Contadora Island facts for kids
Isla Contadora (which means Contadora Island in English) is a beautiful island in Panama. It's part of the Pearl Islands (called Archipielago de las Perlas in Spanish) in the Gulf of Panama. The island is about 1.39 square kilometers, making it the 11th largest island in the group. About 253 people lived there in 2000, making it the third most populated island after Isla del Rey and Isla Taboga. Contadora is a popular place for tourists. It has a small airport (IATA code: OTD) with regular flights to and from Panama City and other islands nearby.
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History of Contadora Island
Contadora Island got its name because it was the place where the Spanish used to count the pearls. These pearls were collected from the other islands in the archipelago. The name "Contadora" means "the one that counts" in Spanish. For many years, people gathered pearls of different colors and sizes from the waters around the islands. The local people would come to Contadora to count their pearls and sell them to the Spanish. Later, an underwater sickness affected most of the pearl oysters, which greatly reduced the number of pearls found.
In 1980, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was the former leader (called a shah) of Iran and was living away from his home country, stayed on Contadora for a short time.
The Contadora Peace Accords were important agreements that helped bring peace to Central America. These talks happened on Contadora Island during the 1980s. Because of this, the group that worked on these agreements was named the Contadora Group.
Tourism on Contadora Island
Contadora is becoming a popular place for tourists. People love it because it feels far away from busy cities and has quiet, beautiful beaches. There are two main hotels on the island, Villa Romanica and Perla Real. Many visitors also like to rent private villas on the northeast side of the island. These villas offer more privacy and often have access to a private beach.
You can find several local restaurants on the island that offer different kinds of food. Restaurante Geraldo's and Casa Tortuga serve Italian dishes. If you want to try local Latin American food, Restaurante Clarita is a good choice.
On the main street on the northeast side of the island, near the airport runway, there are several tourist shops. Here, you can buy local jewelry and souvenirs. These shops also offer tours for boating, scuba diving, and snorkeling. Contadora Island has also been a filming location for the TV show Survivor three times. Many of the show's crew and directors stayed on the island during filming.
Geography and Nature
Contadora Island has many beautiful beaches, including Playa Larga, Playa Galeón, Playa Canoa, Playa Caracol, Playa Lucas, Playa Roca, Playa Camarón, Playa Cacique, and Playa de las Suecas. All these beaches have soft white sand and clear turquoise water, similar to what you might see in the Caribbean.
The ocean around the island is full of colorful coral reefs and lots of sea life. You can spot fish like clownfish, angelfish, butterfly fish, red snapper, mahi-mahi, parrotfish, stingrays, and even harmless nurse sharks. The island doesn't have tall mountains, but it does have small hills, which make some roads on the northeast side quite steep. Because of this, tourists often choose to get around the island using motorcycles, golf carts, or scooters.
Contadora's main source of fresh water comes from a small lake called El Largo, located on the northwest side of the island. Most of the island is covered by rainforest. In these forests, you can find many animals, such as iguanas, geckos, monkeys, snakes, and even some deer that were brought to the island.
People of Contadora Island
Contadora Island has a small population of about 115 people. Most of the people living there are native Panamanians. However, some very wealthy people also own summer homes on the island. When Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was no longer the leader of Iran, he spent a lot of his money buying property on Contadora. Over time, some of the rich people left the island, and now some of their homes are rented out to tourists.
There is a small school on the island where several children attend. However, most of the island's daily life is focused on tourism. This means that most local people work in jobs that help visitors.
See also
In Spanish: Isla Contadora para niños
