Pearl Islands
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Pearl Islands (or Archipiélago de las Perlas in Spanish) is a group of islands on the Pacific side of Panama in the Gulf of Panama. The most notable of which is Isla Contadora, known for its resorts.
Contadora was said to be used by the Spanish conquistadors as a stop for taking inventory of booty prior to returning to Spain, hence the name ("contador" means counter or bookkeeper in Spanish).
Contadora is a resort island, with many homes owned by wealthy Panamanians. There is a large hotel and other cabins available. Most of the resort workers live on nearby Isla Saboga.
In 1979, the Shah of Iran briefly took exhile on Isla Contadora.
A small commuter airline, Aero Perlas, frequently runs flights between Panama City and Contadora.
The largest island is Isla del Rey, "Island of the King", probably more a religious reference than to a secular king. There are several towns, most notably San Miguel. It is easily larger than the other Pearl Islands combined, and is the second largest island in Panama, after Coiba.
The Pearl Islands were featured in three seasons of the reality TV program Survivor, Survivor: Pearl Islands, Survivor: All-Stars and Survivor: Panama.
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