These days, you can find anything and everything you’d need in Coronado Panama— it’s a welcome change from days of yore (read: five years ago), when you had to head to Panama City in search of basic hardware and home goods, new eyeglasses, or a mobile phone charger, even.
Shopping Malls
Two major new malls opened up over the last two years in the area — Terrazas Plaza lies just a mile from the main entrance to Coronado, and Ocean Mall in Rio Hato as you drive in to Playa Blanca and Decameron. Terrazas Plaza is a shopper’s (and new homeowner’s) haven, with furniture and hardware stores, a bakery, pharmacy, and several restaurants. Ocean Mall features a Super 99, Panama’s largest supermarket store.
But there’s more (and much more than we’ll venture into here). Coronado Mall houses various fashion labels, a Crocs store, mobile phones and accessories, sporting goods, spas and salons and even a casino; Village Mall has an AC center, electronics, a party store. Bayview Center Mall stocks fresh seafood at Christian’s and pet and garden supplies at Melo. Westland Mall sells everything from RL Polo and Tommy Hilfiger to Pumas and Levi’s.
El Machetazo, a real U.S.-style department store, sits on the mountain-side of the Panamerican highway. Don’t let the name fool you — it doesn’t sell machetes. Above the supermarket on the first floor, you’ll find everything home and garden related (appliances, furniture, kitchen items, home decor) on the second floor, and kids’ toys and sporting equipment on the top floor.
Grocery Shopping in Coronado Panama
For grocery shopping, El Rey in Coronado is the go-to for fresh produce 24/7, or head across the street for fresh fruits and vegetables sold by local farmers. At the high end, Las Pergolas Mall is home to various speciality wine and meats stores and the upscale Riba Smith grocery chain, which stocks fresh meats and fish and has a great in-house bakery. Super99 stocks lower-priced goods, and Supermercado Buen Precio, right next to the Coronado Golf Community, is a small but convenient option.
And, don’t leave town before checking out the fantastic fish markets in Gorgona and San Carlos.