Eastern Panama Places

Bahía Piñas

Nestled in the southwest corner of the Darién, just north of the Jaque River, lies remote and beautiful Bahía Piñas, a deep bay with a rocky coastline, where mountains are covered with virgin rain forest and the aquamarine sea teems with an array of marine life. In fact, it's the marine life that draws most people to Piñas Bay, since the quality of its fishing is legendary, with more than 250 world fishing records set in the surrounding waters. Zane Grey fished in the area in the 1950s, and John Wayne and Lee Marvin hooked plenty of billfish here in the 60s. Since then, thousands of anglers have followed in their wake, heading out to Zane Grey Reef in search of sailfish and blue, black, and striped marlin.

Within the bay is the town of Piñas, home to an indigenous community that has traditionally farmed and fished—though most now work at the nearby Tropic Star Lodge. That fishing lodge is not only the local employer but also a benefactor: it makes donations to the local schools and clinic and ensures that the surrounding area will remain wild by protecting a vast expanse of jungle. The lodge's owners also started a conservation organization, Conomar, which successfully lobbied the Panamanian government to ban commercial fishing within 20 mi of the coast near Piñas, which should help to protect the country's best fishing for many years.