Santa Rita

About Santa Rita:

Santa Rita covers a little over 32 square kilometres on the western side of La Chorrera district. The way in is at El Espino on the Panamericana, where the Santa Rita road leaves the highway and runs through the corregimiento towards La Arenosa. The village itself lies 9 km west of El Coco, with hamlets such as Bajo Grande, Corozales and Santa Cruz scattered along the roads around it. For banks, the hospital or a big shop, people head into La Chorrera, by car or on the colectivo buses that work the road.

Farming and cattle are the long-standing trades. Small producers in Bajo Grande have worked with the agriculture ministry, and the Junta Comunal holds agro-fairs on the village sports court where local farms sell what they grow. Roping is part of social life, and the El Cruce arena runs team competitions with cash prizes. There is also a small rural tourism scene: Finca Amathis, for one, opens its pool, family areas and cabin to day visitors and overnight guests from the city.

This is low country, 90 metres above sea level, given over to pasture and fruit trees. The thing that matters most when you buy is the road. Heavy rainy-season downpours have flooded stretches of the El Espino–Santa Rita road, and its wear is a standing complaint; the municipality and the public works ministry patch it section by section, as they did at Bajo Grande. Power supply has improved with a new rural distribution network run through the corregimiento, which matters if you plan to build on an outlying parcel. Drive the route in October before you commit to a plot deep inside.

Around 2,400 people live here, some 600 more than in 2010. Alongside the farming families who have been here for generations, buyers come from Panama City and La Chorrera looking for a weekend finca. Investors look at large tracts, and companies come hunting for industrial space west of the city. A contract awarded in 2026 to widen the Panamericana to six lanes between Hacienda Los Calderones and the Sajalices river runs straight past El Espino, the corregimiento’s front door.

Houses in Santa Rita:

Houses in Santa Rita are country houses on their own land. You will find modest two-bedroom homes on private plots and houses built on two-hectare parcels inside the gated hacienda. Before you fall for the porch, find out where the water comes from, community system or private well, and how the access road behaves in the wet months.

Land and Lots in Santa Rita:

Country lots range from a few thousand square metres to several hectares. Close to El Espino, along the Santa Rita road, there are flat, fenced lots with fruit trees and the odd concrete shed already on them, and these are the easiest to reach from the highway. Further in, parcels get bigger and the state of the road weighs more on the decision. Make sure any lot fronts a public road or has a registered right of way.

Fincas in Santa Rita:

The cattle finca is the property that defines Santa Rita. Five-hectare fincas with up-to-date title come up for sale, as do tracts of a hundred hectares reached from the El Espino–Santa Rita road and larger estates with long views. They suit grazing, crops, or an agritourism project of the kind already operating here.

Industrial Land in Santa Rita:

Unusually for a rural corregimiento, Santa Rita has land laid out for industry: a block of eight industrial lots of 2 to 8 hectares, sold by the square metre with site preparation included. It is aimed at businesses that need room on the western side of La Chorrera rather than a farm. Confirm the approved land use and the permits for your activity with the municipality before you sign.

New Developments in Santa Rita:

Hacienda Santa Doménica is a gated community with round-the-clock security, divided into 3,350 m² lots and fincas of about two hectares. Some parcels already carry a finished house; others are sold as land for you to build on. It is the choice for country living behind a gate. Ask for the community rules and, if there is a maintenance fee, what it covers.

FAQ:

• How do I get to Santa Rita from La Chorrera?

  Head west on the Panamericana to El Espino and take the Santa Rita road, which carries on towards La Arenosa. Colectivo buses run the route. Strong rains have flooded parts of the road, so check its condition before you buy far from the junction.

• What should I check on the title of a finca in Santa Rita?

  First, whether the finca has registered title at the Registro Público or whether only possessory rights are being sold. Possessory rights are not title, and converting them through ANATI takes time. Walk the boundaries against the survey plan, because fences on inherited farms do not always match it, and confirm that access is by public road or a registered easement.

• Can I set up a warehouse or industrial business in Santa Rita?

  Some land here is offered for industrial use, but that does not make every finca industrial. Each parcel’s permitted use is set by the zoning that applies to it, so check with the Municipality of La Chorrera and MIVIOT before you buy for that purpose.

• Is there power and water to build a house?

  The rural electricity grid has been extended through the corregimiento; ask the distributor for a feasibility letter for your specific lot. Water depends on where you are, so find out whether the parcel can join a community water system or will need its own well.

• Can a foreigner buy land in Santa Rita?

  Yes. Foreigners can own property in Panama on the same terms as citizens, and the constitutional limit only covers the strip within 10 km of the national borders, far from here. The purchase is recorded at the Registro Público like any other.