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The first time I heard of Playa Venao, I was still in high school back in 1992. My classmates talked about
this distant surf beach that was almost impossible to get to but worth the trip.

Over a decade later, while living abroad, a friend contacted me from Panama to bring the Azuero Peninsula to my attention.
He said something special was brewing there and I needed to check it out. I took note. Life took me back
to Panama, and a few years later, one random afternoon in June of 2006, very spontaneously, I packed
my bag, grabbed my cowboy hat and headed for the Azuero Peninsula with an open canvas, no
reservations, no plans and little expectations.

I arrived at 10:00 pm into the town of Pedasi, and spent the night at the first place I found. $10 got me a
private room in Pension Moscoso. Freedom flooded my veins. The next morning, I embarked to discover
the heart of the Azuero Peninsula on my 4x4. My adventure took me to Villa Camilla, where I would
meet Gilles St Gilles, who was then running the six-star 7 suite boutique hotel his parents designed and
built in the enclave of Los Destiladeros. We hit it off and I ended up lodging in this magical spot for the
next few days, staying longer than I expected, which would become the norm; as I continued to explore
the coastal landscape, with its wild scenery, rolling hills, cattle ranches and deserted beaches. I was
hooked.

Ranch life and the wild beauty of the Pacific coast converged seamlessly in and around Pedasi and Playa
Venao. This was a place I wanted to be in.
Soon thereafter, Beth and I met, and we would continue to explore the Azuero Peninsula together, later
discovering Eco Venao, an eco-lodge within a reforestation project which would become our official
base camp for many years to come.
The vernacular charm and simplicity of the palapa ranches at Eco Venao, El Sitio and Venao Resort
resonated with our essence. We had a longing to be in communion with the raw and wild fabric of
nature. Yoga, music, spirituality and the surf break would complement the gravitational pull of Venao.
Venao was arguably remote, yet it was this perceived remoteness which kept it wild, protected and
pristine. There was no doubt of the alluring natural beauty of this magnificent still undiscovered corner
of the world. Nomadic surfers, adventure seekers, yogis, eccentrics and jet setters could all agree on
this. There was a place for each character in this set, and as a friend would put it, everyone who moved
to Venao was either a misfit or was a bit crazy in their own way. Maybe I was a bit crazy too.
Every time we came back, there was something new happening, something new to see, and familiar
faces to meet again. We were witnessing the evolution of Venao and at the same time becoming part of
its weave.