The land is dry tropical forest and its beaches are surrounded by 14 species of coral forming over 40 hectares of reef. There are various hiking trails where you can see lots of seabirds and the huge iguanas the island was named after. These trails cross Isla Iguana and take the visitors from Cirial Beach in the east to El Faro beach in the west.

Underwater is a whole different world in Isla Iguana. Its waters are home to more than 700 hundred species of tropical fish and are visited by hunchback whales.

Here they give birth and to teach their young to dive. It is also common to see various species of turtles near the coral reefs. The unique surroundings of Isla Iguana invite you to enjoy its water with activities like fishing, snorkeling and scuba diving.

The facilities in Isla Iguana are just enough to spend the day and enjoy its surroundings. They consist of a shack for visitors and fishermen, a visitor center, hiking trails and a camping area. The best time to visit Isla Iguana is from May to December, since the strong winds of the dry season will make it difficult to visit the island. The area is of impressive beauty and the Isla Iguana Foundation works to keep it that way. For that reason, visitors are asked to bring their own food and trash cans and be very conscious of their surroundings.

For more about Isla Iguana click here

Porque Pedasi se esta convirtiendo en el lugar predilecto para comprar tierra? Visionarios aseguran que Pedasi es una joya natural, que recuerda a Toscana y Costa Rica en los 1980’s. Con su localizacion privilegiada en la peninsula de Azuero en la costa Pacifica de Panama, a cerca de 5 horas de la Ciudad de Panama, sus preciosas playas y pesca de primera orden van a complacer a aquellos que buscan lo mejor de la naturaleza sin la sensacion de que estan en un destino diseñado para turistas. La tierra todavia es economica, pero quien realmente puso a Pedasi en el mapa fue la ex presidenta de Panama, Mireya Moscoso, quien era de Pedasi y se aseguro de mejorar los recursos del pueblo. Moscoso se aseguro que su pueblo natal tuviera buenas carreteras e utilidades, y reparo una pequeña pista de aterrizaje y otros proyectos de infraestructura.

Hoy dia Pedasi esta en transicion: Todavia no es el gran paraiso frente al mar para aquellos que buscan un lugar tranquilo con amenidades sofisticadas, pero esta en camino. La tierra se esta agotando y los proyectos estan en curso. La administracion de Pedasi esta resolviendo asuntos sobre como construir sin exterminar los recursos naturales, y lento pero seguro, estan abriendo negocios alrededor del pueblo preparandose para lo que viene.

It doesn’t matter where you are in Pedasi, art is found everywhere. It is a beautiful thing to have available when visiting. I had heard of the art movement before visiting Pedasi the first time, so I set out and tried visiting some of the places my friends spoke so highly of. The first thing you might want to pick up are pots from one of the various pottery stores scattered throughout the town. You won’t believe how beautiful these pots are and they’re all designed by the vendors. Well, most of them at least. A lot of them can get a little pricey but if you find something that really catches your attention, the price won’t be a problem.

You can also try getting some of the beautiful paintings the local artists have for sale. Many of them were inspired by the endless landscapes of Pedasi, but some of them are abstract. There is so much to see when it comes to art in Pedasi, you won’t feel disappointed. Pedasi is always going to be a town of art and good will, that’s why I love it.

For more information about the art of Pedasi click here

Pedasi has one of the last beautiful and undeveloped coastlines in Panama. Lying at the tip of Panama’s Azuero Peninsula, Pedasi has a golden summer, dry and beautiful for December to May. In Panama’s winter Pedasi turns verdant green. Year round fishing off the coast from Pedasi is a sportsman’s dream.

Andromeda Country Club will be a gated community of 100 acres with twenty-four hour security and on site management personnel. Amenities will include, walking trails, a pool, a gym and spa, courts for tennis, volleyball, and basketball, and a playground for the kids. Andromeda Country Club will have high speed internet and an on-site business center. In the plans, is an open-air lounge for live music.

While the Andromeda Country Club site will be spectacular, the Pedasi area offers endless opportunity for daily adventures including, snorkeling and scuba diving around the many offshore islands and surfing along the coastline. This is an area of great natural beauty that will please you every time you go out to explore.

Andromeda Country Club is taking reservations for lots. You can start building right away or, if you wish you can buy your lot and wait up to five years to build the home of your dreams. The architects have excellent plans to take advantage of Pedasi’s environment, but are perfectly willing to work with you to build exactly the home that you want.

For more information about Andromeda Country Club click here

Don’t expect anything too fancy at the Pedasi Panama Hotel. It was constructed to house enough visitors in a comfortable and humble manner, that’s it. You don’t want to be stuck in a hotel when there’s a vast and gorgeous beach out there, waiting for you to dive into her. Nevertheless, you might want to enjoy the soft beds and nice room layout the hotel has to offer. The room service at this place surprisingly met my full expectations and the employees are just filled with life and good will. I had a chance to meet a lot of these people and apparently the hotel likes treating their employee’s properly, encouraging them to treat their visitors even better. Great way of doing business if you ask me.

As I mentioned earlier, don’t expect the fanciest hotel in Panama. It’s a great place, but you might just want to sleep, take a short nap and enjoy the beach afterwards like it should be. There’s nothing better than coming back from a nice trip at the beach and not having to worry about bad customer service and horrible beds. The Pedasi Panama Hotel has so much to offer and you won’t regret it.

To book your reservation at the Pedasi Panama Hotel click here

A lot of art and goods are sold on the streets thanks to the locals. Watch out for some of the pricey vendors, you might able to convince them into lowering the price a little.

The Pedasi Panama hotel is the best one in the town, so you’re going to need a little luck to get a spot there. There’s a variety of lodging options for you to choose from, so don’t worry about not having a place to stay. You won’t find many convenience stores out there, so when you get to one, buy everything you’re going to need for the rest of the day. You don’t do want to go back and forth needlessly.

Don’t expect too much partying. It is a small town that closes its streets at 9 PM. If you want to party all night, take it over to the beach and watch the sunrise with the rest of your friends. Aside from that, you can do both partying and relaxing. Either way, Pedasi is a great place to take it easy for a while.

For more about Pedasi or to book your reservation at the Pedasi Panama Hotel click here

Casey Halloran, owner of Casita Margarita (www.PedasiHotel.com) and one of the business community members involved in this effort expressed his enthusiasm for what this flight means to the area:

“The drive to Pedasi can take up to 5 hours.  Now, with this 12 passenger flight, tourists, investors and area business people will be able to get to Pedasi in under an hour.”

WHEN?
First flight to launch on February 5th, 2010

FLIGHT SCHEDULE
Flights departing Friday & Monday

12:31pm — Departs Albrook
1:26pm — Arrives Pedasi

1:41pm — Departs Pedasi
2:36pm — Arrives Albrook

COST:
Approx $155.50 round trip, depending on gas tax

See more at http://www.aeroperlas.com

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View from Hotel Villa Marina

The Villa Marina’s waterfront charms are matched by the natural wonders of more than 160 acres of rainforest surrounding the core of the property. You can hike, bike, or 4 wheel the many trails leading through this slice of Panamanian paradise.

The Villa’s owners are active in panama’s green community. The property is sponsoring a privately funded reforestation project intended to restore many native plants and hardwood trees that have been lost to indiscriminate practices in the past.

This is an intimate resort. There are just 9 rooms to choose from. Each has a unique character and design scheme featuring antique furnishings and contemporary creature comforts.

After a long day of adventure, relax poolside with a frost tropical concoction and reminisce about your day in paradise as a guest of the Villa Marina in Panama.

Pedasi Panama is a paradise for light tackle fishermen and for Yellowfin Tuna fishing. For light tackle fishermen Pedasi Panama is a paradise. Costa Rica was like this in the 80’s. This is an example of controlled development and growth and thanks to savvy investors and developers Thee natural beauty has been preserved.

The famous French architect Gilles Saint-Gilles lives here, he picked Pedasi Panama as it reminded him of Tuscany in Thee wet season and Africa in the dry season. The Azueros project pays tribute to the talent if Mr. Saint-Gille who has been creating architecture master pieces around the world for the last 40 years. His private homes and palaces are now stuff of legend, he also has created master pieces in North America, Thee Middle East, Europe and Asia.

The Azueros project, designed by Gilles Saint-Gilles in Pedasi Panama is one of the most upscale projects in Panama, Thee area in the past was largely undervalued but now this is quickly changing. The property values for raw land are still $12 to $25 a sqm ($1.12 to $2.33 a sqft), compared to Thee Guanacaste region in Costa Rica where they are now well over $150 a sqm ($13.95 a sqft). Property values in Pedasi have tripled within the last year. This is mainly due to property developer becoming aware of the region.

The location of Pedasi Panama is the south tip of The Azuero Peninsula in Los Santos. This part of Panama is compared to Thee Guanacaste province in Costa Rica due to the Spanish heritage, nice weather, friendly locals and natural beauty.

There has been a buzz in the area for some time, this is partly due to the list if stars that have been reported to have invested here, people like Mel Gibson, Eddie Murphy, Bruce Willis and Mick Jagger. The allure of Pedasi Panama comes from the sheer awe of pristine natural beauty and the simplicity of living in a small fishing village. Pedasi Panama truly is one of Thee lazy investment opportunities in Central America.

Just four hours from Panama City and its Miami-modern glitter of condo towers, shopping and international trade, Pedasí of is the antithesis of big-city bustle. The road is impeccably smooth as you head down the peninsula, extending in gentle rises and falls. There is little to no traffic on approach to Pedasí, except for the occasional groups of cattle being herded by local vaqueros (cowboys) on horseback. Now, in the rainy season, the hills are an incredible emerald green, and the fields are dotted with grazing horses and cows, newly fat from the rain-fed grasses.

Even so, Pedasí falls within what is known as the ‘Arco Seco’ — literally, the dry arc — a swath of land with less rainfall, on average, than the rest of the country. Pedasí’s summer, between January and April, brings a dramatic change; grasses bleach beneath the brilliant sun, and the landscape becomes a canvas of golden hues. Trees adapted to the four-month drought drop their leaves, and burst into brilliant bloom. This is the season of sun and sea, when the peninsula’s myriad beaches fairly cry out for lounging bodies.

September, however, replenishes the dry earth, bringing overcast days, fitful showers and the occasional tropical downpour. This does not faze the local landowners, most of whom raise cattle or cultivate sugarcane and rice, who continue their work tending to fields and fenceposts and newborn calves. Many can be seen sporting the handwoven, handpainted straw hat particular to the region; a finer version, exquisitely crafted and detailed, is worn for carnivals and other big events.

Once in Pedasí, the town works its magic within seconds. It’s in the smell of the sea blown in on warm, gentle breezes, in the quiet punctuated by sounds of daily life; in the feel of the community, where schoolchildren stroll past neatly tended gardens, and the occasional car is driven with the respectful speed that says “this is my home”. The town’s layout is clean and simple. There is no hurry, no stress, no sense that anyone is not exactly where they want to be.

The architecture, with its pastel colors, colonnaded verandas and tile roofs, combines Spanish colonial stylings with a flavor that’s very much native to Azuero. Many of the towns on the peninsula were founded long before Panama broke away from Colombia. Las Tablas, a town just an hour north of Pedasí famous for its lavish carnival, was founded as early as 1671. Pedasí, according to José Lara D., a Pedasí native and former municipal judge, came into formal existence two centuries later.

“In 1864, when we belonged to Colombia, they created the district of Pedasí,” explains Mr Lara, standing on the porch of his home, where a riot of tropical flowers keep the air fresh in the midday heat. “After 1903, when we became independent, we continued on as a district of the Republic of Panama.”

While the town may have existed informally before 1864, local residents agree it was the devastating fires of Panama City in the 16th century that truly settled the region, as refugees fanned out in search of safer homesteads..

His wife, Dioselina, is hand-stitching a pollera for her granddaughter, an elaborately detailed, many-layered traditional dress worn by the women during the carnivals held in each town in summer (generally falling in February). Once complete, the women necks are draped with several heavy gold chains, and the nominated queens parade around town to see who will take the top title.

The dress takes nearly a year to complete, says Dioselina, beaming with pride. Her granddaughter is next year’s Queen of ‘Calle Bajo’ – literally Lower Street – and will compete against the town’s Queen of ‘Calle Arriba’, or Upper Street, for the carnival crown. This tradition suggests an old feud between families from the opposite sides of town, and has since become a reason for the town to divide itself into competing factions as to who can put on the most luxurious show, with the most lavish fireworks, polleras, and of course, the most beautiful queen.

There are many smaller festivals and celebrations interspersed throughout the year, but for those travelers who venture to this less-frequented neck of Panama’s woods, there is no end of explorations and activities to entertain or soothe, as the case may be.

Several beaches lie within walking distance from the town, virtually deserted year-round. Here much of the beachfront land is up for sale, or under development, promising an explosion of tourists and part-time residents as vacation communities spring into being.

The peninsula’s waters are known as the ‘Tuna Coast’, offering excellent, year-round fishing, with an abundance of yellow-fin tuna, red snapper, marlin and sailfish for the taking, and charter boats are available for sport and deep-sea fishing. Edible catches can be brought back to shore to be cooked up to taste at one of Pedasí’s restaurants, paired with one of Panama’s fine beers for less than a dollar.

Just half an hour from shore lies Isla Iguana, which despite its Pacific location, appears to be a perfect Caribbean island. An extensive coral reef surrounds the palm-dotted island, giving it a powdery, blinding, white-sand beach, and its crystal-clear, shallow waters offer the laziest snorkeling imaginable, as hawksbill turtles, cornetfish, and a myriad brightly-colored tropical fish nibble and dart about the coral branches. The island, named for its thriving colony of spotted lizards, is also the region’s only nesting site for the Frigata magnifica, the magnificent frigate bird, which swoop in thick flocks overhead.

Surfers can take advantage of some excellent breaks, the most notable of which is in Playa Venao, just a half-hour drive west of Pedasí, and scuba divers can choose from a number of dive sites, including Isla Iguana and the Frailes Islands to the west. In addition to the many species of marine turtles, rays, eels and tropical fish that call the tropical Pacific home, lucky divers will spot hammerhead sharks school at certain times of year, and the whales and dolphins that haunt the coastal waters with their young.

Isla Cañas, just beyond Playa Venao and less than an hour from Pedasí, is also a major nesting site for several marine turtles. The mangrove-ringed island is home to about 700 residents, and boasts a 14-kilometer long beach where pregnant females lumber up during the night to dig holes in the soft sand, laying clutches of up to one hundred eggs. A little further afield, the Cerro Joya National Park offers hiking through pristine rainforest, with several waterfalls, monkeys and birds galore.

With so many activities, natural beauty, charm and culture, it is no surprise that Pedasí, once Panama’s best-kept secret, is about to be its best-known ambassador.