Islands of Panama
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Written by one of the leading experts on real estate and relocation issues in Panama, the Panama 101 – E-Book Guide To Living and Investing in Panama, 2009 Edition gives you the critical information you need to make educated lifestyle and investment decisions. Over 140 pages packed with detailed, insider knowledge that took years to acquire… can be yours in a matter of minutes. Preview the E-book, click here! |
Dear Panama E-Letter Subscribers:
Islands of PanamaBy Matt Atlee
Buying an island in Panama has always been an attractive idea though one fraught with difficulty and danger. The principle danger is whether or not as a foreigner you can legally buy an island with legal title. It’s never been clear to me whether as a foreigner you can buy an island or not in Panama. A few foreigners have been able to buy more than one island, for example, Michael Klein, who was tragically killed in an airplane accident two years ago, bought Isla Secas, near Coiba Island, which he turned into an exclusive eco-friendly resort. Visit the site. John Carlson a long time Panamanian investor was also able to buy a number of small islands near Contadora. The German firm of Boehm & Vladi Private Islands lists Panamanian islands for sale on its web site. And John Wayne owned an island in Panama back in the 1960s. There are number of other private islands around Panama: on both the Caribbean and Pacific. So it seems as though anyone can buy an island in Panama if they have the right connections. Most islands and island property are sold as “right of possession” property not “titled” property. Right of possession is a tricky form of ownership and disputes have often ended with uninformed individuals losing rights or ownership of their property. In other cases, they discover the rights were never transferred properly in the first place or never really belonged to the person who sold them the rights. If you want a complete report on right of possession vs. titled property and other real estate related issues, you might want to check out the Panama 101 – E-Book. Until recently Panama’s offshore islands were for the most part undiscovered. Only people with yachts knew where these remote tropical paradises were located. The average tourist to Panama visited the Pearl Islands – and then only Isla Contadora or Isla San José islands, the only two islands in the Pearls that are developed for tourism. Today, Contadora is still a popular choice for tourists and expats, but there are islands in the Pearls such as Isla Viveros and Isla Saboga that are being developed for tourism and expat living. If you are looking to escape the outside world you couldn’t do much better than searching the Pearl Islands for a remote private island.
The small town on Taboga is quaint and is a popular place to go to get away from the hustle and bustle of Panama City. Taboga is dotted with all kinds of colonial homes that are for sale. If you wanted to renovate an old Spanish colonial home in Latin America this might be the island for you. Another popular island in Panama is Isla Grande which is located on the Caribbean side of Panama just beyond the town of Portobello. The island has a very local feel and there is a large population living on the island because the island has freshwater. There are a few small beaches on the island but most of the beaches have eroded because of so much building. The most private hotel on Isla Grande is called Bananas; it is located on the opposite side of the island from where the main town is situated. In the town of Isla Grande there are a number of small hotels that are reasonably priced; the best are Hotel Cholita and Hotel Mayor. There is a tiny nightlife on Isla Grande, but don’t expect casinos, money machines and tons of restaurants. Most visitors find the island very rustic. A very remote island is Isla Pinos which is located in the San Blas Islands not far from the border of Colombia. There are no hotels here. Most people who visit Isla Pinos sleep on their boat or yacht. The old Panama Scottish colony (1699-1703) is not far away and the islands approaching the colony have Scottish names like Caledonia. If you want adventure and want to explore more remote islands start with Isla Pinos; beyond Isla Pinos and further out to sea there are some truly wonderful and deserted islands. Perhaps the most beautiful island in Panama is Coiba. Isla Coiba is located in the Pacific and has some of the most spectacular underwater marine life you’ll ever encounter. The island has always been very isolated and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are several islands in Bocas Del Toro, also on Panama’s Caribbean side. The main island in Bocas is Isla Colon. Isla Colon has plenty of hotels and restaurants; it is one of the most developed areas of Panama for tourism and has an airport to receive flights from Panama City and David. You can catch a boat from Isla Colon out to the Zapatillas Islands. This is an excellent place to scuba dive. Coral Cay is a good place to stop on your way to the Zapatillas Islands. Bocas has become much more developed over the last ten years. The real estate rush/boom in Bocas led to a massive amount of building. But still the area has lots of natural beauty. There are tons of other offshore islands sitting quietly off the coast of Panama. They periodically attract investors who sometimes buy an island. I imagine owning an island and developing it for tourism or as a private retreat would take lots of work, time and money. But if you have the money and want to escape the outside world, then buying a private island in Panama might be the right thing to do. Written By Matt Atlee Panama Lifestyle Discovery Tour** 2009 Panama Lifestyle Discovery Tour Advertise Your Property |
Another island that is much closer to Panama City than the Pearl Islands is Isla Taboga. Taboga is visible from Panama City.