Taboga Island - City of Panama

Taboga Island, Panama, also known as the "Island of Flowers," is a volcanic island in the Gulf of Panama. It is a tourist destination, about 20 kilometers from Panama City, and is about 4 km long. It is the site of Iglesia San Pedro, claimed to be the second oldest church in the hemisphere. The island is famous for its beautiful beaches, crystal clear waters, soft sands and a wildlife refuge. At low tide, the northern end of the island is joined by a sand bar to the small island of El Morro, and the southeastern end is 270 meters from Isla Urava.

The already inhabited island was "discovered" by Europeans in 1515 and was originally named Isla San Pedro by the Spanish explorer, Vasco Núñez de Balboa. Its current name derives from an Indian word, aboga. The island's first settlers were Indian slaves from Venezuela and Nicaragua. The small town of Taboga was founded in 1524 by Padre Hernando de Luque, dean of the Panama cathedral. Rose of Lima, the first Catholic saint of the Americas, may have been born on the island. French painter Paul Gauguin visited the island in 1887. In 1998, a hoard was found on the island, containing more than 1000 silver coins dating to the 1600s, possibly treasure buried by one of the pirates who frequented the area at that time.