Pamana Contadora Beach Resort - Been There?

[John Slatcher]

Posted by John Slatcher on September 10, 2002 at 14:20:32:

Hi folks,

Considering taking family of 5 to the Contadora Beach
Resort, 20 miles or so out in the Pacific off Panama.

We're looking at January - hear it is still good and hot in Panama in January.

Canadian Travel agents have a 2 week deal - one week on
Contadora Island & one week at Royal Decameron Costa
Blanca. Both are all-inclusives

Anyone been to Contadora with kids?

My research so far shows it is not fancy - i.e. 3 stars
in the books, and that the island is not exactly hopping with activity.

I'm wondering - is it kid-friendly at the resort, and how is the swimming? How is the flight over?

Any advice/experiences greatly appreciated.

[Bruce Berry]

Posted by Bruce Berry on January 12, 2003 at 09:13:29:

In Reply to: Pamana Contadora Beach Resort - Been There? posted by John Slatcher on September 10, 2002 at 14:20:32:

John Slatcher

Review of Contadora Resort, Contadora Island (JAN/2003)
written by B.Berry bruberry52@yahoo.com
Prior to going to the Contadora Resort I researched all articles and reviews that were
available online. My wife and I were looking for a quiet, stress free resort with few people, a
beautiful beach for sunbathing and good snorkelling. We were also after a resort that was
reasonably priced over the busy Xmas and New Year vacation time.
I am going to try and highlight a few of the things that a first time visitor to the Contadora
resort might find helpful.


THE RESORT
The Contadora resort has been shut down for several months in 2002, while its new owner
did some major renovations. The resort basically operates for 2.5 months of the year. The
rainy season ends in November and tourism starts with the onset of the dry season. It lasts
through the months of December, January and the first few weeks in February.The resort is
very clean. The electricity is 120V AC . There are no banking machines on site. The resort
charges a 10% fee to convert travellers cheques to cash. The same is true if you want a cash
advance on your credit card. US currency is the only recognized currency used at this resort.
The Canadian dollar is useless, so leave it home if your coming from Canada.
The grounds, beach and pools are constantly groomed by personnel at the resort.They have
two excellent tennis courts, one of which is illuminated for night time playing (costs extra
due to electrical costs). It has a small 9 hole golf course that offers a break in beach activity.
You only need a 9 iron and a putter to play this course. They do have a couple play areas for
small children ( swings, teeter totters, slides). In the main lobby they have a couple of decent
pool tables. The resort at one time had a casino but this has been closed once the new
management took over.
There is no natural source of freshwater on the island, so drinking water is brought over
from Panama City and all other water is desalinated water from the ocean. Many people
found that there was a shortage of hot water in the morning for showering but this was easily
overcome by showering in the late afternoon or evening when you finished your beach
activities.
The rooms were very basic where we stayed in the older section (Block 14), but very clean.
Air conditioning in the older section could not be turned off and on and in our room it was
too cold initially. By using a little ingenuity, I removed the grate and stuffed in a large beach
towel and the problem was solved. Our room was comfy for the rest of our stay. A couple of
people who were not satisfied with their room, complained to management and were moved.
Some people had to be a little more persistent than others. Most other blocks of rooms had
been renovated or were brand new and I didn't hear of any complaints from them. All rooms
were either overlooking the ocean or one of the two swimming pools. There was daily maid
service. For the seven days we stayed at the resort I didn't hear of one incidence of somebody
getting sick from the water or problems with thefts from the rooms.
Evening entertainment is mediocre at best and was there to entertain Panamanian tourists
that come to the resort for a weekend visit. Typically there was a comedy night and evenings
of choreographed dancing to Latin and pop music.All evening entertainment was over by 10
pm and the nights were nice and quiet for sleeping. One problem that did emerge for those
people in Block 14 was that it was hard to sleep in the afternoon with the dancers practicing
right outside their patio door. Since we were on the beach all day, this did not affect us at all.
Most of the staff can converse in both Spanish and English, which makes it less
intimidating for most Canadian tourists who are unilingual.

THE FOOD
Food was probably the major drawback when comparing this resort to other 3,4or 5 star
resorts. For us it didn't pose any problem at all. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are at specified
times (7:30-9:00am), (12:00-2:30pm) , (7:00-9:30pm) and there is only one main buffet
dining area and one a la carte restaurant which serves Italian cuisine one night and Seafood
the next night. Snacks were not openly available at least that I was aware of. There are not
four restaurants as indicated in other articles on this resort.
Food selection was basic Columbian/Panamanian food. Don't expect french fries and
cheeseburgers. Plenty of salad ingredients, fruit, one type of soup (corn, fish, pork, banana), a
few versions of "mystery meat" along with entrees of chicken, pork, fish and beef. For
breakfast there was always scrambled eggs, pancakes, mystery meat surprise, fruit, cereal
and bread or croissants. Certainly enough variety for us, but don't expect anything fancy.
There were always 2 or 3 bars running throughout the day but due to limited staff they
didn't operate all the time. The main bar by the front lobby was a great place to relax with the
beautiful breeze that was always coming off the water in the evening. Sometimes you had to
switch from Pina Coladas to Contadora Specials or Rum Punches due to a lack of
ingredients. Once they actually ran out of beer, but only for a few hours.

TOURS
You must reserve a tour as soon as you get there. If you want to go to Panama City for a day,
then they need a minimum of 4-6 people. You have no way of knowing on which day the
tour will run until the required number have signed up.
Seadoos can be rented for $30/0.5 hr or $60/ hr, but it makes a lot more sense to talk to the
guy in the hut on the beach by the airport and arrange a 2.5 hour tour of the surrounding
islands for only $75.
You can rent mopeds and ATV's for $15/ hr and tour the whole island. In an hour you can go
over every road twice.
The resort offers a walking tour of the island every day at 4:30pm that leaves from the main
lobby. Its great for local information about the island and some of its residents
The glass bottom boat tour for $12 per person is a must do. In low tide the coral reefs are a
lot more visible, so select your time accordingly.
To arrange deep sea fishing trips it is highly advisable to arrange them through Nolitour
World otherwise you could get ripped off. Apparently Nolitour World has an agreement with
local charterboat operators with respect to hourly rates and actual times spent fishing. I did
hear of one group that paid for a fishing trip and never did get a line in the water even after
spending 3 hours in the boat. This trip was privately arranged.

THE BEACHES
This is what is so amazing about this resort. The water is a clear turquoise blue and the sand
is a very fine white grain. It contrasts with the hardened volcanic rock from which the island
is made. The tidal fluctuation is an amazing 17 feet (vertical). You can find out the precise
timing of the tides from sites on the Internet. They come in and out twice a day. You
definitely will want to time your snorkelling to periods of low tide. Swimming and other
beach activities are best at higher tides as this produces a much sandier base for walking in
shallow water. At low tide, the bottom is rockier and requires flippers or shoes when
swimming.
If you like your lounge chair at the waters edge, you might have to move it every 10 minutes
as the tide is coming in. At low tide you can have 300 feet of beach in front of you and 6
hours later there will be only 50 feet of beach left.
We never ran into those stinging jellyfish that somebody on the Internet referred to nor did
we run into any mosquitoes in the evening or during the day. It was an incredible experience.
On Playa Nudista (nude beach) it was like you were in paradise. Volcanic cliffs and shelfs all
around you with white powdered sand and turquoise water, land iguanas that you could feed
fruit to, exotic birds, and puffer fish that would swim between your legs while lounging in
the shallow water.
Snorkelling is best at low tide. You can snorkel several feet over the coral. Just an incredible
variety of fish ( barracuda,puffers,parrot fish, angel fish,schools of sea bass, pipe fish and
many other smaller varieties.
The nude beach was the highlight of our trip. We found it on our first day there. Neither my
wife nor I are into the naturists lifestyle but here it was paradise and incredibly romantic. In
the early morning you could go here and relax 1 to 2 hours before anybody would show up.
At its most populated time there might have been 20 people ( 10 couples) using the beach.
The clothing issue was forgotten after the first few minutes. We met many interestring
people on this beach and stayed in touch with them throughout the week at Contadora. The
people that visited this beach were from all walks of life. The beach is isolated so that there
is no vehicular access and admittance is restricted to one area where you have to walk
around a rock outcropping before high tide sets in. When you walk onto the initial beach by
the roadway, just keep to your right and walk around the rocks onto the second beach. I
would advise you to bring a few lounge chairs from the main resort if there aren't any
available on this beach. Once you have spent a day on this beach, you'll never want to leave
and we had seven of them. Be sure to put sunblock on your feet and any other body parts that
are not previously tanned as they will get toasted in the tropical sun.

All in all we had a great time and we are definitely looking forward to returning next Xmas.
For any additional info contact me at the email address listed above.

Bruce Berry
Oakville, ON
Canada

[Michel Langlois]

Posted by Michel Langlois on December 31, 2003 at 17:39:48:

In Reply to: Re: Pamana Contadora Beach Resort - Been There? posted by Bruce Berry on January 12, 2003 at 09:13:29:

Bruce Berry

Did someone have a recent stay in Contadora Beach Resort? We flight to the island on Jan 5 2004 and would like to have fresh impressions.
Thanks!

[Bob]

Posted by Bob on January 23, 2004 at 14:55:08:

In Reply to: Re: Pamana Contadora Beach Resort - Been There? posted by Michel Langlois on December 31, 2003 at 17:39:48:

Michel Langlois

Michel,
By now I assume you are back. How was the resort? We leave for Contadora in a little over a week. Any thing you can pass along?
Thanks

[Michel Langlois]

Posted by Michel Langlois on January 23, 2004 at 20:35:44:

In Reply to: Re: Pamana Contadora Beach Resort - Been There? posted by Bob on January 23, 2004 at 14:55:08:

Bob

Well !
Yes we are back from a 2 week trip to 1- Contadora Beach Resort and 2- Royal Decameron. These resorts are really different. Contadora is a quite resort where music is located on the main pool and limited to a few hours in the afternoon. One pool is really quite. At one time, we were as few as 17 on the resort in the 05th january week. 8 animators really kind for 17 guests. It is the first time we catch a resort so quite. On thursday thru Sunday, Colombians come for the week-end, as Panameans do and it is a bit busier.
The beach is a paradise. If the wave is strong on one side, the other is a mirror. The resort is located a the end of the island so, it is easy to climb over the hill and cross the island for the other side where is the naturist beach. Most of the people using this beach do snorkling that is wonderful. Water is clear and turkoise.

Food is very basic. Nobody found sick and each one could eat without problem. But it is very basic. If the resort is old, it is very clean. But don't expect the floor cleaned like 5 star resort. The resort is in the jungle and animals are free.

There is a difference as high as 17 feet between high and low tide. It is spectacular.

The airplane to the island is an experience.

I speak spanish fluently and it was very usefull. They say they speak english but they understand a few words like "Please, my eggs sunny side up" and "I'd take a beer".

Feel free to email me for additional details.

[Bob]

Posted by Bob on January 28, 2004 at 08:30:03:

In Reply to: Re: Pamana Contadora Beach Resort - Been There? posted by Michel Langlois on January 23, 2004 at 20:35:44:

Michel Langlois

Michel,
Thank you! for the response. I like the fact that it was quiet, we will see how our week is. This is a strange question, do they serve any snacks during mid-day? My wife is diabetic and wants to know if she needs to pack her own.
Bob

[Michel Langlois]

Posted by Michel Langlois on February 01, 2004 at 10:44:55:

In Reply to: Re: Pamana Contadora Beach Resort - Been There? posted by Bob on January 28, 2004 at 08:30:03:

Bob

Yes, lunch starting at 4 pm. Hot Dogs, Hambergers etc...

[Daisy]

Posted by Daisy on October 03, 2003 at 22:05:20:

In Reply to: Re: Pamana Contadora Beach Resort - Been There? posted by Bruce Berry on January 12, 2003 at 09:13:29:

Bruce Berry


I read your extremely detailed review of Contadora with great interest. My husband and I were there many years ago, 1985 and again in 1986 both in January. The first year must have been the "hay days" of the resort because it was beautiful, full of people, and thriving. The second year it was starting to look a little worn. We have never forgotten those two trips and every year when we plan a vacation my husband says "I would sure like to go back to Contadora"!!! We've been almost (not quite) everywhere, Cuba, Costa Rica, both coasts of Mexico, Hawaii, Philiphines, Belize, .....
Food is important to us so I don't know that we would return to Contadora especially after reading your report. Did you also look into Royal Decameron on the mainland of Panama? I ran into a lady in our town who has been to both, and she highly recommends the Decameron.
What tour company did you travel with? Air and hotel? or did you arrange your own?
Again, it was wonderful reading your report, it was like re-visiting Contadora!
Daisy in British Columbia

[John in Toronto]

Posted by John in Toronto on December 03, 2003 at 14:15:38:

In Reply to: Re: Pamana Contadora Beach Resort - Been There? posted by Daisy on October 03, 2003 at 22:05:20:

Daisy

I ended up going to the Decameron on the mainland - and if gournmet food is your thing it might not be the best, but we found the food quite good. There are several a la carte restaurants - steak, seafood, Thai, Japanese, Middle Eastern - it all gets filtered through Panamaian cooking ingredients & techniques but is tasty nonetheless. The resort is fantastic, and you can stroll through the ruins of Manuel Noriega's beach house just next door. We loved it!

[George]

Posted by George on February 01, 2004 at 20:24:32:

In Reply to: Re: Pamana Contadora Beach Resort - Been There? posted by John in Toronto on December 03, 2003 at 14:15:38:

John in Toronto

We've been to Contadora three times. The first time in 1995 it was overcrowded, but they were building new units. The food was pretty good. The second time there in 1999 we stayed in the "new" units. The termites were already devouring them. The meals were OK. By our third vacation there in 2003, the "new" units had deteriorated and were inhabited only by staff. The food was adequate. Apart from that, the island is beautiful, the people are friendly and they've made a lot of cosmetic changes to improve the appearance of the hotel. If you like the water and beaches where you won't be afraid to lose your belongings or be hassled by vendors, Contadora's the place. We'd go back!
Have a look at some our photos in the 3 different Contadora sub-albums, in the "Vacations" (second page)album in "Photos" on www.thelances.ca or go directly to the 2003 photos via http://www.thelances.ca/george/view_album.php?set_albumName=Alb052003

[Michelle Corral]

Posted by Michelle Corral on February 07, 2004 at 01:49:14:

In Reply to: Re: Pamana Contadora Beach Resort - Been There? posted by George on February 01, 2004 at 20:24:32:

George

The Contadora Resort and Casino was by far the most horrible hotel or travel experience I have ever had. My girlfriend and I stayed there for New Year's 2004 and found the service, the accommodations and the food to be awful. Upon arrival, we were left to cart our own bags into the madness that was the dark and dank lobby. There, we had to wait almost two hours -- being pointedly ignored by the staff -- to be checked in to the hotel - at which point we were given an unrenovated room in a decrepit building that was not what we had reserved. Our room had a big hole in the wall, the curtains were falling off the sliding glass door which wouldn't open, the bathroom light didn't work, but we could still see the rust colored water pouring out of the sink. The Contadora's linens were dingy, and when we went back to the front desk to see if we could change to a room that more closely matched the $200/night king, that we had reserved we continued to be ignored. A manager promised to make up for it the next night of our stay -- but never actually offered us anything and was conveniently "unavailable" for the remaining two days of our visit. Eventually, (after being brushed off 5 times and told to return later) we were given a double room in one of the "renovated" buildings. While this room at least had functioning fixtures, it was not worth the rate quoted and it did not corresponded to the reservation we had made. It was an average room, at best.

The food at the Contadora was of poor quality and the service throughout our stay was rude - not just to us, but to all the guests we observed regardless of race, creed or language. Because of the holidays and the nature of being on a small island we were unable to leave early, although we did go to the lovely Punta Galeon for meals to escape the scary food and unpleasant staff. Please be warned - the Hotel Contadora Resort is not a good place.

[Kathy]

Posted by Kathy on November 11, 2002 at 11:15:54:

In Reply to: Pamana Contadora Beach Resort - Been There? posted by John Slatcher on September 10, 2002 at 14:20:32:

John Slatcher

I'm with you John, we're planning the same trip but with no children. I have not been able to find anyone who has done the split either, so if you have, please let me know! Thanks!
Kathy

[tab]

Posted by tab on September 11, 2002 at 14:35:07:

I am thinking of going to DeCameron Resort in Panama Feb with three families w kids ranging 9 to 15.
Anyone have any experience with this?

email me tabh@hascorelays.com

Thanks

[Irene]

Posted by Irene on September 01, 2003 at 12:30:58:

In Reply to: Decameron in Panama posted by tab on September 11, 2002 at 14:35:07:

tab

Hi my name is Irene and I just wanted to say that I had a blast. And I am planing to go to Panama next year in Febuary and I am going to stay for 2 nights this time.

[Lucila Córdoba]

Posted by Lucila Córdoba on April 12, 2003 at 13:51:41:

In Reply to: Decameron in Panama posted by tab on September 11, 2002 at 14:35:07:

tab

hello, I needed a work, no is important that this work is little but this is in Cocle, Penonomé.

[Allen]

Posted by Allen on February 20, 2003 at 22:08:27:

In Reply to: Decameron in Panama posted by tab on September 11, 2002 at 14:35:07:

tab

Its a full service resort good for family with all inclusive meals. I took my 14 year son he enjoy it, good beach, pools, variaty of tours and water sports, Its like a cruse on land. Have a goog one

[Keith Headley]

Posted by Keith Headley on January 26, 2003 at 20:19:16:

In Reply to: Decameron in Panama posted by tab on September 11, 2002 at 14:35:07:

tab


We are also planning to go from Feb. 14th - Feb 24th , please let us know when you're going. We have a 12 year old girl.

Thank you,
Keith