There's nothing better than a weekend away from the city. Every Panamanian knows this for a fact, mainly because of the privileged situation of the country: Panama has extensive coastlines in both the Pacific and the Caribbean. Whenever you're tired of concrete and traffic, there are many beach towns to visit and some of them are just an hour drive from Panama City!

Last weekend I went on a road trip to our friends' house in a small beach town on the Pacific about an hour and a half drive from the city. With the perfect soundtrack provided by Roosevelt , we stopped just once on our way there.

A must during any road trip in Panama, we ate empanadas for breakfast at Quesos Chela in Capira. Right next to Quesos Chela an artisan exposes her beautiful pottery in a little store and it was impossible not to take a look.

Paradise is the word that comes to my mind when I think of their beach house. As we crossed the entrance gate, I caught a glimpse of the tranquil waters of the Pacific Ocean perfectly framed by enormous palm trees. After the barbecue and a couple of refreshments with good conversation, we headed to the beach. The neighbours are rarely around, so we were lucky enough to have the beach for ourselves. Taking a swim in these warm waters always feels like heaven; it doesn't matter how many times I've done it, there's something that makes me feel like a kid who has never seen the Ocean before.

After a relaxing getaway, it was time to go back to reality. But those who have seen these waters know it only takes a short path to discover the sea again.

Inside the pottery shop.

Inside the pottery shop.

When on a road trip...

Decorative pottery with traditional designs of Diablicos sucios from Panama.

A classic sight during any road trip all over Panama. Old US school buses are used in the public transportation system.

We had the beach for ourselves that day! It doesn't get any better than this!

The Panamanian Pacific.

Back home. View of the Balboa port and the entrance to the Panama Canal.