Category: Panama

Contadora

We left for Contadora (one of the first island of Las Perlas and one of the more touristic place with Saboga island) from Balboa Yacht Club Causeway in Panama City (check in at 7am, departure 7:30 on Saturday morning). After 1h30 journey we finally arrived in the archipelago of Las Perlas!

200 lost islands in the Pacific, which were the pirates hiding place before becoming those of the Germans and Americans who decided to charge a price for any service… (expensive for Panama, not really from our European eyes). It’s also where they grabbed several episodes of The Survivor (and the 2004 edition of Koh Lanta!) and where Christian Dior bought a vacation house…

Contadora is quite big but not too much, you have electric golf cars as main transportation, or bicycles, or you can just walk (one hour to do the round trip). On the roads you’ll find beautiful houses, nice beaches and magnificent hotels restaurants!

It’s not easy to find a place to stay for less than 40$ per persons… We were hosted in Casa del Sol, a Bed and Breakfast. The managers came to get us to the ferry, showed us the rooms (the extra “beds” provided were a joke), and left us. The studio cost $143 for 4 people ($36 per person). The breakfast was poor and the promised bikes missing…

Big “Like” for Playa Larga hosting a boat and several abandoned hotels (I wonder how / why)!

Infos:
– To go there: $90 roundtrip Sea Las Perlas Ferry (another Ferry offers to leave from the Trump Tower but it wasn’t available)
– To sleep: $36 hostel Casa Del Sol, not the best but the less expensive I found… (I recommand Villa Romantica or The Point)
– To eat: Between $15 and $20 each meal (we’ve been to Villa Romantica in front of the sea, Las Tortugas an Italian restaurant and Gerald’s specialized in fishes)

Whales watching Tour

The owners of the BnB recommended us their friend Nino, who would take us to a boat ride for $35 a half day (the entire boat…). It would have been the best option if we didn’t have yet a tour booked in advance with an agency (50$ per person for 3h). A friend saw an other publicity on the beach offering 6$ per person. Conclusion: NEGOCIATE THE PRICE!

So we started the tour at 10am, leaded by… Nino! This tour was just perfect, we were all alone and we had an english speaking guide.
 

Infos:
Whales Watching Tour – 10h a 13h – 50$
Nino’s phone if you don’t want to pay the agency: (+507) 6652 5323

You will see that the Kunas are a little bit shy, sometimes they don’t speak english or spanish, but we had the chance to meet very friendly people who told us a bit of their traditions: I’ve learnt that they are married very young (it’s normal to have a child at 15YO for example), they leave all together in peace being Mormonts, Adventists or Catholics, they have churches and schools in the mains islands and they pass their days working for tourism, taking care of the islands and fishing.

For them resting like we do on the beach without doing nothing and with bikini is crazy, and the price of the traditional woman dress and jewels are very expensive (don’t remember the price but it’s like 700$ the all stuff…).

So you will stay on touristic islands with just few “cabanas” and all included services. Meals are constituted of rice and banana “plantin”, with chiken or fresh fish (sometimes lobsters), with a little salad and pineapple as a desert. The first time I been there in 2013 they didn’t even have electricity, but they now use solar panels (what a pity…).

Isla Guanidup

For lovers (because not much to do but beautiful and clean)

Isla Perro

For campers and revelers (the world and tents and hamaks)

Isla Senidup

For funs groups (large enough with volleyball ground and music by night)

Isla Nubesidup

For quiet groups

Isla Perro

An island in “camping” mode where I discovered the joy of snorkeling with a nice wreck, full of colorful fish, and large shells

Isla de las Estrellas

You don’t have nothing to do there but enjoy the coconut trees, pelicans, flying fish and snorkeling to see the starfishes!

From Panama to Kuna Yala harbour:

It is recommended to go from Panama around 5:30 am/6am to be in port from 8am to 8.30am. It’s just 95km driving but 1h in the mountain, crossing the tumultuous Chagres National Park.
You can choose between paying a taxi $ 50 roundtrip per person, or have to drive (with a 4×4), around $ 60 for gasoline + entrance fee of the car on the territory $ 5 + parking in the harbor $ 5).

Be aware that anyway you will be control to a police station and at the entrance of Kuna Yala where you will present your passport and pay the entrance fee – between $ 2 and $ 10 per person ($ 2 for Panamanian, $ 4 for resident and $ 10 for tourists).

You must also pay $ 2 at the entrance to the harbor.

From Kuna Yala port to the islands:

A lancha will then pick you up and will take about 30 minutes to arrive on the island you chose (you need to contact the owner of the island to book in advance and be sure to have a place)

You usually arrive on the islands between 8 and 9am on saturday, and leave the day after around 3pm.

Prices:
Nubesidup: 60$ one night and food
Senidup: 60$ for one night and food
Guanidup: 75$ per night and food
Isla Perro tour: 10$
Isla de las Estrellas: 6$
Rent a snorkel: 4$
Buy a fresh coconut: 1$

Contacts:

Senidup: Ricardo +507 6513 0091
Guanidup: Milcides +507 6635 6737
Chauffer: Luciano +507 6784 2904