travel

Panama's dry season is knocking on our doors; harsh sun during the day and windy, clear sunsets are increasingly frequent. Dry season lures us to travel, explore, discover and enjoy of the many places this beautiful country has to offer.

One of those splendid places is the Isla Iguana Wildlife Refuge, in Los Santos province on the Azuero Peninsula. This marine area is 58 hectares wide, including nine kilometers of seashore at El Arenal beach. It was declared a protected zone on June 15, 1981.

Departing from Panama City, it takes about five hours to drive to the town of Pedasi. You take the Pan-American Highway until Divisa (there's a police check point there), then turn southward toward Chitre. The road passes several towns: Parita, La Villa de los Santos, Guarare, Las Tablas, etc. The road to Pedasi is straight, brand new and well paved.

Even though the town of Pedasi is very small, it has several lodges, restaurants, grocery stores, a beautiful church, two gas stations and an airfield. There is also a club for scuba divers, where it is possible to rent equipment or arrange trips. If you want to save some money, it is a good idea to ask for other people in town who want to travel to the island to share the ride and thus the cost of the boat trip.

The fishermen who own the boats are on El Arenal beach at dawn. If you are lucky, it will be possible to navigate the five kilometers that separate Isla Iguana from Pedasi very early in the morning and enjoy the whole day in the island. Also, it is not rare to descry the bodies of the humpback "yubartas" whales (Megaptera novaengliae), swimming in the channel. Once a year, they migrate from the cold waters of the north to the warm ones of the south, where they mate and reproduce.

Closer to the island, you will notice the presence of flocking birds --- thousand of them! --- hovering over the beach. Isla Iguana is the nesting place for several species of marine birds, such as the red throated frigate (Fregatus magnificens). These birds mate in December and January; so it is possible to watch the males in their nests, wings extended, calling the attention of females who soar above. It has been estimated that 5,000 of these birds nest in the park.

Isla Iguana Wild Life Refuge has one of the biggest areas of well-preserved coral reef in the Gulf of Panama (about 16 hectares). With its white fine sands and crystal clear water it harbors great variety of marine wildlife, including five species of turtles. Around the island there are several points for scuba diving and snorkeling.

Used as a practice bombing range by US forces during World War II, the island still has several huge craters caused by that bombardment. In the nineties two 1,000 pounds bombs stuck in the reef had to be exploded as a security measure. Sadly, the massive blast killed a big portion of the coral reef. Experts recognize that there might be more unexploded ordnance in the bottom of the sea, so the advice is for scuba divers to refrain from touching any ammunition they may encounter, and to immediately warn the authorities.

The Isla Iguana Wildlife Refuge's native vegetation is categorized as tropical dry forest, formed by shrubs with thorns, high grasses, cactuses, vines and coconut trees. However, in the 60s a man settled on the northern part of the island and declared himself its owner --- a modern version of Crusoe. He planted fruit trees (mangoes, oranges, lemons, guavas, etc.) and crops like sugar cane, bananas, beans and corn. These exotic plants grew and reproduced, and today are part of the vegetation that can be seen in the place.

He also brought livestock. Anybody who wanted to disembark on the island had to previously ask for permission from the guy. In the end the government had to deal with the man and encourage him to leave the island. Today, it is possible to walk to the forlorn cabin where he used to live.

Among the animals that can be seen in the island are hordes of hermit crabs, colorful bright red or yellow crabs, the black iguanas, green iguanas, boa constrictors, lizards, etc.

It is possible to walk across the island using a short trail from the El Cirial Beach in the east to the El Faro Beach in the west side. The latter beach is exposed to the marine currents and fierce winds that beat the island, so while El Cirial beach is like a salted pond, El Faro has bigger waves and stronger currents. So it is wise to take care while snorkeling or swimming on the west side.

On El Cirial Beach the National Environment Authority (ANAM) built a guardhouse, a shelter for guests and an information center. The fee for entering a protected area is $1 for Panamanian citizens and $3 for foreigners. If you are planning to stay overnight, it is a good idea to notify the rangers.

Finally some useful tips:

There is no electric power in the island. You should bring batteries, stoves, matches, drinkable water (there is fresh water from a well on the island, but it's not intended for human consumption), plenty of food, etc. Do not forget insect repellent!

Like everywhere on the Pacific coast of Panama, the tides should be taken into consideration if you are scheduling a specific hour to be picked up by boatmen. At low tide El Cirial beach almost dries completely, exposing the rocks and the coral reef. No boat can come onto the beach then --- attempting to do that causes severe damage to the coral.

Do not litter!

Do not tease the animals!

Take plenty of photos as souvenirs! Leave the corals untouched!

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