Santa Clara, Panama is about 2-3 hours west of Panama City and you can drive to the beach off the Pan-American Highway (Expressway).
Santa Clara for the tourist has some pleasant accommodations & restaurants but it is mainly the beautiful white-sand beach, and with not too many people. During the week,
the only signs of life you may see are a few fishing boats. The road from the highway (2 miles) to the beach is quite driveable.