Driving from anywhere Panama
Download the app, Waze, if you have access to internet signal with your smartphone. Here is the link.
http://www.waze.com/download/
This will help you with directions and also any traffic, construction or police check points along the way.
Driving from Panama City to Santa Catalina will take about 6-6.5 hours and cover a total distance of approximately 250 miles/400 kilometers. Your major directional cities are Santiago, Soná and then Santa Catalina.
An alternate option is to use Google Maps and download the route to your phone.
Click the button below and enter your location to receive detailed directions.
The bus option will cost approximately $15-$20 and it takes seven to ten hours if you leave early. Leaving Panama City later than 9 am, will likely turn this journey into an over-nighter.
The first step is to take the subway, local bus, taxi or Uber from your location to the Albrook Bus Terminal. It is a huge terminal where all buses, local and country-wide, arrive and depart.
At the terminal you have two choices: Santiago or Soná. If you decide to take the Santiago coach you will need to transfer to another to get to Soná. Those of you travelling with a quantity of luggage, the Soná option may be less effort. When arriving in Soná you will have to take the local Soná/Santa Catalina bus. This bus leaves Soná at 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm and will take two hours.
Here is a link to the most current bus schedules: Panama Bus Schedule
(Times are subject to change)
By Bus from Panama City
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carlos antonio contreras
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CHEAPEST:
Take a bus departing from Albrook bus station to Soná (4 hrs), then take another bus from Soná to Santa Catalina (2 hrs).
Schedule from Panama City to Soná:
5:50 am, 8:20 am, 10:20 am, 12:45 pm, 2:20 pm, 3:15 pm, 4:20 pm and 5:45 pm
Schedule from Soná to Santa Catalina:
5:15 a.m., 8:30 a.m. (every day but Sunday), 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. (every day but Sunday) and 4:30 p.m.
You can only buy a ticket in person at the Albrook bus terminal.
TIP: Bring warm clothes — the bus can be very cold.