Contadora is about 35 nautical miles south-east of the Amador causeway, a two-hour run at 18 knots or a long day sail. There is no fuel dock you can count on in the islands, so you carry everything you need for the round trip. The water is calmest in the rainy season (May to November) and the islands are at their clearest in the dry season, when the northerly wind can make the crossing lumpy. The ferry from Amador is the alternative if the numbers do not work.
Distance and time from Amador
The Archipiélago de las Perlas sits in the Gulf of Panama south-east of the city. From the Flamenco breakwater to the anchorages on the north side of Isla Contadora is roughly 35 nautical miles on a course a little east of south-east; cruising sources quote 30 to 35 miles from Panama City. Isla Saboga is a couple of miles west of Contadora; Chapera and Mogo Mogo are about 5 nm further south; Isla del Rey and San José are another 15 to 25 nm beyond that.
At 25 knots that is about an hour and a half; at 18 knots about two hours; at 8 knots four and a half; under sail most of a day, often motoring. Add time for leaving the causeway slowly past the anchorage, for the tide (the Gulf sets strongly on the aguaje, the spring tides), and for the fact that the last few miles between the islands are full of rocks and shoals that cruisers describe as poorly charted. Arrive in daylight, every time.
Fuel: assume you bring it all
Do not depend on fuel in Las Perlas. Contadora has a small service station for the island's vehicles; whether it will fill a boat changes. Cruiser guides mention fuel at Pearl Island (Isla Pedro González) arranged by WhatsApp and reachable only at high tide. Nothing in the archipelago is a fuel dock in the Florida sense.
Plan it like this:
- Round trip Amador to Contadora: about 70 nm.
- Island hopping: add 15 to 30 nm per day.
- Reserve: at least 20 per cent of total capacity untouched, more if you will run a generator overnight.
- Rough water burns more. Dry-season chop on the way home can add a quarter to your planning number.
Fill at Amador before you go. Flamenco Marina sells diesel and gasoline from its fuel dock (call ahead on VHF 10), and La Playita's AMP concession allows it to dispense fuel to vessels; both ask you to reserve. Details and tide windows are in boat ramps and fuel docks in Panama City.
Sea state by season
Panama has no hurricanes, but the Gulf of Panama has two very different moods.
Dry season (December to April). Northerly trade winds funnel across the isthmus. The crossing from Amador is a beam or quartering sea going out and often a wet, head-on slog coming back in the afternoon. The water is clearer and bluer in the islands and the northern anchorages at Contadora can be rolly; the south side of the island is more sheltered. This is the busy season for the islands and for charter boats.
Rainy season (May to November). Lighter S/SE winds, flatter seas, greener water, and a daily cycle of heat building into afternoon squalls with heavy rain, gusts and lightning. Leave early, be anchored by early afternoon, and watch the sky to the east. The north-side Contadora anchorages are better protected from swell in this season.
Anchorages: Contadora, Saboga, Chapera, Mogo Mogo
Contadora. The developed island, with an airstrip, hotels, restaurants, a couple of shops and the ferry pier. Anchorages ring the island: Playa Cacique on the west, Playa Suecas on the south side east of the airstrip (note this is the island's naturist beach), Playa Larga and Playa Galeón on the east and north. The north side has good holding and protection from swell in the rainy season; the south side is the dry-season choice when the wind is in the north. Expect other boats, generator noise and some floating debris.
Saboga. West of Contadora across a short channel. Playa El Deseo on the east side gives sandy holding, but rock lies under the sand in patches and the current from the north can run over 2 knots. Quieter than Contadora, with a village.
Chapera and Mogo Mogo. About 5 nm south, the pair of islands made famous by television. The south-east anchorage at Chapera has good sand but strong currents, especially mid-channel. Mogo Mogo has excellent sand holding and calm nights, with clear water and wildlife; winds can shift. Both get day-trip traffic on weekends.
Overnight options and security
A day trip works in a fast boat but is a long day. Better: an overnight at anchor off Contadora or Mogo Mogo, or a hotel night on Contadora with the boat anchored off. There is no marina with transient slips on Contadora.
Security needs saying plainly. Noonsite recorded two violent armed robberies of anchored yachts in the archipelago in early 2023 (Isla del Rey and near San Miguel) and an earlier one in 2018. The standing advice from cruising sources is not to anchor alone overnight in a remote spot; pick an anchorage with other boats, lock up, lift the dinghy and keep the VHF on. Contadora and Mogo Mogo on a weekend are busy and fine. A deserted cove on the south of Isla del Rey is a different proposition.
Paperwork for a domestic trip
Las Perlas is in Panamá province, the same province as the city, and a private Panamanian-registered boat going there and back is making a domestic recreational trip. The AMP's zarpe is the departure clearance for vessels leaving a port; whether the Capitanía de Puerto expects one for a weekend run to Contadora, and whether SENAN wants a passenger list, varies by office and by whether you are carrying paying guests. Cruisers on foreign flags with a Permiso de Navegación report inconsistent interpretation between port captains. Commercial charters should assume SENAN wants a manifest for every trip. Confirm with the AMP Capitanía de Puerto at Balboa and the SENAN station at Amador before your first run, and see marine offices and contacts for where they are.
The ferry alternative
If the boat is marginal on fuel or the forecast is poor, the ferry is a good answer. Sea Las Perlas (now trading as Ferry Pearl Islands) runs from the Brisas de Amador pier on the causeway to Contadora and Saboga, with a crossing of about 1 h 30 to 1 h 40; a second operator, Ferry Las Perlas, has run from the city shore. Schedules and prices change by season, so book on the operator's site. Many Panama City boat owners do exactly this: ferry out, boat stays home, golf cart on Contadora. For how the island trips compare with the shorter Taboga run, and what charter boats offer, see boat tours from Panama City.
Your practical starting checklist
- Work out total fuel: round trip 70 nm plus island miles plus 20% reserve. If it does not fit, take the ferry or plan an overnight.
- Fill at Flamenco or La Playita the day before; both want a reservation.
- Check the Amador tide table and the afternoon forecast; leave at first light.
- Leave the causeway to the east, keep clear of the ACP anchorage, and set course for the north side of Contadora.
- Choose the anchorage by season: north side in the rainy months, south side in dry-season northerlies.
- Anchor in sand with room for 5 m of tide and a current reversal; never overnight alone in a remote cove.
- Carry AMP registration, ARAP licence if fishing, and confirm zarpe/manifest expectations with the Capitanía and SENAN.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Contadora from Panama City by boat?
About 35 nautical miles from the Amador causeway to the north side of Contadora. That is around 1 h 30 in a fast centre console, 2 hours in a motor yacht at 18 knots, and most of a day in a sailing boat.
Is there a fuel dock in Las Perlas?
Not one you should rely on. Contadora has a small service station for the island, and fuel at Pearl Island (Pedro González) has to be arranged in advance and is tide-limited. Fill at Amador and carry the round trip plus a reserve.
Do I need a zarpe to go from Panama City to Las Perlas?
It is a domestic trip within Panamá province, and practice varies by office and by whether you carry paying passengers. Confirm with the AMP Capitanía de Puerto at Balboa and the SENAN station at Amador before your first trip; charters should expect SENAN to want a manifest.
¿Cómo llego a Isla Contadora desde la ciudad de Panamá?
En ferry desde el muelle de Brisas de Amador (Ferry Pearl Islands, antes Sea Las Perlas) en aproximadamente una hora y media, o en lancha o yate privado: unas 35 millas náuticas desde Amador, dos horas a 18 nudos. No hay muelle de combustible confiable en las islas; cargue en Amador.
When is the best season to go?
The rainy season (May to November) gives the flattest crossings and the best shelter on Contadora's north side, at the price of afternoon squalls. The dry season (December to April) is clearer and busier, with northerly wind that can make the trip home rough.
En español: ir a Las Perlas desde la ciudad de Panamá
Isla Contadora está a unas 35 millas náuticas de la Calzada de Amador. En un yate a 18 nudos son unas dos horas; en velero, casi todo el día. No hay estación de combustible confiable en el archipiélago, así que planifique el viaje de ida y vuelta más un 20 por ciento de reserva y cargue en Flamenco o La Playita antes de salir. En época lluviosa el mar está más tranquilo pero hay tormentas por la tarde; en época seca el viento norte levanta oleaje. La alternativa es el ferry desde Brisas de Amador a Contadora y Saboga.
The next question to answer
Pearl Islands anchorages island by island: Contadora, Pacheca, Mogo Mogo, Chapera, Saboga, Pedro González, San José, Isla del Rey. Holding, swell, tides. Read Las Perlas anchorages: Contadora, Saboga, Isla del Rey.
Panama's Pacific tide runs up to about 5.7 m on springs, the Caribbean under 0.6 m. How to read ACP tide tables and plan anchorages, ramps and channels. Read Panama Pacific tides and currents: planning for 5–6 m.
Where to fill before you leave, and the tide windows that matter. Read Boat ramps and fuel docks in Panama City.
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.
- Noonsite: Las Perlas anchorages (Contadora: Cacique, Suecas, Larga, Galeón; security reports) — secondary ↗
- Noonsite: Las Perlas general information and 2023 security incidents — secondary ↗
- noforeignland: Gulf of Panama anchorages (Mogo Mogo, Saboga, Chapera, Pearl Island fuel) — secondary ↗
- ACP: Tide tables (Amador) ↗
- AMP: Contratos de concesión vigentes (La Playita fuel dispensing authorised) ↗
- Angloinfo: Panama City ferries (Sea Las Perlas from Brisas de Amador; Ferry Las Perlas) — secondary ↗