A couple of months ago, one of my good friends decided to spend a week on a beach to celebrate her birthday. She asked me to join her and we decided to meet halfway in Central America. She booked a place on an island in Panama and off we went!
Isla Contadora is one of the Pearl Islands off the west coast of Panama in the Pacific. It’s less than a 30 minute flight on a tiny plane from Panama City – a huge, modern city, quite different from where I’d been staying.
The island itself isn’t very big and the short runway seems to head directly into the ocean. Fortunately, my pilot stopped the plane on solid ground!
The island was charming and full of beautiful beaches. We spent most of the week beach-hopping and snorkeling.
 |
| Who Doesn't Look Hot Wearing a Snorkel & Mask? |
Panama is beautiful and Isla Contadora is a small, but gorgeous place to get away and enjoy the Pacific!
I enjoy a “beach vacation” as much as the next guy. But, what made this vacation unique was the abandoned resort we came across on the largest beach on the island.
It was fascinating to wander through the ruins of a huge, formerly beautiful posh resort and picture what it must have looked like in its heyday. We wandered the grounds and took lots of pictures. Then I did some research on the internet to find out more.
Isla Contadora was purchased in 1960 by a wealthy Panamanian. He personally financed the construction of the infrastructure for the island: water, sewers, electricity, roads, etc. He then built a small, fancy hotel with 60 bungalows which became incredibly popular with the rich and famous of the time. John Wayne, Mickey Rooney, Julio Iglesias, and Joe DiMaggio all vacationed at the Hotel Contadora.
In 1974, the owner expanded the property to be a full-blown resort with over 200 rooms on a huge white sand beach, two outdoor pools, even a mini-zoo with ocelots, spider monkeys, and peacocks as well as deer and other animals freely roaming the property. The resort included an outdoor disco, 3 restaurants, 5 bars, and a casino. From the internet pictures I found, it looked beautiful!
Sadly, when the visionary who created the Hotel Contadora died in 1981, the resort started its slip into decline. The corrupt Noriega government attempted to run the hotel, but sold it to a Japanese company after two years of mismanagement. In 1992, it was again sold to a Colombian operator who, sadly, used the hotel as a front to run drugs.
By 2005 the hotel was consistently getting poor reviews due to poor service and aging amenities, but it remained in operation until fall of 2010 when it shut its doors for good. At that point, the owners told the locals to take whatever they could use from the property – and they did. When we were there in the spring of 2011, this “ghost resort” was eerie – the structures were still in place, but the ruins looked as if they had been abandoned for years. The locals made use of everything, from drywall to murals from the reception area!
Today, Isla Contadora is primarily a weekend retreat for Panamanians. There are several hotels on the island, but no huge resorts. It’s small and quiet, with very few amenities but a great spot to get away and relax!
No comments:
Post a Comment