Isla Contadora (or Contadora Island in English) is a Panamanian island on the Pearl Islands archipelago (Spanish: Archipielago de las Perlas) in the Gulf of Panama. It has an area of 1.39 km², which makes it the 11th largest island of the archipelago. With a population of 253 (census 2000), however, it ranks third, after Isla del Rey and Isla Taboga. A popular tourist destination, Contadora has a small regional/domestic airport (IATA code: OTD), and has regular flights to and from Panama City and the rest of the islands in the archipelago. History Contadora was the island where the Spanish counted the pearls that were harvested from the other islands in the archipelago, hence the name of the island, which means "the one that counts" in Spanish. The islands produced pearls of many colors and sizes, and during the many years when pearls were harvested from the waters around the islands, the natives would converge to Contadora to count their pearls and sell them to the Spaniards. Early last century there was an underwater epidemic which killed most of the pearl oysters, reducing the production of pearls to a dribble. In 1980, the exiled Iranian shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, briefly lived in Contadora. The Contadora Peace Accords, which laid the foundation for peace in Central America, were negotiated in this island during the 1980s. Hence the Contadora Group took their name from the island's name. Tourism Contadora is a growing tourist destination known for its remote location and secluded beaches. There are two main hotels on the island, Villa Romanica and Perla Real (A large hotel named The Point still exists on the North Side of the island but this has since closed for business). However, most tourists tend to stay at the villas for rent at the northeast side of the island due to their privacy and access to a private beach. There are also several local restaurants that cater to all types of food. Restaurante Geraldo's offers Italian as well as Casa Tortuga; however, places such as the Restaurante Clarita offer more local Latin American cuisine. The main boulevard on the northeast side of the island, next to the small stretch of runway for the incoming airplane, lay several tourist shops that offer local jewelry and souvenirs as well as boating, scuba diving, and snorkeling tours. The island has also hosted three showings of the TV show Survivor