The Buenaventura Marina offers its users first-class services and unique amenities and a great port of departure to unique destinations that are highly attractive to fishermen.
A couple of years ago, the Marina started operating and it slowly created a community interested in the ocean. Many options include a traditional paddle board to a catamaran with which you can go out to explore the dozens of islands nearby.
One activity that is booming due to the facilities and services it provides is sport fishing. “Imagine the number of foreigners who pay between three thousand and five thousand dollars to come and fish in Panama. You leave Buenaventura on a Saturday, travel 50 miles in two hours, and arrive where you can catch the type of fish that people from other countries pay for,” Arrigo de la Guardia, a resident of Buenaventura and an active user of the Marina, told us.
For de la Guardia, the conditions offered by Buenaventura are unique from all points of view. First, because of its proximity to good fishing destinations. “We have some excellent fishing spots 40 to 50 miles away. You leave at 5:00 or 5:30 in the morning and by 8:30 in the morning you are already fishing with the whole day ahead of you. You can stop fishing at three or four in the afternoon and come back, and you’re in Buenaventura again before dark,” he noted.
And this last factor is one of the reasons that attracted Arrigo to set sail from the Marina. “For me, there is nothing more satisfying than arriving in Buenaventura on a Thursday night or a Friday afternoon and organizing the boat, knowing that on Saturday at 4:45 am I will leave the house or apartment, grab the cart and arrive at the Marina, go fishing at 5:00 in the morning and return at 5:00 in the afternoon”, he commented before continuing. “You arrive at the Marina where you have all the comforts in the world. Restaurants, a place where you can clean the fish, a place where you can clean the boat, have a few drinks with family or friends, talk about fishing and then go home or apartment, take a shower and sleep in your bed. And the next day you can go back out to sea, or play golf, paddle tennis, tennis, go out on the horses. It is extraordinary.”
And finally, Arrigo highlights the dedication and service of the Marina personnel. “All issues can be solved directly with Emilio (Lau, the administrator). The truth is that he is always willing to help. If you come from Panama by boat and need transportation from here to your house, to the hotel or wherever you are renting, Emilio helps you, he provides it. He can also help you coordinate the captain’s stay. You will always find a solution to your needs”.
The service goes far beyond the Marina. As Arrigo tells us with a final anecdote. “We went out on a Saturday to fish all day from 5:00 in the morning to 5:00 in the afternoon. We came back, we fileted the fish, and we gave it to Manuel (Gómez, the Chef of the Chiringuito de la Marina) and he made us fish fingers with patacones. These are the things you do not see and they are the ones that make Buenaventura worth it, ” he concluded.
