The Canal and Central Panama Places

Isla San José

The southernmost island of the Pearl Archipelago, Isla San José is a remote, 14,000-acre isle that is almost completely covered with rain forest and lined with dozens of pristine beaches fronted by pristine blue waters. Its lush forests are home to white-tailed deer, tamandu anteater, keel-billed toucan, four species of macaw, and thousands of feral pigs. The ocean that surrounds it teems with an even greater diversity of life, and if you snorkel around the rocky islets off its coast you may see snapper, stingrays, parrot fish, and moorish idol. From June to September you may also spot humpback whales offshore. Head out for some fishing near Isla Galera, 25 mi to the east, and you stand the chance of hooking Pacific sailfish and tuna upwards of 100 pounds. The only wildlife that you won't be able to see are the sand fleas (aka "no-see-ums"), which can be a plague when the winds die down during the rainy season and are the only drawback of an otherwise enchanting isle.

This is the island that Air Panama built: it belongs to airline owner George Novey. Its only true development is his idyllic Hacienda del Mar, a nature lodge that covers a point on the island's western coast. The U.S. Army used the island as a training ground and bombing range during World War II; there is unexploded ordnance in its forests, though apparently, not near Hacienda del Mar. Nevertheless, it's not a place you want to go bushwhacking, nor would you need to, since you can see plenty of wildlife from the roads and beaches, or even from the porch of your bungalow.

Isla San José at a Glance

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