Iguana Island

Iguana Island is located in the Pacific Ocean, at 7o37’06” northern latitude and 80o00’00” western longitude, in the eastern border of the Azuero Peninsula, 3 miles from the beach of Mariabé, District of Pedasí, Province of Los Santos, Republic of Panama.

Infraestructure

• Camping area: Beach El Cirial.
• Visitors Center.
• Nature Trail.
• Anchoring buoys at the Beach El Cirial and main sport diving sites.
• Access channels to the Beach El Cirial.

Important:

1. The best time to visit Iguana Island is May to December. During the dry season (December to April) strong northerly winds make navigation difficult to the island.
2. Bring food, garbage bags, life jackets and diving equipment from the mainland these services are not found at the island.
3. Admission Fee: Nationals = B/. 2.00; Foreigners = B/. 10.00(ANAM-Resolution AG0330-DE 2004 of August 10, 2004)

GENERAL INFORMATIONThis park is located in the Los Santos province. With a surface of 53 hectares (130 acres), it includes 9 Kilometers of beaches that are used by five different kinds of turtles for nesting between April and September. The park also includes one of the largest coral reefs of the Panamanian Gulf, 16 hectares (40 acres), and a white sand island called Iguana. This island is the habitat of many seabirds and marine species.
This park is visited every year by two kinds of whales, yubatas and humpbacks, which migrate from the cold waters of the polar areas to warmer waters in the tropics where they can mate.

How to get there From Panama City you can take a 35-minute a plane ride to Chitre in the province of Herrera. Then you will have to take a two-hour car trip to Pedasi in the province of Los Santos. Then you must get to the mouth of the river Pedasí and take a boat to Iguana Island. By car along the Pan-American Highway it will take you at least five hours from Panama City to Pedasí.

Services Pedasi town is the nearest one to the island to offer hotels, restaurants and boat rentals. From Panama you can contact a tour operator for a pre-arranged tour to Iguana Island. Additionally Chitré and Las Tablas (in the province of Los Santos), have all kind of tourist services like hotels, restaurants, car rentals and tourist guides.

What to do and Where to go? You can swim, dive and snorkel in the clear waters off the coast or of the island where you can see a very rich marine life that includes one of the most beautiful Pacific Ocean coral reefs. Also you can hike along the many trails that cross the island from East to West, connecting Cirial Beach with El Faro Beach where you can see many sea birds and of course, real huge iguanas after which the Island and the Wildlife Refuge was named.