Cabañas Sherlley

Santa Catalina is a great little beach town, with surfing, horseback riding, snorkeling, zip lining, good food, fishing, and places to relax. I don’t surf myself, but that’s what people staying at Sherlley Cabanas told me about. If you have time to explore Panama, you need to stay there. The owner was very accommodating and flexible throughout our stay, even with all the personal issues we had to work through. I’m from the US and can be picky about hotels abroad. These units are set up for longer stays, with little kitchens, and they can sleep quite a lot of people. That felt a bit odd to me, but my wife and I were fine in a room for three. My kids and mom liked the larger room they stayed in.

The room was very clean, with a well-equipped kitchen that made it comfortable to cook. The AC in our room wasn’t working, but the staff quickly and happily moved us to another room. They put a lot of care into cleaning and were very nice. They also booked a shuttle for us in no time. It’s a 15-minute walk from the center, but worth it.

The owner gives each room its own color and carries that theme through every detail. There’s an open hangout space in the middle, the rooms are clean, and they have air conditioning. The beds weren’t clean and smelled like mothballs, though. From her cabanas, it’s a three-minute walk to a lovely sunset spot on a rocky beach. The place is about 15 minutes on foot from the town center. It’s okay to stay here, but I think there are better options in Santa Catalina.

A really nice place to stay, safe, clean, and friendly. The cooking area works well, and Shelley can help plan a trip if you need it. In rainy season, the battery light is especially useful when the electricity goes out, which happened sometimes during the week we stayed in Santa Catalina.