Get to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge Even Faster With Elevair

On our four (soon to be five) trips to Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge, we’ve enjoyed the VIP Package – they meet you at your gate at Tocumen International Airport, take you through expedited immigration, provide a driver and a night at the Hilton in downtown Panama City. Then the next morning you fly on a Copa jet to the city of David and take a boat out through the mangroves to the lodge. That enables you to see a bit of the capital and then fish a half day upon arrival.

If you are pressed for time, however, there’s another option: You can take a private plane to David. The team from Elevair meets you at your gate, takes you through a seamless, separate customs process, and takes you by van to your waiting King Air 200 turboprop. You can usually be in the air again within 45 minutes of landing in the country.

While the prices are subject to change, for a group of six now it’s not all that much more per person than the VIP package. If your group will be arriving on the same plane, or at about the same time, it actually makes a lot of sense. If you all arrive in the morning, they can get you to David, and then have the boats pick you up in Boca Chica for easy access to the fishing grounds that afternoon. If you arrive later in the afternoon, you can either go to the island or you can spend the night in Boca Chica and have the boats pick you up there for a full day of fishing.

Elevair operator Gary Moore also informed me that he’s in the process of obtaining a lease on a float plane – which means that you’ll be able to fly directly from Panama City to the lodge on Isla Parida, saving even more time. If time is money for you, or you just don’t like to wait, it’s a no-brainer. He can also arrange for private jets from the United States to the airport in David, which has immigration officers on site.

We recognize that this is not for everyone – indeed, many of you want to spend some time in Panama City to check it out – but it’s another way to make this trip seamless and special. Email us at your convenience to talk about the SFPIL experience and we’ll be happy to go over the charter flight options, too.