Isla Cañas

Isla Cañas is a long sand island separated from the Azuero mainland by mangrove channels, and its fourteen-kilometre ocean beach is one of the most important olive ridley nesting sites in Panama. Turtles come ashore through the second half of the year with peaks in September and October, sometimes in arribadas of thousands over a few nights. The island has a village of a few hundred people who manage the visits: a boat through the mangrove channel, then a walk on the beach at night with a guide and no lights. A community programme collects and protects nests from poaching and predation.

What you actually see

• Olive ridley nesting - thousands over a few nights at the peak.
• The mangrove crossing - a boat through the channels to reach the island.
• The hatchery - the community programme protecting relocated nests.
• The fourteen-kilometre beach - almost entirely undeveloped.

When to go

The nesting season runs roughly July to November with September and October the peak. Arribadas cluster around the last quarter of the moon. The boat crossing depends on the tide, so the timing of a visit is set by the water rather than by the clock.

Honest expectations

Nothing can be promised: arribadas are unpredictable and a night can pass with a handful of turtles or none. Lights and flash photography are prohibited outright. The crossing depends on tides and the mangrove channel is shallow. Accommodation on the island is basic homestays. Poaching remains a pressure despite the programme.

Nearby

Tonosí is on the mainland; Playa Venao is an hour east.