Islands

Just a 15 minute plane ride from Panama City lie the exotic Pearl Islands. You can still buy pearls today, but the major attraction of this archipelago are its picturesque aqua waters, lush vegetation, fascinating marine life and lovely sparsely populated beaches. There may be no more undiscovered, places left in the Caribbean, but Panama’s Bocas del Toro area still has many. This amazing living archipelago is a collection of 10 or more islands near the border of Costa Rica and is a favorite stop for tourists. Bocas is Panama’s top tourism destination outside Panama City. Relax on beautiful beaches with scarcely a soul in sight, hike through rainforests. From laid-back Caribbean Islands to world-class beach resorts, Panama is an island lover’s paradise with more than a thousand islands and two coasts that you can surf the Pacific in the morning and bathe in the Atlantic on the same day. A stunning new island destination near the Costa Rican border is Boca Chica which is part of the Chiriqui National Marine Park. Chiriqui province, famous as a mountain destination, now has a beach and island destination. The San Blas Islands offer two unbeatable attractions. The coastal hamlet of Santa Catalina is one of the two top surfing destinations in Central America. It is also the gateway Coiba lsland National Marine Park with some of the best diving on the Pacific Coast and pristine nature.