EZTrip.com International Destination Guide and Hotel Listings

La Palma clings to a steep slope that runs down to the seafront, along which runs its only real street, lined with houses on stilts projected over the water. Planes arrive and depart for Panamá City (and occasionally continue to Sambú) from the airstrip at the northwest end of the street - Aeroperlas and Aviatur both have small offices there. Boats from Puerto Quimba arrive on the beach below the main street. There are sometimes boats direct to Panamá City, but no scheduled service - this route has been largely superseded by the connection to the Darién Highway, though if you ask around in town you may turn up something.

There are two clean and pleasant places to stay : the elegant Hotel Biaquirú Bagará (tel 299 6224; US$15-25), with a beautiful patio overlooking the gulf, and the Pensión Takela (tel 299 6213; US$15-25). The Crismary , opposite the Takela , is the town's most popular restaurant , and there are also a couple of unnamed places on the main street. For a small town, La Palma has some lively nightlife - check out the Cantina Brisas del Tuira on the seafront for booming all-night reggae. There's a telephone office on the main street, and a Banco Nacional (Mon-Fri 8am-3pm, Sat 9am-noon) where you can change travellers' cheques and make Visa card cash withdrawals.