Panama
ESMy trip
Low sun over a bay, with the coast and vegetation in silhouette.

Panama · Azuero Peninsula: Pedasí, Las Tablas & Chitré

Islands, whales and turtles

Azuero's marine life depends on the season: whales from July to October and turtle arribadas from July to December. Isla Iguana is open year-round, with online payment to MiAmbiente in advance.

5 places

  1. 1

    WildlifeOpen

    Isla Iguana Wildlife Refuge

    Gulf of Panama, off the Pedasí coast (Los Santos). Reached only by boat from Playa El Arenal.11.4 km from the centre

    Entry
    Foreign visitor B/.10
    Hours
    Not confirmed
    Booking
    Not stated

    Island off Pedasí with white-sand beaches, dry forest and coral reefs. It is a MiAmbiente protected area: you pay the entry fee online and alcohol is not allowed.

    Source: MiAMBIENTE insta a cumplir con los requisitos para visitar el Refugio de Vida Silvestre Isla Iguana – MiAmbiente · 2025 · +7

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Entry according to MiAmbiente (notice of 30 Jan 2025, Resolution DM-0013-2024): foreigners B/.10; nationals and residents under 57 (women) or 62 (men) B/.4; B/.2 for national students, university and foreign students, and for national retirees, pensioners, national and foreign seniors and older residents. Next to the national-student fee, the notice says that minors up to 12 do not pay. The boat from El Arenal is extra: US$15–25 per person depending on group size (The Lost and Found hostel blog, March 2026).
    Hours
    Fixed hours not confirmed by an official source at the time of review; the press reports access usually ends around 3:00 or 4:00 p.m. depending on the season (2025).
    Booking
    Mandatory online payment: the 'Pago de admisión áreas protegidas' menu on miambiente.gob.pa leads to the reservasap.miambiente.gob.pa portal (checked October 2026). In January 2025 MiAmbiente stated payment by Clave card, Visa or Mastercard; check the accepted methods when paying. Show the e-receipt to the ranger. In January 2025 MiAmbiente announced permanent staff and a satellite connection (Starlink) at the SINAPROC checkpoint on Playa El Arenal to make it easier to pay before departure; check that it is still available. The island has a limited daily capacity (MiAmbiente, 2025).
    Time needed
    About 20–25 minutes by boat from El Arenal and 3–4 hours on the island (The Lost and Found hostel blog, March 2026).

    Tip: Bring water and food: nothing is sold on the island. Rangers check coolers to keep alcohol out. MiAmbiente closes access in strong winds and rough seas, as in November 2024.

    Nearby: Playa El Arenal (Pedasí) (8.1 km) · Humpback whale watching from Pedasí (8.1 km) · Playa El Toro (11 km)

    Sources: MiAMBIENTE insta a cumplir con los requisitos para visitar el Refugio de Vida Silvestre Isla Iguana – MiAmbiente · MiAmbiente recuerda que para visitar isla Iguana se debe realizar un pago en línea – TVN · Realizan mejoras y establecen plan de acción inmediato para impulsar el turismo sostenible en Isla Iguana, Pedasí – MiAmbiente · Isla Iguana: el desafío del turismo sostenible – Panamá América · Más de 400 visitantes ingresaron al Refugio de Vida Silvestre Isla Iguana – Telemetro · MiAmbiente informa sobre cierre temporal de Isla Iguana – Telemetro · The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Isla Iguana from Pedasí – The Lost and Found Jungle Hostel · Sistema de Reserva de Áreas Protegidas – MiAmbiente

    Find tours
  2. 2

    WildlifeSeasonal

    Humpback whale watching from Pedasí

    Departures from Playa El Arenal, Pedasí.3.3 km from the centre

    Entry
    Not confirmed
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    Every year humpback whales reach Panama's warm Pacific waters to mate and give birth. Boats leave Playa El Arenal for the Isla Iguana area to see them.

    Whale season runs from July to October (Visit Panamá); September is usually the best month on Panama's Pacific coast (Visit Panamá), with the peak from August to October (Panamá América, 2025). Out of season, visit Isla Iguana to snorkel.

    Source: Temporada de ballenas jorobadas y arribadas de tortugas – Panamá América · 2025 · +4

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Trip price not confirmed by an official source at the time of review.
    Booking
    With trained boat captains at Playa El Arenal (Panamá América, 2025). If the trip lands on Isla Iguana, you also pay MiAmbiente's online entry fee.

    Tip: MiAmbiente rules: at least 250 m from whales and 100 m from dolphins; at most 30 minutes with the same group and 15 if there is a calf; maximum speed 4 knots; engine in neutral while watching. Swimming, snorkeling or diving with them is banned. In August 2026 MiAmbiente opened an investigation over a video of someone swimming next to a whale.

    Nearby: Playa El Arenal (Pedasí) (0 km) · Pedasí town (3.3 km) · Playa El Toro (3.7 km)

    Sources: Temporada de ballenas jorobadas y arribadas de tortugas – Panamá América · Pedasi, Venao & Cambutal – Visit Panamá (ATP) · ¿Qué debo tomar en cuenta durante el avistamiento de cetáceos? – MiAmbiente · ¿Se puede nadar cerca de una ballena? MiAmbiente advierte sobre las reglas de avistamiento – Telemetro · Pedasí – Air Panama

    Find tours
  3. 3

    WildlifeSeasonal

    Isla Cañas: olive ridley turtle arribadas

    Tonosí district (Los Santos). You cross the mangrove by boat from the Sigua dock or from Cañas village on the mainland.36 km from the centre

    Entry
    Not confirmed
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    Wildlife refuge where thousands of olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) come ashore to nest at once. It is one of Panama's two arribada beaches, along with La Marinera. The community asked that all turtle-watching guides be islanders.

    Turtles nest from July to December, with mass arribadas mostly from September to November (press, 2025–2026). Night tours run until 15 December according to the operator Libélulas, whose page gives two different start dates (1 or 15 July): confirm the dates with the operator. The rest of the year there are daytime mangrove trips.

    Source: Temporada de ballenas jorobadas y arribadas de tortugas – Panamá América · 2025 · +6

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Official entry and tour fees not confirmed by an official source at the time of review.
    Booking
    With guides from the Isla Cañas community. The night tour described by the Libélulas Pedasí hostel includes the boat crossing, dinner and a carriage ride to the beach (July 2024).

    Tip: Keep your distance, stay quiet and do not use flash (press, 2026). At very low tide the boat cannot cross the mud. Bring long trousers, a rain jacket, closed shoes and repellent. Law 371 of 2023 penalizes trading and taking turtle eggs.

    Sources: Temporada de ballenas jorobadas y arribadas de tortugas – Panamá América · MiAmbiente: más de 1,400 tortugas lora anidan en santuario natural – Telemetro · Más de 6,000 tortugas protagonizaron una arribada masiva en Panamá – Infobae · Las tortugas marinas vuelven a depositar sus huevos en las playas panameñas – Infobae · Presentan plan para el uso responsable de huevos de tortuga en el Refugio de Vida Silvestre Isla Cañas – MiAmbiente · Isla Cañas es un refugio de tortugas y manglares – Libélulas Pedasí · Pedasi, Venao & Cambutal – Visit Panamá (ATP)

    Find tours
  4. 4

    BeachOpen

    Playa El Arenal (Pedasí)

    East of Pedasí town, Los Santos.3.3 km from the centre

    Entry
    Not stated
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    Fishing beach a few minutes from central Pedasí. Boats leave from here for Isla Iguana and whale watching; Visit Panamá lists it among the beaches with good waves.

    Source: The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Isla Iguana from Pedasí – The Lost and Found Jungle Hostel · 2026 · +4

    Practical details and sources
    Booking
    Boat captains offer trips early in the morning on the beach itself (The Lost and Found hostel blog, March 2026). In January 2025 MiAmbiente announced permanent staff and a satellite connection (Starlink) at the SINAPROC checkpoint on the beach to make it easier to pay the Isla Iguana entry fee online before departure; check that it is still available.

    Tip: Boats must carry life jackets, flares, a first-aid kit and a fire extinguisher, under Maritime Authority supervision (2025). Make sure you get a life jacket before leaving.

    Nearby: Humpback whale watching from Pedasí (0 km) · Pedasí town (3.3 km) · Playa El Toro (3.7 km)

    Sources: The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Isla Iguana from Pedasí – The Lost and Found Jungle Hostel · MiAMBIENTE insta a cumplir con los requisitos para visitar el Refugio de Vida Silvestre Isla Iguana – MiAmbiente · Isla Iguana: el desafío del turismo sostenible – Panamá América · Pedasí & Tonosí Beaches – Visit Panamá (ATP) · Los Santos, Panamá – Visit Panamá (ATP)

  5. 5

    NatureSeasonal

    Cerro Hoya coast and waterfall by boat from Cambutal

    South-west of the peninsula, between Tonosí (Los Santos) and Montijo (Veraguas) districts. Departure from the Cambutal fishing port.79.3 km from the centre

    Entry
    Not confirmed
    Hours
    Not stated
    Booking
    Not stated

    Cerro Hoya National Park (32,552 ha, created in 1984) protects forests with more than 30 endemic plants in south-western Azuero. From Cambutal you travel its remote coast by boat and walk upriver to a waterfall with a pool.

    The Cambutal operator runs this trip only from June to early December. The rest of the year, surf or do yoga in Cambutal.

    Source: Cerro Hoya day trip – Azuero Adventures (operador) · 2026 · +2

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Tour price and park fee not confirmed by an official source at the time of review.
    Booking
    With a local operator; includes hotel pickup, a bilingual guide and lunch (Azuero Adventures). Whether the route enters the national park is not confirmed by an official source at the time of review.
    Time needed
    About 50 minutes by boat along the coast; the full tour takes 5 to 6.5 hours according to the operator's pages.

    Tip: Bring closed shoes that can get wet, long sleeves, a hat and reef-safe sunscreen.

    Sources: Cerro Hoya day trip – Azuero Adventures (operador) · Cerro Hoya Day Trip – Azuero Adventures (operador) · Celebran 39 años de creación de área protegida en Azuero – MiAmbiente

    Find tours

More guides for this destination