Pedasí () is a town and

corregimiento ''Corregimiento'' (; ca, Corregiment, ) is a Spanish term used for country subdivisions for royal administrative purposes, ensuring districts were under crown control as opposed to local elites. A ''corregimiento'' was usually headed by a '' corr ...

situated on the south-eastern tip of the

Azuero Peninsula Azuero Peninsula ( es, Península de Azuero) is a large peninsula in southern Panama. It is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean in the south; the Pacific and Gulf of Montijo to the west, and by the Gulf of Panama in the east. The peninsula is effectiv ...

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

’s Pacific coast. It is the capital of Pedasí District in

Los Santos Province Los Santos () is a province in Panama, reaching from the La Villa river in the North to the Pacific Ocean in the south and east. It is part of the Azuero Peninsula, bounded by the province of Herrera to the north and northeast, and by Mariato D ...

. Its population as of 1990 was 1,494; its population as of 2000 was 1,830. It had a population of 2,410 as of 2010. As of 1 July 2020 the population had grown to 4696. It is principally a fishing village. Pedasí's town boasts a public health clinic, two banks, a library, and a handful of restaurants, mini - supermarkets and small shops. The town is equipped with telephone and Internet service. Pedasí is known for lively annual carnivals, pristine beaches, and activities such as sport fishing, diving and surfing, as well as its proximity to several of Panama's national parks and preserves. Pedasí town consists mainly of a central road (''Avenida Central''), a ''plaza'' (city center). About two blocks away are several nicely maintained civic buildings, surrounded by quiet, residential blocks. With its quaint architecture and neatly laid-out streets, Pedasí is one of the main attractions of the Los Santos region.

Geography

Pedasi is located at the South Eastern tip of the

on Panama's

Pacific coast Pacific coast may be used to reference any coastline that borders the Pacific Ocean. Geography Americas Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western or southwestern border, except for Panama, where the Pac ...

Transportation

By car from Panama City, Pedasí is a smooth, roughly five-hour drive on well maintained roads. Pedasí is served by the Capt. J. Montenegro Airport , via charter or private flights. Bus and private shuttle services to Pedasi are also available daily.

Government

Former Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso Rodríguez de Arias, Panama's first female president, is a Pedasí native. She made it an objective during her term to better the town in which she was born, giving Pedasí improved infrastructure. There is a bust and plaque in the main plaza in her honor.

Attractions

Pedasí town is a little more than three kilometers from the coast, where there are several sandy beaches.

Nearby beaches

* El Arenal (Bajadero) * Playa El Toro * Playa La Garita * Playa El Lagarto * Playa El Lanchón * Playa El Cascajal * Playa Los Destiladeros * Puerto Escondido * Playa Los Panamaes * Playa la Miel * Punta Chumico * Playa Venao

Surfing

There are several breaks on Pedasí's beaches, the most famous local surfer's attraction is Playa Venao at 20 miles from the town. In 2011 and 2012 Playa Venao hosted two World Surfing Championships ISA and boosted a world recognition of the entire area as a top notch Surfing spot, the locals claim there are always waves breaking and closing out in the beautiful bay of Playa Venao. Other more moderate breaks exist, which range from small for beginners, to overhead with the right swell. Playa El Toro has a left and right rock bottom point break for surfing (only one or two times per year with big swell), and Playa El Lagarto has left and right beach breaks (30 yards length for the better). Playa Los Destiladeros also has several breaks for surfing. Kitesurfing is possible during the dry season, January to April, particularly at Playa Arenal.

Sport fishing

Pelagic game fish are abundant because the continental shelf drops sharply relatively close to shore, with year-round catch including

amberjack Amberjacks are Atlantic and Pacific fish in the genus ''Seriola'' of the family Carangidae. They are widely consumed across the world in various cultures, most notably for Pacific amberjacks in Japanese cuisine; they are most often found in the ...

, Pacific

sailfish The sailfish is one or two species of marine fish in the genus ''Istiophorus'', which belong to the family Istiophoridae (marlins). They are predominantly blue to gray in colour and have a characteristically large dorsal fin known as the sa ...

(''Istiophorus platypterus''),

cubera snapper The cubera snapper (''Lutjanus cyanopterus''), also known as the Cuban snapper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the western Atlantic Ocean. It is a commercially important spec ...

(''Lutjanus cyanopterus''), roosterfish (''Nematistius pectoralis'') and

grouper Groupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes. Not all serranids are called "groupers"; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name "grouper" is u ...

, while ''dorado'' (''Coryphaena hippurus,'' commonly called mahi-mahi, or

dolphinfish ''Coryphaena'' is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes known as the dolphinfishes, and is currently the only known genus in the family Coryphaenidae. The generic name is from Greek κορυφή (''koryphē'', "crown, top") and -αινα (-''aina'' ...

), both

bigeye tuna The bigeye tuna (''Thunnus obesus'') is a species of true tuna of the genus ''Thunnus'', belonging to the wider mackerel family Scombridae. In Hawaiian, it is one of two species known as ahi, the other being the yellowfin tuna. Bigeye tuna are f ...

(''Thunnus obesus'') and

yellowfin tuna The yellowfin tuna (''Thunnus albacares'') is a species of tuna found in pelagic waters of tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide. Yellowfin is often marketed as ahi, from the Hawaiian language, Hawaiian , a name also used there for the closel ...

(''Thunnus albacares''), and

wahoo Wahoo (''Acanthocybium solandri'') is a scombrid fish found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas. It is best known to sports fishermen, as its speed and high-quality flesh makes it a prized and valued game fish. In Hawaii, the wahoo is kno ...

(''Acanthocybium solandri'') are found seasonally, November through April.

Isla Iguana

Isla Iguana is an island wildlife refuge that can be reached with a 20-minute boat ride from Playa El Arenal. The 52-hectare island is surrounded by an extensive coral reef, which gives it two powdery-soft white sand beaches: Playa El Cirial ( long) and Playita del Faro ( long). The refuge is home to more than 62 bird species, and a major nesting site for the

magnificent frigatebird The magnificent frigatebird (''Fregata magnificens'') is a seabird of the frigatebird family Fregatidae. With a length of and wingspan of it is the largest species of frigatebird. It occurs over tropical and subtropical waters off America, betw ...

(''Fregata magnificens''), with a population of more than 5000. The island also houses several reptile species, including the

black iguana ''Ctenosaura similis'', commonly known as the black iguanaLiner, Ernest A. and Gustavo Cass-Andreu. (2008). ''Standard Spanish, English and Scientific Names of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Mexico (2nd. ed.).'' Herpetological Circular No. 38. So ...

(''Ctenosaura similis'') for which the island is named. The refuge also comprises a 40-hectare marine area, also migrating

humpback whale The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh up to . The hump ...

s (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') between June and October—and one of the largest well-preserved coral reefs in Panama. The reef is home to a variety of fish, rays, eels, and sea turtles.

Architecture

The area's local architecture is a combination of Colonial Spanish style and modern day masonry block.

Culture

This town plaza is the location where people come to socialize at night. Some men can often be seen wearing ''cutarras'' (traditional sandals) and the region's folkloric black and white hats; women, during festivals and carnivals, don ''

pollera A pollera is a Spanish term for a big one-piece skirt used mostly in traditional festivities and folklore throughout Spanish-speaking Latin America. Polleras are made from different materials, such as cotton or wool and tend to have colorful d ...

s'', traditional hand-stitched multi-layered dresses, some of which can take nearly a year to complete. During local fiestas the women will further adorn their ''polleras'' with ornate jewelry and gold chains.

Carnival

Carnival is the annual high point of local life in Pedasí, which is renowned for the most exuberant celebration after Las Tablas. The town divides itself into two factions, (lower street) and (upper street), with their respective queens, each trying to outdo the other with floats, music and fireworks. At the end of the celebration, the winning queen is chosen by popular vote. Pedasí also celebrates the fiesta of ''Santa Catalina'' (St Catherine's Day) on November 25 (''see also:

Calendar of saints The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...

'').

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pedasi township, Los Santos Corregimientos of Los Santos Province Populated places in Los Santos Province