Named due to the pearls that were obtained in their crystalline water.

The archipelago of the pearls is a group of islands that were inhabited until the 16th century by local natives until the arrival of the conquerors and their thirst for wealth.  The most famous of its islands is Contadora where in 1979 the Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was established after his exile from Iran along with all his fortune and one of its uninhabited islets was the scene of the program Suvidor in 2003 and for three seasons.

Contadora Island gets its name in the time of the colonizers. This island was the center of collection and counting of pearls extracted from the surroundings of the archipelago before they were sent to Spain. On the other hand, for the pirates, Contadora was the point in the favorite archipelago for attacks on the ships of the Spanish navy to steal the precious cargo of pearls and other riches extracted from the area.

In Contadora, some real estate developments have been made, mainly luxury homes. Many of these of denoted beauty and well equipped considering they were built on an island where resources should be transported from the nearest city Connected daily by plane and ferries, Contadora is the only island in the Las Perlas Archipelago with tourist infrastructure. It has a great variety of hotels and inns that you can get on My Guide Accomodation section.

Also luxury tourism is one of the commercial activities of the island. Spectacular luxury houses with sea view and some on cliffs of the island are offered to tourists willing to pay a little more for a unique experience 1 hour and a half from the city by ferry and only 20 minutes by plane. Buy tickets to and from Las Perlas Archipelago with Las Perlas Ferry.

The beaches are spectacular, there are 11 of them and snorkeling is one of the most striking tourist activities. Beautiful coral reefs and underwater grottos offer divers and freedivers an unequaled playground. Contadora also serves as a base place to explore the rest of the archipelago.

You can hire boat trips to nearby islands to spend the day or even go hopping from island to island. To dive there is a dive center in Contadora Island that rents diving equipment and organizes outings and courses. To learn more about recreational activities that can be done in Contadora, you can check the welcome center's website. During the whale-watching season, dozens of these mammals can be seen touring the waters of the archipelago. You can hire trips for whale watching in their natural habitat.

Contadora Island has only 1.2 square kilometers so it is easily traversable. Transportation on the island is basically limited to golf carts, bicycles. You can also find two and four wheel motorcycles. Golf carts can be rented on arrival at the island although most hostels offer this service. 

If you want to visit the Las Perlas archipelago, we recommend using the services of Ferry Las Perlas.