It is rainy season here in Panama and Boquete has been getting it’s share. The nice thing about Panama is that it has a lot of different places that are less than a days drive where the weather can be completely different. One of those areas that is a little drier is the East Coast of Azuero and my favorite spot is the small town of Pedasi located at the bottom of the peninsula. This part of the coast has a number of beautiful towns from Chitre all the way down to Los Tablas and is the headquarters for Carnival in this region. It has plenty of the conveniences missing from the other side of the peninsula including grocery stores, hospitals, car dealerships, hotels, restaurants, and more. Probably the most striking feature of this area though, is the people.
The people of Los Santos province have a strong cultural heritage and social presence unlike any other place in Panama. You can see it in their faces and the lives that they lead, pure enjoyment!!
I fell in love with PEDASI the first time I visited and I have returned time and time again. PEDASI is located on the tip of the Azuero peninsula and has some of the best surf breaks, deep sea fishing, spear fishing, diving, whale watching and an island paradise just offshore called Isla Iguana with white sandy beaches and coral reefs. PEDASI is just like Tamarindo in Costa Rica was 20 years ago. PEDASI has similar beaches, climate and all the attributes that Tamarindo has. PEDASI also has the same prices for land that was found in Tamarindo 20 years ago. That is changing and Pedasi is at the tipping point where you will not see these prices again for oceanfront and beachfront land.
Sonia Garcia or “Pucha” as she is known is a local in PEDASI and championship surfer. Isla Iguana is a national park just offshore with over 100 acres of coral reef surrounding the island.
There are a number of spots that I like but one of the best is Venao and the main beach. Here I found a piece of property with title to the water and very reasonably priced.
You can buy a 12 acre section of beachfront on Venao for under $1,500,000. This property is ideal for an estate or half a dozen estate homes clustered around a common area pool and bohio right down on the beach. When you see this property, it is easy to imagine the various alternatives. You have water, electricity and the coastal road at your back door.
If you are into something bigger, we have properties from 400 to over a thousand acres on the ocean as well.
One of them has two beautiful beaches and is fully entitled for a beachfront resort community.
Just recently Hacienda La Perla sold for $10 million. This 116 plus hectares or over 286 acres of oceanfront with 1200 meters or almost 4000 feet of beach is located directly across from Isla Iguana. This is by far one of the most beautiful fincas in PEDASI with pastures, sloping topography to the beach and small lakes. The buyer intends on putting his private estate home on the property.
Like I said, Pedasi is a really special place, it is at it’s tipping point and once you spend a little time here, you begin to realize why. A friend of mine in Pedasi once told me this and I remember it well. “There is a slowness to Pedasi; a rhythm in the way people live day to day. It’s inevitable that in a few days you will slow down. Your hurry will turn into a cold beer (for 50 cents), waiting for the local taxi to pick you up and take you to visit Isla Iguana, an island that everybody talks about with good reason. When you get to the beach the fisherman that has been waiting for you doesn’t question why you are late. There is no need for an explanation: everybody is late. He starts the engine and somewhere on the way the hum of the engine becomes hypnotic, the ocean slaps against the side of the boat, a light occasional spray covers you. The water is warm, salty, rich and inviting. The ocean translucent, in a nutshell this is Pedasi.
Life is full of obligations, and time away is difficult. Before you think about coming to Pedasi however think about this: In Pedasi you have no obligations, life is serene, a different world, far away from everything, a timeless place where yearning and achieving are one and the same. With the strong possibility of creating wealth, living the best life you can and meeting people who are living examples of this……..invest a little time out of your busy life, to find out how much of a secret Pedasi is.
Here is where to stay and meet one of my friends who owns the place, Ovidio Diaz. He and his wife Koby, will insure that you experience Pedasi like you have lived there for years.
Casa de Campo welcomes you with “mi casa es su casa”.
Images of Pedasi
Come visit, come enjoy, come live…………………….