Almost every legal charter pickup in Panama City happens at two marinas on the Amador Causeway: Flamenco Marina and La Playita de Amador, under an agreement with the marina. Ocean Reef and the Club de Yates y Pesca are private. Beaches, ferry piers and hotel frontage are not pickup points unless the owner agrees and the AMP licence covers them.
Why the pickup point is a licensing question
Marinas in Panama City sit on seabed concessions from the Autoridad Marítima de Panamá. Commercial loading from their docks is by agreement with the concession holder, not by right. Your AMP operating licence application also asks you to describe the maritime and port areas where you will provide the service, so the place you board guests is part of what the AMP approves.
SENAN keeps a post on the causeway and boards boats in the bay. A boat loading guests at a spot with no agreement, from a beach or a ferry pier, is the kind of thing that draws a check. The causeway layout is in the Amador causeway boating guide.
The options, side by side
| Place | Commercial pickup? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Flamenco Marina, Isla Flamenco (VHF 10) | Yes, by agreement | Main charter and ferry base; parking, restaurants, fuel |
| La Playita de Amador (VHF 9) | Yes, small boats and tenders, by agreement | Keycard gate; paid dinghy dock; about 80 berths |
| Balboa Yacht Club moorings | Confirm with the club | Moorings with a service launch; close to the canal channel |
| Ocean Reef Marina, Punta Pacífica | No public pickup | Private, residents and members; controlled bridge access |
| Club de Yates y Pesca, Avenida Balboa | No | Members and guests only |
| Ferry piers on Amador and Naos | No, unless the pier operator agrees | Used by the Taboga ferries |
| Hotels and private docks | Only with written owner permission | Check the AMP licence covers the area |
| Beaches | Not a pickup point | Wading guests out to a boat invites a stop |
Flamenco and La Playita: how the agreement works
Flamenco Marina is the default for a public-facing operation: guests arrive by taxi, park, eat and walk to the dock. It is also busy, so agree where your guests gather, which pontoon you load from, and how long you may lie alongside.
La Playita suits small boats and tenders. Its keycard gates mean guests need to be met and walked in.
Neither marina publishes a commercial pickup tariff. Expect a written contract, a fee per passenger, per trip or per month, insurance certificates naming the marina, and rules on alcohol, catering deliveries and parking. Confirm the current terms and fee with the marina office; ask for them by email before you sign.
Ocean Reef and the Club de Yates y Pesca
Ocean Reef Marina is a private residential marina between the Ocean Reef Islands. Access over the bridge is controlled and there is no public pickup. If a resident owner hires you to run their boat from their own slip, that is their arrangement with the marina; get it in writing before you bring guests.
The Club de Yates y Pesca is a private members' club on Avenida Balboa. Its docks are for members and their guests, not for charter businesses.
Getting guests to the right dock
Most pickup problems at Amador are not legal ones. They are guests at the wrong island. The causeway runs about 6 km from the mainland past Naos, Culebra and Perico to Flamenco, and taxi drivers will stop at the first restaurant they see if you only say 'Amador'.
- Name the island and the marina: 'Flamenco Marina, Isla Flamenco, end of the causeway', or 'La Playita, between Culebra and Flamenco'.
- Send a map pin and a photo of the meeting point, plus the captain's or crew member's mobile number.
- Ask guests to arrive 30 minutes early on weekends, when the causeway road and the parking fill with cyclists and diners.
- Meet them at the gate. At La Playita the keycard gate means a crew member has to walk them in.
- Plan the departure around the tide; at low water springs some pontoons are steep for older guests.
Write the same instructions into your booking confirmation and the marina's rules for guests into your terms, so the dock staff and your guests hear the same thing.
What is not allowed, or not worth the risk
- Loading from the beach at Amador, Taboga or the Cinta Costera to avoid marina fees.
- Using a ferry pier without the pier operator's agreement.
- Picking up at a hotel or apartment dock on the strength of a guest's say-so.
- Anchoring off and running guests out by tender from a place outside your licensed area.
- Boarding more guests at the dock than the certificate allows; see passenger limits.
If any route or pickup touches Canal waters near Balboa, ask the ACP whether notice N-11 applies. The Florida version of this question is commercial charter pickup permission.
Your practical starting checklist
- Choose Flamenco or La Playita as your base pickup point.
- Ask the marina office for its commercial terms and fee by email.
- Sign a written agreement and give the marina your insurance certificate.
- List the pickup points in your AMP operating licence application.
- Send guests a pin, the island name and a dock meeting time.
- Get written permission before using any hotel or private dock.
Frequently asked questions
Where do yacht charters pick up in Panama City?
Mostly at Flamenco Marina and La Playita de Amador on the Amador Causeway, under each marina's commercial agreement.
Can a charter pick up guests at a hotel in Panama City?
Only with the dock owner's written permission and within the area your AMP licence covers. Most hotels have no suitable dock.
Can I pick up at Ocean Reef or the Club de Yates y Pesca?
No public charter pickups. Both are private: Ocean Reef for residents and members, the club for members and their guests.
Is there a fee to pick up guests at Flamenco Marina?
Expect one, set in your agreement with the marina. It is not published; confirm the current fee with the marina office.
¿Dónde puede un chárter recoger pasajeros en la Ciudad de Panamá?
En Flamenco Marina o La Playita de Amador, con un acuerdo comercial con la marina. Ocean Reef y el Club de Yates y Pesca son privados, y las playas no son puntos de embarque.
The next question to answer
Marinas, fuel and the SENAN post on the causeway. Read Amador Causeway boating guide.
Panama City's main charter base. Read Flamenco Marina.
Small marina, anchorage and dinghy dock. Read La Playita de Amador.
Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare One moment, please....
Official resources
Use the relevant Panamanian authority for current requirements and fees. These resources are the next place to check; a practical recommendation is not an agency determination.
- AMP: Requisitos licencia de operación, transporte de pasajeros (operating areas) ↗
- Noonsite: Balboa docking, Flamenco, La Playita, Balboa Yacht Club (secondary) ↗
- AMP: operativo interinstitucional con SENAN (dock and boat checks, 2024) ↗