The following Article is one of a series written by a Dutch woman who came to Panama to be an Au Pair for a Dutch family. She met and fell in love with a Panamanian, and hasn`t looked back.....
You can go swimming, dive and snorkel in the clear waters of Isla Iguana. Here you will see an area rich in marine life, and one of the most beautiful coral reefs in the Pacific Ocean.
The principle beach is Playa El Cirial, where you get out of the boat. There are some rules that you must follow if you want to spend time on the island, however. For example - there is no alcohol allowed; you can t touch the coral, animals or plants; you must avoid standing in the water as you can crush the coral [it takes at least 7 years for coral to grow] ; and you must not leave trash on the Island.
Once you arrive on the island you will be welcomed by someone that works for ANAM, the Panamanian environmental authority. He takes care of the island and lives there in a little house on the beach. You pay a small fee, and you have to write your information down in a guest book. This way, ANAM can keep track of the amount of visitors that come every day. The maximum amount of visitors is 300 people per day. Luckily, we went in a group of four and we were the only visitors for the whole day, which allowed us to experience a tranquil stay.
You can hear the birds, the little jungle animals, and iguanas running through the bushes...the ocean in all it s glory, waves breaking against the rocks?and of course you will experience the beautiful view from the beach. Hiding from the sun under the palm trees, looking out over a stunning white-sand beach dotted with pieces of coral, to the crystal clear turquoise water. Paradise.
On the island you will also find a hut with a palm-thatched roof where you can hide from the sun or take cover in the case of rain. There is even an area where you are allowed to camp overnight and another small building where you can find information about the island and its inhabitants.
You can hike along any one of the three trails that cross the island from East to West - connecting Playa El Cirial with Playa El Faro - where you can see many sea birds and, of course, the iguanas [after which the island and the Wildlife Refuge have been named] sunbathing on the warm rocks. This side of the island has impressive rock formations and, as unusual as it seems, cactus plants grow between them. It is such an amazing landscape that you can just sit there for hours and watch the waves crash against the rocks, amused by the activity of the many birds and animals around you.
The magnificent Frigatebird [ fregata magnificens] is the most common bird on the island. Its colony consists of more than 5000 individuals. The male blows up his red chest if he wants to impress a female. They reproduce at the end of the rainy season and lay one egg per year. The chick hatches in January when the parents take advantage of the abundance fishing this time of year. After 11 months, the parents abandon the chick and it will start taking care of itself. This bird is also called "Pirate of the Sky" as it often attacks other birds to steal their fish.
Some other birds on the island are Pelicans. They nest very little on the island itself, but are very common to see, especially during the mating season, which starts in January. Of course there are many, many other birds to write about, but then I will have written a book about birds!
Other inhabitants of the island include: the black iguana, the green iguana, boa constrictors; a little, black, red-faced lizard and, of course, crabs and other creatures that come onshore seeking shade.
The island is rich in vegetation: Spine palms, the usual tropical palm trees, the "Panama tree", banana trees and a rich assortment of tropical flowers are all there. Thankfully the island has recovered very well from the bombings it suffered from the North American Army back in World War II. Then, they used the island for target? practice, which totally destroyed its wildlife, vegetation and killed all of the coral and fish in the surrounding area. More than 90% recovered in a period of eight years, however, you can still see some reminders, including a big bomb crater which is now filled with rain water.
Using the local
pangas, fishermen from the nearby town of Pedasi take you to the island, charging around $45 per boat. So, the more people that are on the boat, the cheaper it is. Take a taxi to Playa Arenal and you will always find somebody to take you to the Island.
Be aware that there is no such thing as a restaurant or a shop to buy refreshments on the island. Make sure you pack well for your day trip, with enough water and food to eat. Although it s just a 15-minute boat ride, the boats don’t have a roof so it s a good idea to wear a hat and put on sunscreen. Last, but not least, take a garbage bag to collect all your trash.
A tropical beach and wildlife paradise, this Island? Isla Iguana? is definitely worth a visit.
Think Panama!
If you are interested in visiting Isla Iguana or the nearby Pedasi, contact
Douglas M. Choy at
ThinkPanama.com. They will provide any guidance and information you may need.
