in Central America for quite some time now. But that secret is no longer. With an influx in international tourism, especially to Panama’s Pacific coast beaches, big resorts are in fashion. They offer all-inclusive vacation packages, white sand, sun, and are all very accessible to airports, as well as major roadways. In 2014, the Panama beach boom is in full swing; and it only looks to grow even further over the next few years and beyond.
If You Build it, They Will Come
In the past few years, one trend has been blatantly apparent; the larger you build your resort in Panama, the more people will come. Places like Farallon, and the Playa Blanca area, which were once sleepy little beach towns have converted into major tourist destinations, with resort towers jetting into the sea and sky, sometimes 20 or 30 stories tall. Where there were once one or two resorts, like the Decameron and Playa Blanca beach resort, there are now developments as far as the eye can see. Residential towers, gated golf communities, and all-inclusive hotels now take up the majority of beach area in the region, and construction isn’t stopping anytime soon.
Major hotel chains such as Sheraton, Wyndham, Hyatt, and Riu have all opened resorts in Panama’s Pacific Beaches region. The newest of the lot, the Hotel Riu Playa Blanca, boasts a 5-star rating, over 500 rooms, and 24-hour all-inclusive food and beverage service to its guests. It was finished at the end of 2013, and has already gained the reputation of being one of the top hotels of its class, in the region. And it’s not alone. Each of these mega resorts has been built to handle large volumes of people, with a business model of “more is better”, making it affordable to many locals, and international tourists alike. During the off season, April-Oct., rooms at many of these resorts can run as low as $75 per person, including all food, drinks, and hotel services.
Making Panama a Beach Destination
Along with the new resort construction has come some major infrastructure improvements to go along with it. With the Pacific beaches about a two-hour drive from the capital, and the country’s international airport, getting to the beach as quick as possible has become a big focus area for the resorts. Private transportation services, shuttles, and buses are provided by all of the hotels, and designed to take you directly to the beach. Whereas Panama City was once the main tourist destination, with the beaches being a side excursion, the idea now is to skip the city, and head straight for the ocean.
Tourism companies in the US, Europe, and Canada know this, and have set up all inclusive packages that completely skip the city, canal, and rainforests that Panama is famous for. The idea is to make Panama a all-in-one beach destination, much like Jamaica, Dom. Republic, and the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean. Starting this year, you may even be able to skip the city airport as well, as a new, smaller airport is opening its doors to international flights, a mere couple of miles from the Pacific beaches. The airport, built in Rio Hato, will be landing charter flights in 2014, bringing tourists from Canada, other countries in Central America, and eventually the US, directly to beaches.
With all of this development, many fear that the quiet beaches are being overrun with tourists. However, despite the rise in hotel construction, there are still miles of coastline that have been left alone. Areas like San Carlos, and Santa Clara, despite having hotels of their own, are still considered a more quiet beach destination. The Caribbean side of Panama is also largely underdeveloped, with areas like San Blas (400+ islands) and Bocas del Toro maintaining a more peaceful charm, and rustic travel experience.
As Panama tourism continues to grow, the trend to build bigger resorts seems on track to continue, although it will be interesting to see how long the economy will support such volume. For now, bigger is still better, and from an economic standpoint, things couldn’t be better for the Pacific beaches, and their surrounding towns.
