Eighty-seven point two nautical miles from the Pearl Islands to the Azuero Peninsula. And it brings a figure that reorders the Panamanian Pacific: from Pedasí, Contadora is nearer than the capital. Quoted per aircraft on request.
Route facts
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Isla Contadora (OTD / MPCT) |
| Destination | Pedasí (PDM / MPSA) |
| Distance | 87.2 NM · 161 km |
| Price | Quoted per aircraft on request |
Contadora is nearer than the city
| From Pedasí | Distance |
|---|---|
| Isla Contadora | 87.2 NM |
| Albrook | 89.5 NM |
| Tocumen | 98.6 NM |
An island in the gulf is nearer to Azuero than either of the capital's airports.
It is not a curiosity: it is what it means for the Gulf of Panama to be a gulf. The coast opens southward and the Pearls sit in the middle of the arc, not at the end of a detour.
The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.
An itinerary the road does not allow
Overland, going from Contadora to Pedasí means returning to Panama City by boat or plane and then driving five hours south to the tip of Azuero.
A long day. And with one detail: on the Pedasí cost page we say that five hours of good road is a certain cost, and that the flight pays against certain costs only if the schedule cannot carry the risk.
Here that calculation changes, because to the certain cost is added a sea link with a timetable of its own. We confirm the applicable ferry timetable in the quote, because it changes with the date and the operation.
Missing that boat does not cost hours: it costs the whole day, because the road only begins after it.
Two destinations almost nobody combines
The Pearls are islands; Azuero is peninsula, cattle country and colonial towns. They resemble each other in little and sit in the same maritime province.
Almost nobody joins them because overland it makes no sense: they are opposite directions from the capital. By air, they are eighty-seven nautical miles in a straight line.
It is the same reason the route is rarely asked for and the reason it pays: the road network thinks in a star from the capital; the coast does not.
If your Panama trip is a Pacific one, this route turns it into a circuit rather than two outings from the city.
Ask for it as a full itinerary: availability on one leg conditions the dates of the other, and with two small destinations it is worth looking at them together.
And from Contadora, the other ocean
Playón Chico is 63.1 nautical miles from Contadora.
With this route and that one, the Pacific archipelago links both to Azuero in the west and to Guna Yala in the northeast. Contadora turns out to be the centre of gravity of a Panamanian itinerary, not one more stop.
Frequently asked questions
Is Contadora nearer to Pedasí than the capital?
Yes: 87.2 nautical miles against 89.5 from Albrook and 98.6 from Tocumen.
Why does that happen?
Because the Gulf of Panama is a gulf. The coast opens southward and the Pearls sit in the middle of the arc.
What is the overland alternative?
Returning to Panama City by boat or plane and driving five hours south to Azuero. A long day.
Did you not say Pedasí does not justify the flight?
Against five hours of good road, it is a certain cost. Here a sea link with its own timetable is added. We confirm the applicable ferry timetable in the quote, because it changes with the date and the operation.
Can I continue to San Blas?
From Contadora, Playón Chico is 63.1 nautical miles away: the direct link with the Caribbean.
Does the runway at Pedasí limit the aircraft?
The aircraft is decided by your group and your baggage. The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.
Enquire
See also: Panama City to Pedasí · Contadora to San Blas · Tocumen to Isla Contadora · How much does a private charter to Isla Contadora cost · All destinations · Door-to-lodge transfer · The Pearl Islands and Contadora · Business Travel in Panama · Private Charter from Pedasí to Santiago de Veraguas