Even though we’ve been in the Islas las Perlas for several months now there are still many islands we haven’t visited yet. It’s only 15NM to Isla del Rey, the largest island in the group, and we decided it was time for a circumnavigation before the wet season sets in and the southerly swell really gets going. The west side of the island has miles of spectacular white sand beaches but is shoal with virtually nowhere deep enough to anchor so we headed for the east side where there are plenty of islands to tuck in (there’s a handy map at the end of the blog!).

The dry season here is known for it’s strong northerly winds but as we head towards the wet season these have become patchy and unreliable. Unfortunately the forecast was for a week of light winds and we motorsailed from Contadora to Isla Espiritu Santo where we anchored the first night then moved down to Isla Cañas the next day. We anchored on the south side of the island where friends had reported seeing a large crocodile the previous week, so no swimming for us. We explored the channel between I. Cañas and Isla del Rey in the dinghy but decided it was too shallow to enter with Distant Drummer.

Isla San Telmo is a nature reserve, easily spotted as most of the trees are white with guano and there is a strong fishy odour hanging over the island. We anchored on the north side and went ashore to explore a myserious submarine which emerges on the at low tide. It is the wreck of the Sub Marine Explorer built in New York in 1865 and shipped to Panama to collect oysters and pearls for the Pacific Pearl Company. Apparently the submarine was abandoned in 1869 when the crew died from the bends and it is one of only five “diving machines” that have survived from that time. It’s amazing what you find on the beach in Panama!

The next day we sailed to the rivermouth at Rio Cacique which is supposed to have a good shore break but there wasn’t enough swell to make it happen. At high tide we took the dinghy across the sand bar into the river and drove up through the mangroves, looking out for crocs and disturbing great white egrets from their roosts the trees. The Las Perlas archipelago is home to the largest breeding colony of cormorants in Panama and at low tide we found the beach was crowded in them; standing in groups  gossiping or preening, often with their wings spread out to dry.

We were looking forward to visiting Isla San Jose where the Hacienda del Mar welcomes yachties. We tied up at one of their moorings and dinghied ashore to wallow in a bit of luxury; a couple of glasses of cold white wine and a soak in the infinity pool soon put us right. The resort is home to a flock of yellow and blue macaws and we enjoyed seeing pairs flying overhead screeching and squawking. In the late afternoon they roosted in the trees around the resort and we could watch their antics from the pool.

The east bay of Isla Pedro Gonzalez is one of my favorite anchorages and we stopped there on the way back to Contadora. The cove is sheltered from the swell, fringed with a gorgeous white sand beach and has a beach shelter which is a beautiful spot to do some yoga. The only downside is the ugly resort built by Ritz Carlton on the north side of the bay, the unfinished buildings stand out like skeletons on the skyline.

Over Easter we returned to Panama City with a view to hauling Distant Drummer out of the water, mainly as a requirement from our insurance company. We planned to use the trailer at Balboa Yacht Club but unfortunately it was closed for repair and will not be fixed until the end of May. I guess things take time in Panama! Nonetheless we enjoyed being back in the City; we spent an evening in Casco Viejo starting with a cocktail at our favorite rum bar, then ate at a tapas restaurant and ended up dancing on a rooftop bar enjoying a wonderful view over the old city . . . ¡muy divertido!

Now we are back at Contadora and have been hosting a few more BnB guests. Many of the islands in the las Perlas group have been used for filming various survival type TV shows including Bear Gryll’s The Island and several series of Survivor. We often take our guests to Isla Mogo Mogo for a day tour or to anchor out overnight. It’s fun showing them the shelters, fire pits and various props that remain scattered around the island and having a beach bonfire at sunset. Sadly several of the sites have been damaged recently by local fishermen, which is a shame.

More soon

Suzy