The Perlas got their name when the Spanish conquistadores Gaspar de Morales and Francisco Pizarro robbed a large amount of pearls from the indegenous King Toe. In 1515, they defeated the King and enslaved his skilled pearl divers. The 31 carat “peregrina” pearl of Queen Mary Tudor of England came from these islands. You can still get some pearls from the locals at a good price.
“Hasta La Vista” arrived at Las Perlas on 13 May 2010. We discovered that “Girl” was still at the islands with their Australian guest, Mike, and joined them, anchoring on the leeward side of Isla Contadora.
Isla Contadora
This is the most developed island in the Archipelago, a favourite weekend destination for vacationers from Panama City. The small island (approximatley 2 kms long) boasts an airport, desalination plant, power plant, school and a full network of paved roads. There are several nice restaurants, shops and a gas station. Multi-million dollar Spanish style mansions sit on the shores of the small island overlooking the beautiful clear blue seas.
“Girl” returned to Panama City a couple of days after our arrival to take Mike back for his return flight to Australia. Mal and I remained in Las Perlas and explored Isla Contodora as well as anchoring off some of the other islands while waiting for Nicholas and Lynn on “Girl” to return.
There are a few luxury resorts located on the island but they do not appear to be doing well financially. Our visits found them to be very quiet with only a few guests laying around the pools and beaches. One particular resort, which Nicholas and Lynn on “Girl” visited a few years ago when they were sailing to Australia on their last yacht, and which surrounded the full bay in which it was located, is now abandoned with the locals having plundered all that was left behind. Mal and I dingied there during our stay and looked at the huge passenger ferry abandoned on the beach. We also walked through the resort. How erie to think that it was complete and housed tourists only a few years ago. The resort would have been bigger than the resort on South Molle or Long Island and much more grande.
Nicholas and Lynn on “Girl” returned to Las Perlas and on the 20 May 2010, “Hasta La Vista” and “Girl” motored the Las Perlas chain of Islands stopping overnight at Isla Espiritu Santo then Punta Cocos from where the sail to the Galapagos Islands would begin.
The bay behind Punta Cocos was supposed to be sheltered from the south but there was an unusually big swell which rolled right around the point into the anchorage. Mal and I were glad that we were on a catamarn. “Hasta La Vista” and “Girl” remained anchored for two days waiting for the swell to subside before commencing the crossing to the Galapagos Islands, a voyage that would take at least seven days.
