Contadora's appeal is almost entirely outdoors. The island's nine beaches range from calm, family-friendly coves to wide surf-raked strands, and the warm, clear water is ideal for snorkelling and diving. Humpback whales pass through the surrounding channels between July and October, making it one of the more accessible whale-watching spots from Panama City. History runs quietly through everything — the island was once the administrative hub of one of the most lucrative trades in the colonial Americas.