Three Nights in the Pearl Islands, Panama

VIDEO AT THE END OF THE POST

I was expecting Johnny Depp dressed in his finest Pirates of the Caribbean attire to pop out from behind a rock or wave to us from one of the private yachts sunning in the calm turquoise water. Just the name of this archipelago, The Pearl Islands, conjures up scenes of buried treasure, characters from movies we’ve all scene - you know, the ones with a talking parrot that gets the bad guy in trouble.

I guess there’s good reason for some of this imagery. The well known reality show, Survivor, taped its seventh season on some of the Islands, including Contadora where there are some weathered props dotted along the shores.

My first impression of Contadora was how hilly and jungle like it was. I guess I was expecting something with less mature growth. But the trees provide a much needed shade canopy when you’re walking in the heat from the hotel to the various beaches. Water is heavy to carry and so were all the rocks and shells I’d collected.

I’m the woman who brought shells with me from California when I moved to Panama. Crazy? Maybe. But when I finally settle in somewhere, I’m going to have a pretty kick ass international shell collection to display. My friend Suzanne, who was my travel buddy on this trip, has a beautiful collection of shells in her condo on the beach. She has clear-coat sprayed them so they look as shiny as they did underwater. Brilliant!

Did we know someone special? Is that how we got to fly to the island for our four day adventure? Well, the secret is out; one of the owners, Allan Breadner, is a pilot and if he’s going out to the island when you’ve scheduled your trip, he might just offer to give you a ride. In fact, that’s why the Hibiscus House was top of our list of where to stay on Contadora Island. Not many places offer that kind of perk.

The flight was incredible. Small planes hover above the earth at the perfect altitude where you can still see the magnificence of the earth and sky. There’s quite a bit of sky video in the vlog here about the trip, so if you enjoy the clouds, propellers, contours of the earth and getting a new perspective, you’ll love it.

As with many places that are limping back to business after such strict pandemic measures here in Panama, it’s obvious there have been some losses that won’t recover; restaurants, ice cream shops, tour operators. But Contadora now allows vaccinated visitors to forgo the dreaded q-tip-to-the-brain test before traveling. And with the island being so close to Panama City, it’s a great getaway if you’re short on time but want to have a wonderful island vibe during your travels.

Some of the water had great visibility and I was lucky enough to have seen two sea turtles during the snorkeling trip. Another spot we went to didn’t have great visibility and the current picked up while we were out in the water. I even saw some colorful fish near the rocks at Playa Galeon where I collected all those stunning turquoise colored rocks. I find snorkeling to be an incredibly relaxing activity.

Four days and three nights is a perfect amount of time to unwind on Contadora. Even if you have a pretty mellow life like I do, I found having the last full day and night really made a difference in helping me disconnect from the digital world in particular.

My Tips for Your Contadora Island Visit:

Bring your favorite snacks and beverages and especially fruit
Rent a golf cart for maximum enjoyment and ease
Hire a tour operator to take you to other islands for snorkeling/scuba trips
Protect your lungs and the delicate marine life by not using aerosol sun protection
Have low expectations for quality of restaurant food - it’s highly variable
Conserve electricity and water
Contact Allan Breadner and ask very nicely if he’s flying to the island when you want to book your stay at Hibiscus House

Transportation options to Contadora