Panama protects more than half of its waters. The Ministerio de Ambiente (MiAmbiente) runs most marine parks and refuges, including Coiba, Isla Bastimentos, Golfo de Chiriquí, Portobelo and Isla Iguana. ARAP manages fishing zones such as Las Perlas. You can usually visit, but expect an entry fee, no anchoring on coral, no collecting, and limits on fishing.
How Panama's marine protection works
Protected areas belong to the Sistema Nacional de Áreas Protegidas (SINAP), which MiAmbiente runs. Each area has a category, such as national park, wildlife refuge (refugio de vida silvestre), managed resources area or protected landscape. Each has its own management plan, which sets the zones, uses and fees.
The Autoridad de los Recursos Acuáticos de Panamá (ARAP) adds fisheries zones. The main one is the Las Perlas Special Marine-Coastal Management Zone (Ley 18 of 2007). Panama's six Ramsar wetlands, the Guna Yala comarca's own rules and the canal waters run by the ACP sit on top of that.
The headline number is large. The Cordillera de Coiba area on the Pacific was expanded in 2021, and Banco Volcán in the Caribbean in 2023. Together they lifted protection to more than 54% of Panama's waters, according to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), which helped design both.
The marine areas boaters actually visit
| Area | Coast and type | What it means on the boat |
|---|---|---|
| Coiba National Park | Pacific, Veraguas; 1991, Ley 44 of 2004; UNESCO site | Pay in advance, register at Gambute, fishing only in authorized zones. See Coiba by boat. |
| Golfo de Chiriquí National Marine Park | Pacific, Chiriquí; 1994 | Islands off Boca Chica. Entry fee, park rules on anchoring and fishing. |
| Archipiélago de Las Perlas | Pacific; ARAP management zone, 2007 | No nets, sharks, rays or turtles; lobster closed 1 Dec–15 Apr; Saboga refuge (2024). See Las Perlas anchorages. |
| Humedal Bahía de Panamá | Pacific; Ramsar 2003, refuge 2009 | Mudflats and mangroves east of the city. Slow down, keep clear of the shorebirds. |
| Isla Iguana Wildlife Refuge | Pacific, off Pedasí; 1981 | Pay online before you land; capacity is limited. |
| Isla de Cañas Wildlife Refuge | Pacific, Los Santos; 1994 | A turtle-nesting beach. No lights or disturbance at night. |
| Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park | Caribbean, Bocas del Toro; 1988 | Includes Cayos Zapatilla. Entry fee, reef and turtle rules. |
| Portobelo National Park | Caribbean, Colón; 1976 | Covers the bay and coast near Portobelo and the cruiser marinas. Reef anchoring rules. |
| Cordillera de Coiba and Banco Volcán | Pacific and far-offshore Caribbean; 2015, expanded 2021 and 2023 | Huge offshore managed resources areas aimed at fishing and extraction. Check fishing rules before you fish there. |
You may pass smaller areas too. The Isla de Taboga y Urabá wildlife refuge (1984) is on the most popular day trip from the city. Isla Galeta protected landscape (1997) is near Colón. The Isla Escudo de Veraguas–Degó protected landscape (2009) lies off the Ngäbe-Buglé coast. The Hannibal Bank and Isla Montuosa protection zone is west of Coiba. The same basic rules apply in all of them, and on a chart they are easy to miss.
Rules that apply in every protected area
- Pay and register. Entry fees are paid through MiAmbiente's online page, Pagos de admisión de áreas protegidas, which has categories for marine areas, land areas and Coiba. Keep the electronic receipt to show rangers.
- No anchoring on coral, anywhere in Panama, under Ley 304 of 2022. Use a mooring where one is provided, or drop in sand.
- Take nothing. Collecting coral, shells, plants or reef fish, dumping rubbish and introducing outside species are all banned. Visitors must take their own waste out.
- Turtles and cetaceans are protected everywhere: Ley 371 of 2023 for turtles, and Resolución DM-0144-2022 for whales and dolphins.
- Fishing depends on the area's plan and on ARAP's rules. Never assume a park is open to fishing.
For the habitats themselves, read mangroves and seagrass and reef protection in San Blas and Portobelo.
What entry costs
MiAmbiente hasn't published one national list of fees, and the amounts change by resolution. Here is what we could confirm:
- Isla Iguana: B/.10 for foreign visitors and B/.4 for nationals and residents, under Resolución DM-0013-2024, paid online since January 2025.
- Isla Bastimentos and other marine areas: a 2022 press report put the foreign visitor fee at US$20. Confirm the current amount with MiAmbiente.
- Coiba: fees come from a 2008 resolution. We haven't found a current schedule. Confirm with MiAmbiente.
A charter operator usually pays the fees for its guests. On your own boat, you pay per person before you arrive.
Guna Yala, Ramsar wetlands and the canal
Guna Yala (San Blas) isn't a MiAmbiente marine park, but the Congreso General Guna has its own stricter rules: a cruising fee, no scuba diving, no fishing and no taking coconuts. See San Blas cruising permits and fees.
Panama's Ramsar wetlands with mangroves are Bahía de Panamá, Golfo de Montijo near Coiba, Punta Patiño in Darién, Damani-Guariviara, San San Pond Sak in Bocas (made a national park in 2025) and Matusagaratí. In each one, go slow and don't cut or tie into the mangroves.
Canal waters are a separate system. The ACP controls them for shipping, not conservation.
Your practical starting checklist
- Check on a chart whether your destination is inside a park, refuge or management zone.
- Pay the entry fee for everyone aboard on MiAmbiente's online page before you go, and keep the receipt.
- Read the area's rules for anchoring, landing and fishing; ask the ranger station if unsure.
- Anchor in sand or use a mooring; never drop the anchor on coral.
- Keep distances from whales, dolphins and turtles, and take all rubbish home.
Frequently asked questions
How much of Panama's sea is protected?
More than 54%, after Banco Volcán was expanded in 2023, according to STRI. Most of that is offshore managed resources areas rather than parks with rangers.
Do I pay to anchor in a Panamanian marine park?
You pay an entry fee per person to MiAmbiente, online and in advance. Charges per boat or per mooring vary by area, so confirm them with MiAmbiente.
Can I fish in Panama's marine protected areas?
Only where the area's management plan allows it, and with ARAP's licences. Coiba, Bastimentos and most refuges are largely closed to fishing. Las Perlas allows fishing under ARAP's gear bans and closed seasons.
Is San Blas a national park?
No. Guna Yala is an indigenous comarca governed by the Congreso General Guna. Its own rules on fees, diving and fishing apply instead of a MiAmbiente park plan.
En español: áreas protegidas marinas de Panamá
Las áreas marinas protegidas forman parte del Sistema Nacional de Áreas Protegidas (SINAP), administrado por el Ministerio de Ambiente. Las principales para navegantes son el Parque Nacional Coiba, el Parque Nacional Marino Golfo de Chiriquí, el Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentos, el Parque Nacional Portobelo, los refugios de vida silvestre Isla Iguana e Isla de Cañas, y el Humedal Bahía de Panamá. La ARAP maneja la Zona Especial de Manejo Marino-Costera del Archipiélago de Las Perlas. La entrada se paga en línea en miambiente.gob.pa. Está prohibido fondear sobre arrecifes de coral (Ley 304 de 2022) y extraer corales, conchas o fauna.
The next question to answer
Permits, check-in, anchorages and fishing zones. Read Coiba National Park by boat.
ARAP's rules and the closed seasons on both coasts. Read Fishing licences and seasons.
How to run a boat around Panama's protected wildlife. Read Turtles, dolphins and rays.
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.
- MiAmbiente via INEC: surface area of protected areas by year of creation and category (Cuadro 33) ↗
- Ley 18 of 2007, Las Perlas Special Marine-Coastal Management Zone (Justia copy) ↗
- Smithsonian (STRI): Panama expands Banco Volcán to protect more than 54% of its oceans, Mar 2023 ↗
- TVN: Isla Iguana online payment and fees (Resolución DM-0013-2024), Jan 2025 (secondary, press) ↗
- Panamá América: Ley 304 of 2022 coral reef prohibitions, incl. anchoring (secondary, press) ↗
- Panamá América: protected-area fee changes incl. Bastimentos and Isla Iguana, Feb 2022 (secondary, press) ↗