Shopping for Pearls -- Casaya Island is home to a very humble village with no electricity, and residents collect and sell pearls to visitors from their homes. There are no "stores" here; typically, when residents see a tourist walking by, they'll pop out with their glass jars and matchboxes that they use to store loose pearls, which are teeny-tiny, irregularly shaped, and varying in luster, costing from $5 to $25 (£2.50-£13). Don't expect to find any gems -- residents contact expert buyers as soon as they find anything valuable, so what's left over for tourists isn't particularly impressive. However, pearl buying can be fun, and it's a good way to support the floundering local economy. On Sunday, residents pour into the streets, drink a lot of warm beer (there's no electricity, remember), and hold cock fights that usually either repel or fascinate visitors. Otherwise, this is a low-key excursion, recommended more as a pleasant 1-hour boat ride to get to the Casaya and make contact with the locals. The average cost is $60 (£30) round-trip for a maximum of four people; ask your hotel to hook you up with a boatman, or find one at the Punta Galeón dock.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
