Contadora- Pearl Islands — The Mark of Joy

I’ve been known to swing through places with minimal planning, but this location is the spot I knew the least about prior to the trip. Slightly terrifying since we brought our 9-month old baby with us, but I had a good feeling about this location and luckily it all worked out.

Happy on the last day of our island adventure that it all worked out. Location- Playa Sueca

Most people looking into Panama travel will quickly learn about the very popular San Blas Islands or Bocas Del Toro. These spots require a long drive or a plane ride from Panama City, and we just didn’t want to dedicate that much time to being on the road. I came across the Pearl Islands one night while doing some research, but I could never really find much detail. Now I know, that they are tiny and not well frequented, which explains why so few travel bloggers have written about this spot. If you stumbled across this blog in hopes of planning a trip, I hope I can guide you in the right direction.

How to get to Contadora

A 20 minute plane ride from Panama City, or a 90 minute ferry ride, will land you on Contadora. On the ferry ride to the island, we were surrounded by dolphins leaping through the water. If you arrive by ferry, you have to hop down (seriously it’s a big jump) onto a smaller boat to go to shore. You will come into Playa Larga, home of the famous beached ferry. If you aren’t staying on Playa Larga you’ll want to pre-schedule a ride to come get you, and this will be by golf cart. The island has very few cars.

The small boat that brings you from the ferry to the island

The island is small. It is less than 1 square mile, and has a population of about 300 people. There is one super market, and calling it that is for sure too generous. The market has minimal food items, plenty of beer and water, some liquor, and a few random household items like one set of tea cups and a pair of shoes (sure hope you are a size 8). If you are staying in an airbnb, you must bring all of your food and drinks on the ferry with you. Relying on the grocery store is a bad idea.

Staying on the island

Mar Y Oro is built into the rock wall looking down onto the ocean

We stayed at a boutique hotel called Mar y Oro, where we ate all of our meals. There are 4 or so other restaurants on the island, but some of them had closed due to covid or just because it was slow season. Covid has suppressed what little industry was left on this island, sad to see.

We enjoyed Mar Y Oro as a central location. It is located on one of the most picturesque beaches, Playa Cacique. The sand is white and soft and the water is warm. We upgraded to the Bella Vista Suite so we could enjoy our terrace during naps and after the baby went to bed. It came with the best view in the hotel. I won’t go into depth on travel with baby here, but hit me up if you want to deep dive on the logistics!

Little guy napping without blackout shades or sound machine- is this heaven or what?

Everything is outside (but covered) at Mar y Oro. Here is Matt waiting at the bar/restaurant

When coming to Contadora, keep in mind you aren’t coming for the food. You are coming to relax, enjoy the ocean and to have a unique experience on an isolated island. The food at Mar Y Oro is known as the best on the island, and we weren’t impressed. The handmade pina coladas on the other hands, were outrageously tasty.

The downtown area on the island is small and has limited items for sale

What do to while on Contadora

Rent a golf cart- Most people can manage the walk to all of the key destinations on the island, but let’s be honest, it’s way more fun to cruise around on a little golf cart. We paid $75 for 24 hours and were able to zip around to the different beaches, lookout points and the grocery store.

Cruising in the golf cart (yes I know i have sunscreen on my chin)

Take a boat ride- We were there the first week of August, which aligns with the whale migration period. It is low season for tourism, which meant we had the island and the waters to ourselves, and were able to witness the incredible site of a baby whale playing alongside its mother. Not whale season? Take a boat to the other surrounding islands, go snorkeling and walk on an empty island. The archipelago offers so much that shouldn’t be missed. Ask your hotel to call Nina Marina for you. He’s a local guy and they all know him.

Marina is the most popular boat tour guide on the island. Just holler to him from shore and ask for a ride!

Marina was able to track this whale family and get us close to the action

The incredible whale migration occurs every August. This is the baby whale on the left and one fin of the mama whale on the right

Explore the different beaches- There’s a handful of public beaches that you should check out before leaving the island. They each bring something a little different, but they all provide warm water and beautiful views. See my beach summary below for the main beach options on the island.

Relax- There’s truly not much else to do here besides take in the views, swim in the ocean and have quality time with the ones you love. At night we would enjoy our terrace, play games or get much needed extra sleep.

Contadora Island beach guide

Playa Cacique- Mar Y Oro and many beautiful and large houses sit along this beach. It has nice walking sand, easy water entry and a great broad view of the ocean and neighboring islands. Whales pass by closely to this side of the island, incredible thing to watch while enjoying your meals.

Playa Larga- This beach offers much more to see than just the beach itself. It has a lot of history haunting its shores. First and most obvious is the ferry that is stuck on shore. It’s becoming a bit of an “influencer hot spot” so make sure to get your photo with it! Playa Larga also has the remains of the Hotel Contadora Resort. If you want to read a good blog post detailing the history and demise of the resort and ferry, check it out here. In brief, it was once the go-to destination for the rich and famous. The owner died in a plane crash and the ferry and hotel were abandoned after that. Rumor has it, the owner and this hotel and something to do with the Colombia drug cartel and his death may be wrapped up in that.

The famous abandoned ferry on Playa Larga

Playa Ejecutiva- Calm waters make this the perfect spot to bring your little one. It’s a small crescent shaped cove with a deep beach area. Larger waves and stronger currents are common at some of the other locations so this was a nice change of pace for our family.

Playa Sueca- This is the only nude beach in all of Panama, and it certainly does bring the views. This was our favorite beach on the island and no it had nothing to do with the optional bathing suit rules. It has the most unique shoreline with perfect shade-providing trees, unique tide pools, and it requires a short walk along a secret path to find it.