April 2014: Although we enjoyed our hikes to Playa Blanca and El Aguacate, we learned that you don’t have to go very far to find a nice beach. The “city beach”, as our kids called it, right in Capurganá was very enjoyable. The sand was smooth and clean, the surf not quite as rough, and there were free chairs you could relax in.

Our first trip to the local beach was to find a restaurant that had been recommended to us by some friends; Josefina’s. Our friends told us that she serves amazing King Crab legs.

That day, she was all out of crab legs but we enjoyed fresh ceviche and fried shrimp. The kids enjoyed the hammocks.

After our seafood lunch, we wandered further down the beach to find shade trees, beach chairs, fine sand, music, and tiendas selling drinks. We found a nice spot and relaxed while the kids played in the sand.

One of the things I was really looking forward to buying in Capurganá was Molas. Molas are layers of fabric sewn together by hand with unique designs. They are made by the Kuna Indian women, who now live on the San Blas islands just off the coast of Panama. While we sat on the beach, two Kuna Indian women, a mother and daughter, walked by selling Molas and I quickly snatched some up.

Our favorite place on the beach, however, was a small hut that served huge patacones. Patacones are made from ripe plantains that are flattened into a pancake shape and deep fried. They are usually served as a side starch and are the size of pancakes. This hut on the beach served ones the size of dinner plates and the topping options included guacamole, cheese, shrimp and beans, and, my favorite; hogao ( a cooked tomato-onion salsa). They were amazing and we went back several times to indulge in them.

On the other side of the local beach was another rocky path that followed the coastline away from town. Locals suggested to us that we follow this path to an area called “La piscina de los dioses” or the pool of the gods. This is a shallow pool made by the rocks and the surf. So we walked along the beautifully rugged path with waves crashing on one side and tall trees on the other until we reached the sign for our destination but there was no water in the pools. I am not sure if it was due to the drought, the tides, or the time of the year.

So the kids and Roger decided to snorkel again. They floated with the current back to the main beach while I carried the dry towels and took photos. They saw some amazing fish. What a great place to get away from it all!