HISTORY OF LAS OLAS BEACH RESORT AND LA BARQUETA PLANTATION
Las Olas Beach Resort is located on La Barqueta Plantation, oceanfront 9 miles (18 kms) of pristine grey silver sand beach, on the western pacific coast of Panamá, is a 4th generation family-owned plantation. It has been one of the most important agricultural areas in the province of Chiriquí since the 1600’s.
In 1885, Antonio Anguizola de La Lastra raised vast amounts of cattle on his property and named it La Barqueta, after the latin word barquin, (a person who travels from one place to another by boat). Traveling around the plantation’s wetlands, flloded riverbanks and poorly accessible roads by boat, was common at that time.
In 1915, Antonio Anguizola Palma, son of Antonio Anguizola de La Lastra, turned La Barqueta into one of the largest cattle raising plantations in the republic of Panamá. He built a pier on the farm, el carril, to load cattle onto steamboats to transport to Panamá city and for export to north and south America.
In 2001 Juan Gabriel Arauz Anguizola great-grandchild of Antonio Anguizola de La Lastra, built Las Olas Resort and community, on La Barqueta Plantation. To preserve wildlife, parts of La Barqueta have been declared a protected area for both endangered plant and animal species which include sea turtles, birds, reptiles and mangrove trees.
On the property currently are: Las Olas Beach Resort, La Abigail Restaurant (farm to table), Bar Azul, y La Barqueta Poolside Bar & Grill, “La Bella Donna” Convention Center, Oceanfront and Second Tier Lots, Oceanfront Houses, Las Brisas Condominiums and Las Olas Towers Oceanfront Apartaments.
We hope you will come to visit us at Playa La Barqueta in Chiriquí, Panamá!