Surfer Dudes and Hammocks

Santa Catalina Panama - Punta Brava Hotel
I spent 10 days at Santa Catalina, the surf was good and consistent, and the diving and fishing were great at Isla Cebaco and Coiba. I stayed at the Punta Brava Resort Hotel, which I do NOT recommend to anyone... the owner Jose Crespo is a total nutcase, he picked us up from the airport 5 hours late, then drove like a crackhead and almost killed us all on the 5 hour drive, the hotel rooms were very dirty, musty sheets, roaches everywhere, the AC was broken, the internet did not work, and the hotel food was terrible, so we asked Jose Crespo for a refund on the food so we could eat out, but he refused... we ended up eating out at Biancas restaurant almost every meal which was good. I will go back next year but will stay at either Surfers Paradise on the point, or at Oasis at Playa Estero, or at Cabanas Rolo in town.

Punta Brava Lodge Santa Catalina Panama
I had a similar experience at Punta Brava Lodge in Santa Catalina, Panama. I checked in with my girlfriend late in the afternoon, and we paid for 3 nights stay in advance. When we went into the room, we found that the bed sheets were dirty and smelled like moldy body odor, the bathroom was filthy with lots of insects like roaches, spiders, and mosquitos. The air conditioner made a gnarly rattling sound and only worked for the first 10 minutes, then stopped working. The roof leaked. To top it off, the door lock was broken. My girlfriend freaked and refused to stay there, so we asked the owner Jose Crespo, for a refund, and he refused to refund our money. I then asked some locals around town about Punta Brava Lodge, and they all said bad things about the owner. I also checked online and found nothing but negative postings about Punta Brava Lodge and the owner Jose Crespo. Nevertheless, the surf at Santa Catalina was really fun, and the diving at Coiba Island was impressive.