Panama felt like a series of unlucky breaks for us. In Bocas Del Toro, the Caribbean archipelago dazzled with dolphins, wildlife, and beaches was stunning, straight out of a screensaver. Butttttt, it was pricier than we’d hoped for a four-month trip. Still, it’s worth visiting for the vibrant social scene and incredible views—when it’s not raining. Boquete, meanwhile, tested us with rainy trails and our lack of hiking expertise (more on that in myTREK TALK article). Hoping for a change, we headed to the coastal town of Santa Catalina for a warm, beachy Christmas escape.
Santa Catalina was a total 180 from Boquete. This laid-back surf town greeted us with the wildest Christmas Eve party that carried well into Christmas Day. But the real memory-maker wasn’t the party—it was the Boxing Day hike, which turned into a misadventure we’ll never forget.
We did try to go surfing in the morning (Xav was actually good at it) but in the afternoon we decided to try a “20-minute hike” with our hostel owner, Quinn. Spoiler: it was actually two hours long, and even Quinn didn’t know what he’d signed us up for. The trail looked like it hadn’t been touched in years, maybe decades.
We started by slogging through a muddy swamp, our shoes sinking with every step. Reaching the river felt like a victory—until we realized the hardest part was still ahead. As we entered the jungle, Quinn casually mentioned snakes and spiders. Right on cue, a massive tarantula (or close enough) sprinted across the path—not a slow crawl, but a full-on dash. Minutes later, I walked straight into a spider web. Every rustling leaf felt like a threat after that.
Then came the uphill. Not a gentle incline, but 40 minutes of climbing straight up a muddy slope, dodging overgrown vegetation and jumping over creeks. Something bit or pricked me along the way, leaving my ankle itching like crazy. By this point, drenched in sweat and exhausted, I couldn’t care less about “The View.”
But when we finally reached the top, everything changed. From there, we could see all of Santa Catalina—except for the actual town, hidden by vegetation. A bit farther downhill, the view opened up, revealing the town and the nearby island. For a moment, it almost felt worth it.
Unlike the relentless uphill, the downhill was its own challenge. The loose rock slope threatened to send us tumbling, and the overgrown vegetation introduced us to “sticker leaves.” These clung stubbornly to our clothes and shoes, and I was still picking them off a day later.
After crossing a few barbed-wire fences, we finally finished the Great Boxing Day Hike of Santa Catalina. Would I do it again? I’m not sure. The view was amazing, but the spider definitely owns that trail.