Panamarina is a mooring-and-yard operation inside Portobelo National Park, about 2 nm west of Isla Linton toward Isla Grande on Panama's Caribbean coast. There are no docks: boats sit on screw-type moorings in 2–4 m of water, with a dinghy ride to the yard, restaurant and dry storage ashore. It is one of the cheapest places in Panama to leave a cruising boat, and the published rates are per foot per day.
Quick facts
| Coast | Caribbean |
|---|---|
| Location | Near Portobelo / Isla Grande |
| Berths | Moorings only, no docks |
| Depth | 2–4 m (Noonsite) |
| Fuel | No |
| Yard | Yes, plus dry storage |
| Liveaboard | On mooring or in yard |
| Website | panamarina.net |
Location and access
Panamarina lies on the mangrove-lined coast between Puerto Lindo and Isla Grande, in Colón province, inside the boundaries of Portobelo National Park. Noonsite places it about 2 nm west of Isla Linton. The entrance channel and mooring area carry 2 to 4 m, so deep-draft yachts should check their numbers before committing.
Call VHF 69 for a tender to guide you in or to pick you up from your mooring. Two white "stand-by" buoys in the middle of the anchorage are for arriving boats waiting to be shown a mooring. Staff are available Monday to Saturday, 8:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 17:00; there is no assistance on Sundays or outside those hours, so time your arrival.
By road you reach it from the Portobelo–Isla Grande road; it is a long drive from Panama City via Colón, and the marina publishes no transfer time, so confirm logistics with them. The website is in English, Spanish and French, and the operation has long been known among cruisers as a French-speaking outfit.
Moorings and who it suits
Despite the name, Panamarina has no slips. The marina area is a mooring field where each vessel is held by three or four screw-type anchor points. Moorings do not have water or power; you get those ashore or in the yard. The marina does not publish a mooring count.
It suits:
- Cruisers leaving a boat for a trip home or an overland journey through Central or South America, which is exactly what Noonsite says the long-term yard is used for.
- Budget sailors who want the lowest published rates on this coast and do not need a dock.
- DIY owners; the yard lets you do your own work or hire its team, and you can sleep aboard in the yard for free or rent a room.
It does not suit boats needing shore power at the berth, powerboats that fuel often, or anyone who wants to step off the boat onto a pontoon. Dry-stored boats have no power or water connected while out of the water.
Yard, storage and services
Boatyard: the marina says repairs are free of yard charges if you do the work yourself or with its staff (you pay the daily yard rate). Power in the yard is 110 V / 220 V with potable water. Services listed on the site include mast removal and rigging (masts up to 17 m), a paint booth that lets you paint without unstepping the mast, sail making, pressure washing and scraping, rudder removal and polisher and hose rental.
Dry storage: an enclosed, restricted area with 24-hour security and video surveillance for boats out of the water, with no power or water connected. A "boat visit with photos" service (US$5.61) lets absent owners check on the boat.
Fuel: none listed. Carry what you need or fuel at Linton Bay or Portobelo.
Ashore: a restaurant the marina calls the best in the region, laundry (wash or dry 15 kg for US$3.74), rooms, and organised activities. Noonsite's older cruiser notes mention cold showers and mosquitoes near the mangroves; bring screens.
Charter pickup and rules
Panamarina is a cruiser facility, not a charter base, and the dinghy-only access makes guest pickups impractical. Charter catamarans for Guna Yala usually board at Linton Bay instead. The site is inside a national park run by the Ministerio de Ambiente (MiAmbiente), so follow the marina's rules on waste and bottom work; ask the office what is permitted in the yard.
Costs and how to contact the marina
Panamarina publishes its tariff. All figures are US dollars per foot per day and exclude the 7% ITBMS tax. Rates fall the longer you stay:
| Stay | Monohull | Multihull |
|---|---|---|
| Mooring, 1–7 days | $0.44 | $0.51 |
| Mooring, 30–180 days | $0.32 | $0.39 |
| Mooring, over 181 days | $0.29 | $0.34 |
| Dry storage, 1–90 days | $0.39 | $0.54 |
| Dry storage, over 181 days | $0.32 | $0.47 |
| Boatyard (working), per day | $0.52 | $0.68 |
| Haul out and launch, per foot | $10.03 | $12.54 |
Daily minimums apply (US$10.29 monohull / US$12.44 multihull on a mooring). Electricity in the yard is US$1.50 a day, or US$3.00 with air conditioning; water is US$0.03 per litre. Example: a 40 ft monohull on a mooring for six months costs about US$0.32 × 40 × 180 = US$2,300 plus tax, before water or launch. Rates change, so confirm the current sheet before you budget.
Contact: [email protected] · +507 6005-8879 · VHF 69 · Monday to Saturday 8:00–12:00 and 14:00–17:00 · panamarina.net.
Nearby waters
Isla Grande, a weekend island for Panama City, is just east. Portobelo's historic harbour and anchorage is to the west, and beyond it the canal and Shelter Bay. East of Isla Linton the coast runs to Guna Yala, the main cruising ground; see cruising grounds. Northerly swell arrives December to March; the mangrove setting is protected but the coastal passages are not. Noonsite reports dinghy and outboard theft along this whole coast, including from unoccupied moorings, so lift and lock the dinghy and consider the dry-storage yard if you will be away long.
Your practical starting checklist
- Email [email protected] with your LOA, draft, hull type and the dates and type of stay (mooring, yard or dry storage).
- Check your draft against the 2–4 m channel and mooring depths.
- Arrive Monday to Saturday in working hours and call VHF 69 for the tender; pick up a white stand-by buoy if nobody answers.
- Agree the yard rate, haul-out date and whether you will do your own work before the boat comes out.
- If leaving the boat, book the photo-visit service and leave a local contact and spare keys with the office.
Frequently asked questions
Does Panamarina have docks?
No. It is a mooring field with screw-type moorings and a yard ashore. You get to and from the boat by dinghy or the marina tender on VHF 69.
How much does a mooring at Panamarina cost?
From US$0.44 per foot per day for a monohull on short stays down to US$0.29 for stays over 181 days, plus 7% tax. Multihulls pay more.
Can I leave my boat at Panamarina for a year?
Yes, on a mooring or in the fenced dry-storage area with 24-hour security and cameras. Panama has no hurricane season to worry about.
Is there fuel or power on the moorings?
No fuel is listed and the moorings have no water or electricity. Power and water are available in the yard.
How do I get to Panamarina from Panama City?
By road via Colón, Portobelo and the Isla Grande road. The marina does not publish a transfer time; ask them to recommend a driver.
The next question to answer
Panama's Caribbean coast by boat: Shelter Bay, Portobelo, Linton, Isla Grande, San Blas and Bocas del Toro. Winter trades and swell, reefs, fuel, security. Read Cruising Panama's Caribbean coast: Colón to San Blas.
San Blas by boat: the Guna Congreso cruising fee (paid at Porvenir), per-island anchoring fees, no scuba, no taking coconuts, lobster closures, etiquette. Read San Blas (Guna Yala) by boat: permits, fees and rules.
Every marina, anchorage and yard that matters, both coasts. Read Marinas in Panama.
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.
- Panamarina (official site) ↗
- Panamarina: prices ↗
- Noonsite: Puerto Lindo docking (Panamarina section) ↗