Contadora Island Panama City ferry

Contadora Island Guide

Contadora Island is an isle found off the wide curving shores of Panama Bay, south of the Panamanian mainland. There is one route and two service providers operating out of the terminal. Four times weekly sailings with Ferry Las Perlas head to Panama City and seven weekly crossings also head to the capital with Sea Las Perlas.

What is there to do on the island?
The island is one of the larger landmasses of the Pearl Island archipelago and is widely renowned for its pristine shoreline dotted with long stretches of palm-lined beaches. Once buzzing with traders selling pearls plucked from the shallows of the surrounding sea, the island is now a spectacular resort of luxury villas and apartments. It’s a particularly popular destination during the summer months when the surrounding waters of the Gulf of Panama glow almost electric blue beneath the warm sun. With a spectacular array of marine life it’s the perfect destination for snorkelling, fishing or even dolphin and whale watching.

What transport links are available for visitors?
Nowhere on the island is more than a five minutes’ drive away, meaning that travelling to and from the port is a straightforward affair. A taxi-service is available to take visitors from the port to the hotels found across the isle, though rented golf buggies are the preferred method of transport.

What services leave the Contadora Island port?
The port offers services to one destination, the mainland terminal in Panama City. A Ferry Las Perlas line sails the short distance north to the mainland capital of Panama City four times throughout the week, a fast route that skims across the gulf with Sea Las Perlas offering seven trips a week. The duration of the journey varies between an hour and a half and an hour and forty minutes.