ISLA GOVINDA SANCTUARY
Nestled at the south end of Isla Parida, the largest of the Lost Islands of Baru, lies 570 acres surrounding Playa Grande, the island’s longest beach which is the nesting grounds for four endangered turtle species. This exceptional property is a private natural reserve within the Chiriqui Gulf National Marine Park of Panama, with irreplicable features of natural beauty, surreal solitude, and environmental purity.
With cooperation and support from ANAM (Panama’s environmental agency which protects the marine park), two years ago a unique wildlife sanctuary and reproduction project was undertaken to populate the island once again with the majestic macaws, toucans, conures, etc. Breeding of five macaw species, all indigenous to Panama, is underway and already resulting in offspring. Experiments with release have been successful. The sight of these amazing birds soaring, swooping, screeching through the sky and trees is… awesome. Species of macaws: Severe, Buffons, Green Wing, Blue & Gold, Scarlet (about a dozen pairs in all). Many permanent and aesthetic cage units surround the villa’s grounds.
Inclusive is a working farm, ongoing macaw repopulation program, safe anchorage ports (island and mainland), 28x10 aluminum high speed landing craft, 26x5 fiberglass boat, 54 hp farm tractor and mower, outbuildings, employee cabins, water supply system, solar electric system, small 3-unit guest cottage, hundreds of exotic fruit trees, and of course, the hilltop deluxe villa with landscaped grounds. Garage, tool room, storage loft, and an studio apartment comprise a separate building. The property includes two small inland mangrove pockets, a second beach (700 ft) with light sand, two year round streams, two seasonal streams (one flowing onto Playa Grande), about 70 acres of established pasture, 500 acres of original (and some secondary) rainforest, about 5 miles of coastline, towering Nispero trees, and abundant wildlife: caimans, boas, sea and land birds, amazons, parrots, anteaters, sloth, and more. We have the only white tail deer on the island.
Mangos, avocados, cherimoya, sugar apple, soursop, sapodilla, plums, tamarind, mangosteen, caimito, guaba, pixbae, various citrus, rambutan, sapote, anon, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, breadfruit, sweet drink coconuts, guava, papaya, various bananas, plantains, apricote, longon, zatra, mountain apples, marignon, icaco, lemons, oil palms, cacao, and more.
Islas Paridas is a group of islands and islets 8 kilometers off the Pacific coast, 15 km south of Boca Chica and 35 km SE of the city of David. With 2500 acres, Isla Parida is the main island, and has no municipal development and roughly 20 private properties. The sanctuary thus encompasses about a quarter of the island thus far and much of the adjacent land is available if one wished to increase the size of the wildlife preserve. Isla Parida is undiscovered, undeveloped, pristine, and relatively inexpensive. Internet and radio phone service ($95/month) is in place. Call us and you will hear the birds in the background!
We have been going in to David once every two weeks. Laden with supplies and materials, our pickup and trailer go 20 km east of David to our private dock in Chorcha where we load the barge (www.munsonboats.com) and set out going down the estuary and inland waters, past Islas Mono and Muertos to the tip of Boca Brava Island. Here is the passage to the open ocean, where we bypass sandbars and lazy dolphins, arriving at our own private protected anchorage in Paridas after an hour on the water. The barge has twin Evinrude E-Tec 150’s and we also have a 26x5 open boat with a 50 HP Evinrude. To shuttle workers or make special trips, the smaller boat uses 8-10 gallons gas roundtrip (45 for the barge). Then we unload our cargo into our John Deere Gator and Challenger tractor with trailer, proceeding uphill and across pastures, by Santa Cruz beach, and through rainforest (mostly concrete road) to Playa Grande. The drive across this wide, firm beach, with the villa on the hilltop at the far end, is exhilarating. Then up a steep driveway to 165 feet above the ocean, and we have arrived at El Nido (The Nest), to the raucous greeting of curious and hungry macaws.
Isla Govinda Sanctuary could be a wonderful island equestrian ranch (one gentle mare included), part-time family retreat, full-time home, island eco-tourism enterprise, one’s own private wildlife refuge, or any of numerous other exotic affairs. You could establish a safari zoo with zebras (they are in Panama), or breed emus, ostrich, and deer. Visible from the villa: Sunrise and sunsets, whales spotted daily in season, manta rays in the surf down below, Isla Coiba and Las Ladrones on the horizon, the red airplants high in the rainforest treetops, the crashing waves spraying 50 feet upwards at island’s end. Virgin and raw, wild and splendid, surf and coral reefs, pelicans and magic forests, and coastal lights from Puerto Armuelles at night- 45 miles away. Volcan Baru (11,583 ft) looms in the north.
Isla Parida is quiet- no visitors, very rarely even a passing boat, occasionally a police helicopter on patrol, maybe 20 people on the whole island at any one time, connected by rudimentary paths along shorelines and through the jungle.
Further photos and information are available to serious inquiries only, please. Unfortunately, family illness back in the States has short circuited our plans in paradise. Full transitional assistance to a new owner is included. Birds optional. Price fairly firm.
