Bacchus Offers Affordable Family Fun

Tucked away in the small town of Los Pozos, (10 minutes past Cholos), this family owned bar and restaurant is open to the public on weekends. Bacchus is more than your average restaurant. With a large pool and three 4x4 tracks, it’s a great place to spend the day with family and friends. Since opening earlier this year, Bacchus has quickly become a local hot spot. When we stopped by to visit with Dutch owners Arjan van Groenigen and Katrien Slaar, it was clear to us why. The atmosphere is welcoming. Bacchus has that old school, no-frills vibe that fits in with Panama’s naturally rugged terrain. The eclectic bar is spacious yet comfortable, sitting on 23 hectares of land, nestled between several small fincas.  While only 20 minutes from Coronado, life is a bit more relaxed at Bacchus, explained Katrien. The main social area caters to families with several activities to keep the kiddies entertained.  Katrien and Arjan’s son Troy is the inspiration behind features like the custom sandbox, little tike bikes, go-carts, and playroom room fully equipped with cartoons.

The people. Katrien and Arjan have a very hands-on approach to service. When we visited Bacchus, the couple greeted us graciously; excited about the old 4x4 we had brought along to tryout the track in. The couple told us that so far, business has come mostly form locals in the area.  As we chatted and toured the property, a caretaker to a neighboring finca rode by on horseback. Katrien waved to him happily from the bar. The bar was closed, but she welcomed him in for a cold drink regardless. Throughout our visit several other neighbors stopped in to say hi. Before we knew it, we were all chatting, anecdotes and laughter bridged any language gaps. My feelings are that we were exposed to a typical afternoon at Bacchus.

It’s fairly priced. Katrien and Arjan expressed their desire to keep prices reasonable, making an afternoon at Bacchus attainable for everyone.  Beers are reasonably priced at  $1.50 and home cooked meals range from $1 chorizo to chicken and patacones for $6.50. Use of the pool is offered at $3.00 for adults, and $1.50 for kids. With no extra cost for use of, toys or the 4X4 track, Bacchus is an economical option when planning a day trip with friends or family.

The 4X4 course… of course! There are three tracks to choose from all of which are located on the land behind Bacchus. The three courses vary in difficulty, white being easiest, red, medium in difficulty, and black, hard. We asked Arjan to expand on these classifications further. “The white course is for ordinary cars,” he said, “red, you will need big tires, and black…well lets just say bring your own winch, because I’m not pulling you out of there.” We had a good laugh. But in all seriousness, you need your own 4X4 vehicle prepared for off-roading. As with off-roading anywhere, it is best to go with some buddies, as it is likely you will get stuck! But that’s half the fun isn’t it? 

Find out, head to Bacchus on any Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., or Sunday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. to try out the course. Starting in December the Bacchus will also open on Friday from 10:00 a.m. – midnight.

To get there take the road the Las Lajas road, continue until you reach the small town of Los Pozos. Just after you go over a small bridge you will see a large white sign for Bacchus on the left. Make the left directly before it and follow it down past a black metal gate, until you see the bar on your left, which is hard to miss!

For further directions or more information on hosting children’s birthday parties at Bacchus contact Katrien at: 6630-5551 or by email at slaarkatrien@hotmail.com