Pearl Islands Villa

The Beaches
If lying on the beach, absorbing the tropical sun while enjoying a cool drink sounds nice, Contadora Island is for you. With over ten beautiful beaches all of which are accessible and open to all island visitors, sun and fun can always be found. Our favorite beach is the beach at Villa Romantica. Next to the Villa Romantica is a road you can follow right down to the beach. Our second favorite beach is Ejecutiva located on the north side of the island. Also, don’t forget right out our back door is beautiful Galeon Beach. Contadora Island also sports Panama’s only official nude beach. Suecas Beach on the south side of the island is a place to bear all. Don’t forget the sunscreen!

Snorkeling
The snorkeling around Contadora Island is excellent. One of the best areas is at the bottom of our villa complex steps which lead to Galeon Beach. Turn left and you can go around the point by Hotel Galeon. Turn right and you can swim out toward the northeast point of the island. If you are a strong swimmer you can snorkel around the point to Largo Beach. Another favorite snorkeling area is around the southeast point at the far end of Largo Beach. This area is also known as Green Point (Punta Verde). This seems to be a favorite spot for nurse sharks and manta-rays. Check out our map for other spots on the island.

Scuba Diving
There is one dive shop on the island. It is owned and operated by Guillermo Schuttke and his wife. They hail from Argentina and are very friendly, competent divers. Stop by the shop and Guillermo will fill you in on all the local dive areas. They sell and rent a full line of diving and snorkeling equipment. Additionally, they arrange trips to local dive spots as well as scuba certification. The diving is excellent with an abundance of sea life. Expect to see many eels, lobster, manta-rays, nurse sharks, turtles and an incredible variety of fish.

Fishing
The Humboldt Current flows through the Pearl Islands bringing an abundance of sea life. The man to see to rent a small boat and local fisherman is Toni at the Contadora Inn B and B. Toni is a wonderful man and always willing to help. Tell him you are staying in Villa #21 and would like to catch some fish for dinner. He knows all the local fisherman and who to rent from. The fee for a boat usually runs about $20.00 an hour. Another option is to walk out to Galeon Beach in the morning and barter with the local fisherman just off shore. Again, the fee should be around $20.00 an hour. Go out for a few hours and you should catch enough fish to last your entire stay.

Whale Watching
Between the months of July – October whales form the Antarctica and oceans of South America work their way up to the Pearl Islands. Most of these whales are Humpbacks and Orcas. The best place to spot whales is on the beach next to Villa Romantica. If you would like to see the whales up close and personal contact Toni at the Contadora Inn B and B to charter one of the local boats for a few hours. Another idea is to enjoy cocktails on the beautiful deck of the Villa Romantica as the sun sets and you look out over the channel for the migrating whales.

Island Exploring and Bird Watching
The Pearl Islands consist of over 220 islands and islets. Only about six of these are inhabited by humans. On these islands live many of the 940 species of birds which inhabit Panama. The Pearl Islands are an ornithologists dream. To rent a boat to explore these islands again talk to Toni. A great day trip is to get dropped off at one of the nearby islands and arrange to be picked up later in the day. Bring a lunch, towels, snorkeling gear and of course sunscreen. Expect a day of complete solitude. Bugs are not usually a problem on Contadora Island. However, when visiting the other islands be sure to bring a good supply of insect repellent.

Wave Riders and Hobie Cats
The Hotel Galeon and the Hotel Contadora both rent a variety of watercraft. Head down to Galeon or Contadora Beach and talk to the hotel personnel for availability and prices.

The Villa Pool
This is a favorite place for the locals who live in the villas as well as visitors to gather in the late afternoon. It is a great place to meet folks and find out what is happening on the island. Next to the pool is an outdoor shower. Anytime you go swimming or snorkeling this is a great place to rinse off before going in the pool or the villa.

Jogging
For those of you who need to elevate your heart rate, early in the morning is a great time to go for a run. If you take a look at our map you will see a loop that runs around the island. It is both a paved and a dirt road. There is also a steep hill on the north part of the island on the way to Ejecutiva Beach for those who want a rigorous workout.

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