Eighty-nine point five nautical miles to the tip of the Azuero peninsula. It is the Panamanian route that most clearly replaces a day of driving, and the only one in our catalogue to that coast. Quoted per aircraft on request.
Route facts
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Albrook (PAC / MPMG) or Tocumen (PTY) |
| Destination | Pedasí (PDM) |
| Distance from Albrook | 89.5 NM · 166 km |
| Distance from Tocumen | 98.6 NM |
| Destination elevation | 33 ft |
| Price | Quoted per aircraft on request |
Five hours of road
And it is worth being precise, because it is not a bad road: from Panama City it is roughly a five-hour drive on well-maintained roads.
There are no impossible stretches and no border crossings. Simply, the Azuero peninsula is long and Pedasí sits at its southeastern tip. The distance is real and the drive is comfortable; what it costs is the day.
Ninety nautical miles by air. Here the flight does not solve a difficult access — that is what it does at Drake Bay or Guanaja — it turns a day of transfer into a morning. That is a different proposition and should be judged as one.
The aircraft may need to reposition to the departure aerodrome, and that leg forms part of the quote.
Albrook, not Tocumen
Here the origin does decide, for two reasons.
From Albrook it is 89.5 nautical miles; from Tocumen, 98.6. Nine of difference, roughly ten per cent.
But the other factor weighs more: Albrook is in the city and Tocumen is on the outskirts. For a traveller already in Panama, departing from Albrook saves the transfer to the international. Only if you arrive on a long-haul flight and continue the same day does departing from Tocumen make sense. The aircraft may need to reposition to the departure aerodrome, and that leg forms part of the quote.
The airport is not the one some guides list
A fact worth verifying before fixing times: the current Pedasí field replaces the original Cap. Justiniano Montenegro (MPPD), which sat a kilometre and a half northwest of the town.
The new one parallels the Pacific coastline, two kilometres north of Pedasí. Several reference sources still publish the coordinates of the closed field, and that can mislead anyone planning independently.
We operate to the current field.
Playa Venao and the ground transfer
Almost nobody travels to Pedasí to stay in the town alone. People travel for Playa Venao and the surf beaches of the Azuero tip, and for Isla Iguana.
From the airport to those points there is a ground transfer that we do not operate and that is not in the fare. Ground transfer is not included in the fare: your accommodation or a local operator arranges it.
It is short compared with the five hours it replaces, but worth confirming, especially if you travel with boards.
And if your destination is elsewhere in Panama
Isla Contadora is 37.2 nautical miles from Albrook: if you want beach near the capital, it is far shorter.
David is 151.9 nautical miles from Pedasí, to the west. If your trip runs through the Panamanian interior, check whether chaining or returning to the capital suits you better.
Frequently asked questions
How long is Panama City to Pedasí?
The flight covers 89.5 nautical miles from Albrook. By road it is roughly five hours on well-maintained roads.
Albrook or Tocumen?
Albrook, unless you arrive on a long-haul flight and continue the same day. It is 89.5 nautical miles against 98.6, and it is in the city. The aircraft may need to reposition to the departure aerodrome, and that leg forms part of the quote.
Is it hard to reach by road?
No. The roads are well maintained and there are no impossible stretches. What it costs is the day, not the access.
Which is the correct airport?
The current Pedasí field, paralleling the coast 2 km north of the town. It replaces the old MPPD, whose coordinates some sources still publish.
Do I land at Playa Venao?
No. There is a ground transfer from the airport that we do not operate. Confirm it if you travel with boards. Ground transfer is not included in the fare: your accommodation or a local operator arranges it.
What if I want beach closer to the capital?
Isla Contadora is 37.2 nautical miles from Albrook, considerably shorter than Pedasí.
Enquire
See also: Private flights from Panama City · Panama City to Isla Contadora · Surf charter in Panama · Panama City to David · All destinations · Door-to-lodge transfer · The Azuero Peninsula and Pedasí · Private Charter from Pedasí to Santiago de Veraguas · Private Charter from Isla Contadora to Pedasí