Do you want to explore an undiscovered coastal paradise? So, let me recommend Pedasí. I am sure that most of you must not have heard of this beautiful place, but it is truly a fascinating place.

Pedasí is located in Panama and is a district of the province of Los Santos. This is one of the five districts of the city and it is also the most beautiful. This rural district of Panama has some of the most impressive places in the world. We had chosen this place as our honeymoon destination, after a friend recommended it to us. Since my wife and I love beaches, Pedasí seemed like the dream destination we always wanted for ourselves.

Pedasí hasn’t been a top coastal tourist destination until now, but since it has so much to offer, one wonders why it’s not as popular as the Bahamas, Cancun, or Hawaii. Since it is only a four hour drive from Panama City, getting to Pedasí was not a problem for us. In fact, we really enjoyed our breezy ride that gave us time to talk and have fun.

We were so surprised after arriving in town. This is a bustling city with large commercial spaces and Miami-style beach condominiums. It was so fascinating to see this supposedly rural town turning into a bustling city. But with only a population of about 4,000 people, we didn’t find it to be that crowded. We were also very well received by our resort and our suit was just perfect.

Pedasí used to be under a huge forest cover before the Spanish decided to establish a colony here. This district was established in the year 1840. At that time, Panama was part of Colombia. In order to establish a settlement here, massive deforestation was done in this area which left many cliffs and mountains completely bare. How do I find out about all this? Well, our tour guide gave us a long briefing about the place before letting us go have fun on the beach. (Very informative! We wish we weren’t on our honeymoon.)

The beaches of this place were simply beautiful. It seemed that for miles and miles, there were only sun-kissed beaches and the sea beckoning to welcome us. We spent 4 full days relaxing on the beach. I just couldn’t believe the peace and quiet we’ve been experiencing over the last month; all we talked about, listened to, ate and drank was our wedding. So the relaxing atmosphere of the beach was a very welcome change.

By the fifth day, we had reached the maximum of our relaxation limit and decided that we had to do something more than lay down like a beached whale. We called our tour guide (who was pretty sure we were lost in the jungle!) and asked him about some cool things to do in Pedasí.

He recommended an excursion to the Isla Iguana Wildlife Refuge. Located just a boat ride away, this is a great wildlife refuge. It is located near a huge coral reef and has two beautiful (you guessed it!) beaches. But we wanted to see more than just the waves that were coming. So, we took a tour inside the park. Our guide told us that there are about 62 species of birds in this park and it is the nesting site of the Frigatebird in Panama.

The island gets its name from the Black Iguana lizard. We even saw a few and my newlywed wife was completely terrified of them. I must also admit that the creature is just disgusting. But apparently, it plays a very important role in the ecosystem of the islands. So are we supposed to like it?

We also went snorkeling in a large marine area near the island. This redeemed our trip after the “Iguana fiasco” and made the trip very memorable. We saw many beautiful coral reefs, eels, rays, and other marine life. We were also promised at least in Humpback Whale, but that promise was not kept as the “star” refused to appear.

We had reserved the entire next day for Sport Fishing. I really like to fish and my wife likes to go out in a boat. So the arrangement was perfect. We hired a boat and a guide to go deep sea fishing with us. We were simply mesmerized by the amount of fish visible in the water. Apparently, the continental shelf falls just off the coast of Pedasí, making it a paradise for anglers like me. We caught two Tuna and a huge Mahi Mahi. The trip was just amazing.

Pedasí is a quiet and friendly city. For all its flashy arenas and condominiums, the heart of this city remains very raw and rural. People still wear their traditional costumes and highly respect their cultural values. The architecture of this city has a lot of Caribbean and Spanish influence, which makes it unique. Most of the streets, houses and gardens are very beautiful and make you feel like you are on vacation.

In short, Pedasí made our honeymoon special and memorable. He gave us so much that we don’t know how to pay it back. All we can do is recommend that you take your next vacation to this beautiful city.