Took a quick trip with a friend to Punta Burrica on Thursday and Friday. It's about a 3 hour drive to Puerto Armuelles and then a 1-1.5 hour drive off the beaten path into Punta Burrica's beach areas. The road from Puerto Armuelles to Punta Burrica is a bit of a challenge, but driving that kind of terrain is now something I can scratch off my bucket list. We had a wonderful, relaxing, and interesting trip.
The closest lodging in the area is the "Hooked on Panama" beach-front resort, which captures a lot of the sport fishing business. It's owned by five american friends / business partners. Our visit there for cocktails and dinner [on two separate occasions] leads me to characterize the culture as friendly, hospitable, and reasonably priced. Very generous cocktails ran under $ 5. Dinners ran between $ 12-15. I enjoyed a spicy, seared tuna plate that included a fresh garden salad, a large portion of steamed vegetables and dessert for $12. Although I didn't tour the overnight accommodations, there are 10 individual cabanas with private decks providing spectacular views of the ocean. The main lodge is spacious with a high beam hardwood ceiling, pool table, and well-stocked bar. The resort offers week-long sport fishing vacations utilizing their own fleet of six custom-built boats.
