Paraíso

About Paraíso:

Paraíso covers 64.4 km², more ground than any of the other four corregimientos of Pocrí, yet only around 600 people live here. The village of Paraíso lies a kilometre off the Las Tablas–Pocrí road, and a short loop through Nuevo Ocú, a community of a little over 300 people, brings you back onto it. Jujucal and Las Avispas are close by. Pocrí, the district seat, is the next village along the main road towards Pedasí, while Las Tablas, with its banks, supermarkets and hospital, is a short drive back the other way.

La Candelaria is the coastal community, and the name most visitors know. Coming from Las Tablas, the signposted turn-off is just past La Palma; the village lies almost two kilometres towards the sea, and the beach another two kilometres on a road of dirt and stone. The shore splits into three named stretches: Playas de La Candelaria to the south, Playa La Candelaria in the middle and Los Bajaderos de La Candelaria to the north. From the middle beach it is about 4.6 km of open sand south to the mouth of the Río Pocrí, and about 4 km north, past a handful of beachfront houses, to where the Salado and the Mensabé reach the sea.

Away from the coast the land is low and gentle; the village of Paraíso stands at only about 40 metres. Pasture and planted fields fill the space between the main road and the shore, in a district that lives largely from maize, rice and cattle, with small-boat fishing along the coast. Each community keeps its own calendar: La Candelaria holds its patron feast, and Paraíso crowns a Señorita 3 de Noviembre for the separation celebrations. A community group from La Candelaria also turns out with the environment ministry to clear the beach of the plastic the tide brings in.

The shore has not been built up, and it pays to see it for what it is before buying. Apart from Brisas del Mar, a restaurant with a swimming pool above the middle beach, there are no public facilities: no showers, no shops, nowhere to change. The sea is lively, the water is clouded with fine sand, and stingrays are about, so shuffle your feet as you wade in. People drawn to this coast want a quiet piece of beach less than 20 km from Las Tablas, not a resort, and the land market here is built around that wish.

Houses in Paraíso:

Houses are few and spread out. In Paraíso and Nuevo Ocú they are single-family village homes, and at La Candelaria a house sometimes comes up on a large lot; one recent example stood on 5,850 m² of mostly flat ground with mature fruit trees, part of it planted with crops. On the beachfront there are only a handful of properties, so a finished house facing the sea is rare. For most people who want to live on this coast, the practical route is to buy land and build.

Land and Lots in Paraíso:

Land is the heart of this market. Farm parcels of a few hectares are offered as agricultural land on the roadside near La Candelaria, five minutes from the beach, and larger inland parcels of nine hectares and more appear around Paraíso. On the shore, whole flat beachfront parcels are offered, among them one of eight hectares facing the Pacific. The price gap between the two is steep: at today’s asking prices a roadside hectare inland costs around a fiftieth of a hectare on the sand. That is why so many buyers look at farmland near Playa La Candelaria and accept a five-minute drive to the water.

FAQ:

• How do I get to Playa La Candelaria from Las Tablas?

  Take the road towards Pocrí, carry on past the turn-off for El Uverito and the village of La Palma, and turn left at the sign for La Candelaria. The village is almost 2 km in, and the middle beach about 2 km further on dirt and stone. The bus reaches the village but not the sand, so arrange a taxi back in advance or be ready to walk.

• Is Paraíso the same place as La Candelaria?

  No. Paraíso is the corregimiento and also its main village, which sits just off the Las Tablas–Pocrí road. La Candelaria is a separate community inside it, with its own road down to the coast. A property described as being in Paraíso may be in either, so ask which one before you drive out to see it.

• Is the sea at La Candelaria good for swimming?

  It is a beach for walking more than for swimming. The waves can be rough, especially on a rising tide, the water is too cloudy to see your feet, and stingrays are about. A rock formation near the middle beach breaks the waves and leaves a calmer corner. There are no public facilities, so bring water and come prepared.

• What should I check before buying land near the beach here?

  Start at the edge of the plot. In places at La Candelaria the land ends abruptly above the sand, a sign the sea is cutting into it, and both ends of the beach are river mouths, so look at how close the land sits to them and to any low ground. The beach itself is public in Panama: find out where that strip ends and confirm the access is a public road rather than a neighbour’s track. Then ask the Public Registry for a certificate showing the owner and any liens, and make sure the plan places the land in the district of Pocrí, because La Palma, right beside the turn-off, belongs to Las Tablas.

• How far is Las Tablas for shopping and services?

  Close. The beach at La Candelaria is less than 20 km from Las Tablas, and the villages on the main road are nearer still. A cooperative bus runs between Paraíso and Las Tablas for one balboa, which covers everyday trips to the bank, the supermarket or the hospital. For the beach and the outlying parcels, though, you will want your own vehicle.