Just a 15 minute plane ride from Panama City, Contadora Island is a great escape with white sand beaches and calm blue waters. Contadora is also a good base for exploring the neighboring islands. Some of the activities include whale watching, snorkeling, kayaking and touring around the island by scooter. Contadora has an interesting history. In the days of the pirates, the island was used to store and count gold (hence the name) and later, in the 1960s, it became the place for Panamanian and international holiday homes, which can still be seen today lining the shore of the island.

Home to the Mogollon Tribe, the Casa Malpais Ruins are also a national historic landmark. Acting as a shadowbox for the Mogollon, Sinagua, Anasazi, and Hohokam tribes, the Ruins possess a history spanning 50,000 years (when the 16-acre pueblo was constructed over lava flows). Casa Malpais served as home to the various tribes between 1100 and 1400 A.D. Guided tours are available for your exploration.

Boquete is located in a beautiful valley with rocky mountain rivers and scenic views and has a growing expat community of people who just fell in love with the town and decided to move here. Boquete is home to multiple coffee plantations, a good selection of restaurants serving different cuisines, a place to practice outdoor activities that range from scenic tours in ATV vehicles to rock climbing, mountain biking, canopy zip-lining, horseback riding, golf, bird watching, hot springs and much more. Boquete’s spring-like weather is optimal year-round and the town has been appointed one of the top retirement communities in the world offering a great quality of life.

This natural reserve covers an area of 57 square kilometres in the north of the island and is home to species ranging from flamingos to iguanas and sea turtles, not to mention the distinctive flora including several species of cacti. The visitor centre at the entrance houses a museum and is the starting point of hiking trails throughout the park.