Punta de Chame

-- End Ad Box --->beach location boats are taken to Isla Taborcillo,
If you are looking for picturesque tropical beachan island once owned by John Wayne.
front property set in a small remote fishing villageJohn Wayne liked Panama and bought the island
that offers pristine white sand beaches and lotsof Taborcillo as a retreat. The island has a little
of privacy maybe you should be considering Puntatown with a sheriff station that doubles as a post
de Chame, Panama. Think of every postcardoffice and the theme on the island is the
picture you’ve seen of beach frontAmerican Cowboy. Taborcillo, also goes by the
paradise and this is Punta Chame.name of John Wayne Island.
After leaving Panama City on the Pan-AmericanPunta Chame’s beaches are supplied with
Highway, Punta Chame is located at Km 78. Asand from the great sleeping volcano of El Valle
small sign on the left of the Pan-AmericanDe Antón, by its rivers comes the sands that
Highway in the town of Chame points the way tobecome beaches on this side of the Pacific. The
Punta Chame. Punta Chame is located about anmain rivers that supply these beaches are:
hours drive from the highway. After you pass theChame, Lajas, Teta, Corona, Agallal, Las Guias,
town of Lebanon throughout the rest of the drivePlatanal, Majagua, and Hato.
you will see the shrimp farms and mangroves ofIn the City of Panama you see many enormous
Chame Bay located along the road to Puntabuildings under construction, in fact a record
Chame. When arriving at the city limits there is anumbers of new towers are going up in the next
sign that says “END” and “CHAME”,two years. In order to make these buildings sand
it’s not hard to know you’veis needed; lots of sand. The interior and exterior
arrived.walls of these high rises are constructed of
The town of Punta Chame mainly consists ofconcrete. Before sand was taken directly from
fisherman, and has approximately 400 residentstourist beaches, then in the mid 90’s the
(375 according to the census of the 2000). Puntagovernment prohibited the removal of sand from
Chame is a small town with a school, policethese beaches. Now there is equipment that
station, hardware store, a basic food supply store,takes the sand from the sea bottoms in the
a hotel, orchid nursery, and a landing strip. Yearsfront of Punta Chame. The sea has a way of
ago it was more like an island as it was onlyreplacing the sand that is being removed from it
possible get there by boat. Now everything isand it appears to be replacing the sand by taking
much easier with the road, although currently theit from Punta Chame’s beaches, one high
road is in desperate need of repair. Some smallrise at a time. It seems as if daily the beaches of
vehicles may become lost in the potholes thatPunta Chame become narrower.
pepper the way to Punta Chame. In fact it is aThe last thing to mention about Punta Chame is
reasonable guess that the travel time to Puntathe sand flies, or midges. During the dry summer
Chame could be reduced by as much as 15 to 20months the wind blows briskly enough to keep
minutes if road repairs were completed. But forthe sand flies from landing and biting. The dry
some this adds to the charm and remoteness ofsummer months are roughly from December to
the area.the end of March or first of April. But during the
The Punta Chame is a peninsula that is comprisedrainy winter season the winds stop and the rains
of about 22 miles of white sand beaches, and thestart. This coupled with the abundant mangroves
beaches here are pristine and relatively deserted,and shrimp farms make for a perfect breeding
especially during the week. However, this area isenvironment for the sand fly. If you’ve
fast becoming a real estate hotspot fornever had the pleasure of meeting a sand fly let
beachfront weekend and retirement homes.me introduce you. They are small in size and fast,
There are beaches to both sides of the peninsula:think mosquito. As long as you are in motion
one side towards inland makes the Chame Baymoving across the beach you minimize your
and the other side faces the open sea (or thechances of getting bit. But pause to pick up a sea
Gulf of Panama). The north beach, the one thatshell or piece of driftwood and you’re likely
faces inwards to the Chame Bay, has a uniqueto experience the unpleasant bite of the sand fly.
view to the hills of Chame and Campana. A littleThe bite can leave a welt and be enduring in
beyond that you can see Isla Taborcillo in thisdiscomfort, it can also possible lead to a
area the sea is calm and it is where a lot ofsecondary infection.
people choose to swim and spend time on theEven with the unpleasantness of the seasonal
beach. The south beach is less visited due to thesand fly and arduous drive some of the
sea being rougher. The sand on the south beachwealthiest residents of Panama have weekend
is very white. This is where Kite boarding andhomes at Punta Chame. More than likely this is
Wind surfing events and practices take place indue to the remoteness and privacy this area has
the dry season. There is a Kite boarding schoolto offer coupled with its unsurpassed beauty.
that takes up residency in the Punta Chame hotelRumors about Chame:
during the dry season and as annual completion is• The country of Spain has purchased a large
held there.area of land in Punta de Chame.
Due to the north beaches direction it is the only• Because of Spain’s land purchase the
beach of the Pacific (mainland) where it is possiblePresident of Panama has stated he will repair the
to bask in the sun in afternoon. From the northroad out to Punta de Chame.