Mike and I spent several weeks exploring Panama with Mike's friends, and they intruded us to Isla Iguana Wildlife Refuge. Iguana Island is the main natural attraction of the Azuero Peninsula, offering the only white sand beach in that region and beautiful crystal clear waters. Iguana Island is a secluded island inhabited only by rare birds, giant lizards and purple and red crabs.
It is located just 8 km from the coast of Pedasí, Los Santos and can only be accessed by boat. Iguana Island is a paradise for snorkeling and diving, as it has the largest area of well-preserved coral reefs in the Gulf of Panama, with 14 different species of coral with more than 350 tropical fish. Five species of sea turtles come to the island to lay their eggs from April to September and humpback whales swim in these waters from June to November to mate.
This island offers two beaches to choose from: El Cirial, the main and largest, and El Faro, smaller and more isolated. El Cirial has calm waves and is perfect for sunbathing and taking a good swim in its incredible waters. El Faro has stronger currents but is more popular for snorkeling. There is a path that you can follow to go from one beach to another.
An interesting fact about the island is that it was used as a bombing practice range by the US Air Force during World War II, leaving huge craters throughout the island that can still be seen, especially if you look takes the tour or from the lighthouse in the middle of the island. Experts believe there could be some unexploded ordnance in the waters and if a diver finds them, they should leave them intact and inform the authorities. In the 1990s, two 1,000-pound unexploded bombs were found in the waters and it was decided to safely detonate them to avoid any future mishaps.
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