Contadora Island - Panama City (Flamenco Island)
Ferry to Panama
Contadora Island - Panama City (Flamenco Island)
Ferry to Panama
See ferry fares and operators from all over the world in one spot, and find the sailing that fits your trip. Booking early is usually the surest way to get a good price and plenty of choice.
Discounts are available with Direct Ferries all year round. If a senior discount applies to your crossing, it's applied for you automatically once the right age bracket is selected in the passenger options.
Students and recent graduates can claim a 5% saving. Register with our partner Student Beans to verify eligibility, then apply your discount code at checkout.
Resident discounts also apply to a number of Spanish and Italian routes — pick the "Residents" option during search and the fare adjusts automatically. Be ready to show proof of address, such as an ID card or residency certificate, at check-in.
Requirements for travel documents change from route to route, so check what's needed ahead of time. A valid passport is usually required for Contadora Island to Panama City (Flamenco Island) travel, plus any visa or national ID relevant to your nationality. Since the rules depend on your citizenship and destination, our Check-in, Travel Documents & Tickets guide is the place to check for the latest guidance and avoid delays at check-in.
To book, just add your departure port, arrival port and preferred date, and you'll see every fare and sailing on offer. You can also compare alternative routes and times to find your best match.
Look out for early-bird pricing and flexible ticket options, such as upgrades or flexi-fares that let you make changes down the line. Entering accurate details — passenger count, vehicle specs and so on — keeps the process running smoothly.
As soon as your booking is confirmed, a confirmation email will land in your inbox. What happens next with your boarding pass depends on the operator you've booked.
Some operators issue boarding passes right away, while others need you to check in at the port itself. Where it's supported, the Direct Ferries app lets you check in online in advance.
You'll usually find ticket desks close to the ferry terminal. Giving yourself a little extra time before departure means you can collect tickets and check in without any stress.
Bring your confirmation email and valid photo ID, such as a passport or identity card, to check in. Pet owners should have vaccination and insurance documents on hand, and anyone with a resident discount should carry proof of address.
There are a few reasons departures from Contadora Island to Panama City (Flamenco Island) might not show for your chosen date — a schedule change, sold-out sailings, or a seasonal lull are the most likely. Try another date or check alternative routes through our Route & Port finder.
Booking your Contadora Island to Panama City (Flamenco Island) ferry well ahead of time generally works in your favour — you'll usually find better fares and a wider choice of departures and cabins.
A few weeks ahead is usually enough notice to catch the best offers, though fares can still fluctuate with the season and remaining space.
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Contadora Island is an isle found off the wide curving shores of Panama Bay, south of the Panamanian mainland. There is one route and two service providers operating out of the terminal. Four times weekly sailings with Ferry Las Perlas head to Panama City and seven weekly crossings also head to the capital with Sea Las Perlas.
What is there to do on the island?
The island is one of the larger landmasses of the Pearl Island archipelago and is widely renowned for its pristine shoreline dotted with long stretches of palm-lined beaches. Once buzzing with traders selling pearls plucked from the shallows of the surrounding sea, the island is now a spectacular resort of luxury villas and apartments. It’s a particularly popular destination during the summer months when the surrounding waters of the Gulf of Panama glow almost electric blue beneath the warm sun. With a spectacular array of marine life it’s the perfect destination for snorkelling, fishing or even dolphin and whale watching.
What transport links are available for visitors?
Nowhere on the island is more than a five minutes’ drive away, meaning that travelling to and from the port is a straightforward affair. A taxi-service is available to take visitors from the port to the hotels found across the isle, though rented golf buggies are the preferred method of transport.
What services leave the Contadora Island port?
The port offers services to one destination, the mainland terminal in Panama City. A Ferry Las Perlas line sails the short distance north to the mainland capital of Panama City four times throughout the week, a fast route that skims across the gulf with Sea Las Perlas offering seven trips a week. The duration of the journey varies between an hour and a half and an hour and forty minutes.
