Coiba National Park is a mostly marine park off Veraguas, run by MiAmbiente under Ley 44 of 2004. To visit by boat, pay the entry fee in advance through MiAmbiente's online payment page and register the boat at the Gambute ranger station. Anchor only at permitted sites and never on coral. Fish only where the management plan allows, with authorization.
What Coiba is and who runs it
Coiba National Park covers about 270,125 hectares. Most of it is sea around Isla Coiba, Jicarón, Canal de Afuera, Ranchería and dozens of smaller islands in the Gulf of Chiriquí. Ley 44 of 2004 set its boundaries and rules. UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 2005.
The same law created a Special Marine Protection Zone outside the park. It takes in Isla Montuosa and Hannibal Bank, the offshore fishing grounds. Further out is the much larger Cordillera de Coiba managed resources area, created in 2015 and expanded in 2021.
The Ministerio de Ambiente (MiAmbiente) runs the park day to day, following a management plan approved by its board. SENAN and MiAmbiente rangers patrol it. In 2026 they stepped up checks of boat papers, fishing permits and authorization to be in the park.
Permits and fees: pay before you go
Coiba doesn't take cash on the island. Since July 2022 visitors have paid in advance. Since 2024 you can pay online on miambiente.gob.pa, under Trámites → Pagos de admisión de áreas protegidas, which has its own Parque Nacional Coiba category. The page takes Clave, Visa and Mastercard and emails an electronic receipt. You can also pay at a MiAmbiente finance office, including the Veraguas regional office.
- Fees. Coiba's charges come from Resolución AG-0189-2008, which a 2017 resolution left in force for Coiba only. We haven't found a current official schedule that lists them. Confirm the per-person and any vessel or activity fees with MiAmbiente before you go.
- Bookings. Under the restored public-use plan, MiAmbiente asked for reservations at least 72 hours ahead, by email.
- Check-in. Boats go first to the administrative station at Gambute on Isla Coiba. There they hand in a registration sheet and show the receipt and everyone's passport or ID. Visiting hours were set at 8:00 to 15:00.
- Diving and filming need their own permission. Dive operators handle this for their guests. See dive and snorkel charters in Panama.
Getting there by boat
Most day boats leave from Santa Catalina, Playa Banco or Puerto Mutis on the Veraguas coast. Yachts and sportfishers usually come from the Gulf of Chiriquí; see Boca Chica and Pedregal marinas. Inside the park there is no fuel, water, repair or reliable phone signal. Carry fuel for the round trip plus a reserve, and file a float plan before you go.
The crossing is open Pacific water. In the rainy season, May to November, squalls build in the afternoon, so most boats leave early and head back before mid-afternoon. A long Pacific swell runs year round. Currents at the outer islands and seamounts can be strong, especially on big tides. For the wider region, read the Chiriquí and Coiba region guide.
Anchoring, moorings and landing
Coiba limits anchoring to a set of permitted sites, mostly the sheltered bays on the east side of Isla Coiba near the ranger stations. Mooring buoys have been placed at some dive and snorkel sites. Where a buoy is provided, use it rather than your anchor. Ask at Gambute which sites are open and which buoys suit your boat's size.
- Never anchor on coral. Ley 304 of 2022 bans anchoring boats of any size on coral reefs anywhere in Panama, and Coiba has some of the largest reefs on the Pacific coast. Drop in sand, and check the swing.
- Land only at visitor sites such as the Gambute station, Playa Machete and the marked trails on Isla Coiba. Living or staying in the park is restricted by law.
- Take everything out. MiAmbiente's protected-area rules require visitors to register and to remove their own rubbish. Dumping, burning and collecting shells, plants or anything else are banned.
Fishing and no-take zones
Ley 44 bans fishing in the park as a general rule. Sport, artisanal and subsistence fishing are allowed only where the management plan authorizes and regulates them, in defined zones, with approved gear. Most of the area around the islands is effectively no-take for a visiting boat. Rangers have ordered boats out and held boats caught fishing without authorization.
If you want to fish, get MiAmbiente's current zoning and authorization in writing before you leave. Then follow ARAP's sport-fishing rules on top: from 10 December 2026, Executive Decrees 9 and 10 of 2026 govern sport fishing and billfish. Hannibal Bank and Montuosa sit in the Special Marine Protection Zone, so the same caution applies there. The operator side is in running a fishing charter in Panama, and licences in fishing licences and seasons.
Whales, turtles and sharks
Humpback mothers and calves rest in the calm water around Coiba and the Gulf of Montijo from about July to October. Keep 250 m away at 4 knots or less, and leave after 15 minutes with a mother and calf. The full rules are in whale-watching rules in Panama.
Sea turtles, whitetip reef sharks, rays and big schools of fish are common. Slow down in shallow bays where turtles feed, and never touch or feed them. Feeding animals and introducing outside species are both banned in the park.
Your practical starting checklist
- Pay the Coiba entry fee online on miambiente.gob.pa, or at a MiAmbiente finance office, before you leave the mainland.
- Email your visit to MiAmbiente at least 72 hours ahead, and confirm the current fees and any vessel charges.
- Carry fuel for the round trip plus a reserve, and leave a float plan ashore.
- Go to Gambute first: hand in the registration sheet, the receipt and everyone's ID.
- Anchor only at permitted sites, use moorings where provided, and never anchor on coral.
- Fish only with written MiAmbiente authorization in an authorized zone, and take all rubbish home.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to take my own boat to Coiba?
Yes. Pay MiAmbiente's entry fee in advance and register the boat at the Gambute ranger station when you arrive. Diving, filming and fishing each need their own authorization.
How much does Coiba cost to visit?
MiAmbiente hasn't published a current fee schedule that we could find. The fees come from a 2008 resolution. Confirm the amount per person and any vessel or diving charges with MiAmbiente when you book.
Can I fish in Coiba National Park?
Only in zones the management plan opens to sport or artisanal fishing, with authorization. Everywhere else, assume no fishing. Boats caught fishing without authorization have been held and ordered out.
Can I anchor overnight at Coiba?
Only at the permitted anchorages, mostly on the sheltered east side of Isla Coiba. Ask at Gambute which ones are open, and never drop the anchor on coral.
En español: visitar el Parque Nacional Coiba en embarcación
El Parque Nacional Coiba (Ley 44 de 2004) lo administra el Ministerio de Ambiente. Pague la entrada por adelantado en miambiente.gob.pa (Trámites, Pagos de admisión de áreas protegidas, categoría Parque Nacional Coiba) o en una oficina de Finanzas de MiAmbiente. En la isla no se acepta efectivo. Al llegar, la embarcación debe pasar por la sede administrativa de Gambute con la hoja de registro, el recibo y la identificación de cada pasajero. Solo se puede fondear en los sitios permitidos, nunca sobre coral (Ley 304 de 2022). La pesca está prohibida salvo en las zonas y con la autorización que fije el plan de manejo. Isla Montuosa y el Banco Hannibal forman parte de la Zona Especial de Protección Marina. Confirme las tarifas vigentes con MiAmbiente.
The next question to answer
The region around the park: bases, islands, weather and seasons. Read Chiriquí and Coiba boating guide.
Coiba alongside every other marine park and reserve. Read Panama's protected marine areas.
Coiba, Hannibal Bank and Montuosa from the operator's side. Read Fishing charters in Panama.
Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare Marine Protected Areas and Site Rules.
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.
- Ley 44 of 2004, Parque Nacional Coiba (Justia copy of the Gaceta Oficial text) ↗
- MiAmbiente Resolución DM-0602-2017, protected-area fees (Coiba kept under AG-0189-2008) (FAOLEX copy) ↗
- TVN: MiAmbiente online payments for protected areas, including Coiba, Aug 2024 (secondary, press) ↗
- TVN: Coiba public-use plan restored, Gambute registration, 72-hour booking, Aug 2022 (secondary, press) ↗
- TVN: new Coiba payment rules, no cash, receipt at Gambute, 2022 (secondary, press) ↗
- La Estrella de Panamá: MiAmbiente intercepts yacht fishing in Coiba, July 2026 (secondary, press) ↗