Probably the best known of the Pearl Islands (or Islas de las Perlas), Isla Contadora is a resort island with many expensive homes. Contadora has an airport, and has regular flights to and from Panama City in small aircraft.

In 1980, the Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (aka The Shah of Iran) briefly lived on Contadora after he had left the United States for further cancer treatment.

Contadora was where the Spanish would count the pearls from their harvesting operations, hence the name.

The main hotel on Contadora has been used by the show Survivor on the three occasions the show has been set in the Pearl Islands.