Welcome to Panama to Okanda
The road seems to end – literally – in Panama. Continuing south, the grandly designated B355 is really just a rough dirt track for the 16km to the Kumana National Park entrance and Okanda, a minute seasonal settlement for local fishers and an annual pilgrimage destination.
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The drive to Okanda is sensational, albeit slow. The scenery is a mix of wetlands and savanna. There is oodles of wildlife and often elephants right in the road (you'll see their droppings everywhere). Watch for the huge and colourful painted storks. Add in a couple of interesting stops and this is a fine continuation of a day trip from Arugam Bay.
Once in Okanda, just a five-minute walk east from the Hindu temple lies a sweeping beige-white beach with an excellent right point break popular with surfers fleeing the crowds at Arugam Bay.
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