Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting There & Away
Contadora (round-trip US$140, 20 minutes). Has two daily departures on weekdays and
multiple departures on weekends.
maran ferry service (one hour 40 minutes) leaves from Balboa Yacht Club on the Panama
City Causeway for Isla Contadora daily at 8am, returning at 3pm. There's an 11am de-
parture on Sunday.
Getting Around
Because the island is only about a square kilometer in size, there are no taxis. It's easy to
walk everywhere, but it's hilly. Most tourist facilities are on the northern side of the is-
land, within walking distance of the airstrip. Hotels shuttle guests to and from the airport
via golf cart, and there is no shortage of ATVs for rent.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
ISLA SABOGA
Isla Saboga has been populated for centuries (its church is the oldest in Panama),
though the 400-resident population, once all pearl divers, has struggled with
poverty.
Turismo Comunitario Saboga
( 391-3048; islandecotour@gmail.com)
, a new
community tourism initiative, is hoping to buoy this old Afro-Pacific culture with
guided visits by locals that include hiking jungle paths, snorkeling and swimming.
Foundation Almanaque Azul pioneered the project. Boatman Pedro does transfers
(US$40 round-trip for six passengers) from Isla Contadora. Guests can stay at
Casa de Fermina
(US$25 per room), a four-room cement dwelling in the middle of
the hilltop village. Installations are basic but it can be a very interesting experience
- and sharp contrast - to the fantasy island next door.
Isla San José
Home to the most exclusive resort in the Pearl islands, Isla San José has a sinister history
as a US chemical-weapons testing ground. During a 2001 inspection, the entire island
was placed under temporary quarantine following the recovery of unexploded ordnance,
which led to a tiff between Panama and the US over who should pick up the cleaning
bill.
