Las Lajas

Las Lajas is a small beach community located approximately one hour east of David on the Pacific ocean. It is the preferred beach destination for panamanian living in the Chiriqui province. It is one of the most famous but still unspoiled beaches in all of Panama. The sand is brownish/gray and stretches for miles in either direction lined with beautiful palm trees. During the weekdays the beach is quite and relaxing with no crowds but on the weekend it can get packed with a mix of tourist and local Chiriqui residents. The Las Lajas area only has one major hotel called the Las Lajas Resort which opened in February 2009. High season occurs in the summer months from January through May when the weather is ideal for a day at the beach.

The weather in Las Lajas is on the warm side with temperatures averaging 30°C / 86°F during the day and 20°C / 68°F at night. August through November are considered the winter or rainy months with an average annual precipitation of 60 inches.

One of the main reasons why this beach destination is so popular with locals is the calm, swimmer friendly waters and lack of major rip tides and strong waves. However when the tides are right the steady breaks are also favorable for surfing with waves as high as 6 feet including several different breach breaks. When the tide is out, there is about a hundred yards of sand, when it’s in, the water is about waste deep for a hundred yards.

The majority of the homes owned in Las Lajas are second homes. There are a few foreign residence that make this beach town their primary residence. Despite it’s popularity Las Lajas has not been overrun with large development projects found on the coast line of Costa Rica and easter Panama. The major development project taking place in Las Lajas is the LLP project by Las Lajas Panama International Inc. The first phase of the project is called Sol y Mar and consist of approximately 50 ocean front and ocean view lots of which nearly half have been sold since it’s opening in 2006. To date a handful of houses have been built on these lots but a more popular option amongst consumers appears to be purchasing a private lot not part of a development project and building their own beach front escape. As an example a retired couple living in Boquete, Panama built a house on a private lot they purchased as a second home in order to enjoy to the warm water and sun Las Lajas has to offer.