Introducing Archipiélago de Las Perlas

In January 1979, after the followers of the Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini had forced Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi to pack up his hundreds of millions of dollars and flee Iran, the shah looked the world over and moved to Isla Contadora. It’s one of 90 named islands in the Archipiélago de las Perlas, or Pearl Islands, any one of which is fit for a king – or a shah.

Named for the large pearls that are found in its waters, the Pearl Islands are comprised of 90 named islands and over 100 unnamed islets, each surrounded by travel magazine–worthy, white-sand beaches and turquoise waters. Isla Contadora is the best-known ­island of the group, especially since the island is home to the palatial mansions of the rich and powerful. The Pearl Islands were also the site of the popular US TV show Survivor, which filmed the 2003 season of their sensationalist series on an unnamed island in the chain.