However, the airstrips in San Blas are small, so you will be flying in on a very small aircraft. The parking lot at Carti in Guna Yala, Panama. Book Your If you have kids, make sure theyre wearing their life jackets. This island has a small airstrip that can be used by private planes, but only small ones so check if you can land here. We were picked up at 7am, and we were the last people on board the boat. Rather, the San Blas Islands are perfectly preserved, allowing you to experience the rugged beauty of the islands and the welcoming nature of the local people who have long called this magical place home. Panama San Blas Tours operates a vehicle from Panama to Perro Chico on demand. Day tours start early in the morning (5-5:30am) and return to Panama City around 7 pm at night, giving you plenty of time to explore the islands. The road is quite windy and bumpy, so I imagine youd need to hire a driver or rent a vehicle. Because of this, travel to San Blas Islands is not easy. If we didnt have to pay any extra fees, we would have broken even, so we decided to go with a transportation company. In order to experience the true beauty of Panama and to understand its colorful, diverse and ancient culture, then you need to escape from Panama City to San Blas Islands. Your tour can be customized to meet your needs. Along the way you visit the San Blas islands and learn sailing on open water. We offer the best pricing in Panama for trips to the San Blas Islands. They pick you up by your place of stay and drive you in about 2,5-3 hours to Garti/Carti. Most travellers book a full sail trip that starts in Panama City and moves along the coast of Panama and the crosses a small part of the Caribbean Sea. First of all, you are required to have a 44 car to enter Guna Territory. Booking platforms such as AirBnB or similar are very comfortable and often offer guarantees but most likely you are booking via a (foreign) middleman and pay a significant premium. While it may look like coral under the water, its actually seaweed and underwater plants. So, we thought wed share our experience traveling to the San Blas Islands from Panama City. Look for full packages that include transportation (incl. You will not find all-inclusive resorts with huge swimming pools here. The rainy season also has its advantages: less people, rather calm seas and impressive thunderstorms on the mainland at night. Similar to getting to the San Blas islands from Colombia, you have the same options but more if you depart from Panama. We are currently sailing the area and will have our kids (from Vancouver) visit us soon. Look no further than the San Blas Islands in Panama! During our research, we found it made more sense (price and convenience) to go with a tours. With day tours, overnight experiences and multi-day excursions available, you can customize your San Blas Islands experience. Once you get to the Guna territory, the road gets rough. You will not need much and there is limited space in the cars and boat. Many people feel that this is the best time to visit Panama and the islands. Very crowded. The rest of the time it was very sunny and warm. Thanks so much! We pride ourselves in being a 100% indigenous business and in supporting our local communities. When is the best time to visit San Blas Islands? Curious about how to get to San Blas Islands? How to get from Tocumen to San Blas Islands by bus or ferry - Rome2rio When we made the decision to travel to Panama, we could not find firsthand information about how to get to San Blas Islands from Panama City. But these aren't the only ways. Here's what you need to know about how to get to San Blas Islands by way of an organized tour: Before you embark on your journey from Panama City to San Blas Islands, be prepared with these tips: Knowing how to get to San Blas Islands will give you an understanding of what it takes to reach these remote and desolate islands. Here, youll find very limited infrastructure, and even more limited access to technology (Tigo gets the best service here, FYI). You can drive to Puerto de Carti (the port for San Blas Islands) from anywhere in Panama, provided you have a 44 vehicle and appropriate insurance. Wear a waterproof jacket and waterproof clothing. By Water - Either from Panama City, Capurgana or Cartagena. We visited in June, in the heart of the wet season. Cruising the calm waters is magical on the yacht-based tours, but the islands are the highlight. How to get to San Blas Islands? I want to see hotel recommendations when using Rome2rio Rome2rio uses cookies to help personalize content and show you personalised ads. Final thoughts about visiting the San Blas Islands, San Blas islands on the 5-day sailing trip, travel tips and ways to make the most of your trip click here. Taxes are not included and total around $8 for the outward journey. Depending on the way that you choose to get from Panama City to San Blas, it could take several hours or even days to arrive at your island destination. The San Blas islands are under a tropical maritime climate with temperatures almost the entire year at around 27-29 degrees Celsius (or 8184-degree Fahrenheit) and night temperatures at around 23 degrees Celsius (or 73-degree Fahrenheit). It felt disorganized, because of the confused yelling and scrambling, but there is a method to the madness. Take some toys and/or educational resources for the children on the islands as gifts rather than sweets. The most common way for arriving by plane in San Blas is taking off at Panama City Airport and fly to El Porvenir. Selina Casco Viejo Lets get started! The best San Blas Islands tour companies are going to offer you a variety of experience options for an affordable price. Our local guides will take you not only to the most popular islands, but also to hidden gems that many other travelers never get to see. Most people who visit San Blas tend to embark on a tour. Required fields are marked *. Booking the tour with this company was the best investment I ever made. The San Blas Islands in Panama are a paradise for backpackers, myself included. Many of the islands are less than 1 km in diameter. Don't depend on second hand information. Make sure to book a package that includes transportation to ensure a smooth trip. "We are extremely satisfied with our experience to San Blas! Sleeping options on the islands are all run by local Kuna families since foreigners or Panamanians (that do not belong to the Kuna tribe) are not allowed to own islands or conduct business in San Blas. There are many San Blas hotels that offer panoramic views and immersive experiences. How to Get to San Blas? Depending on the time of year, the road may have giant potholes and eroded pavement, which is why you MUST have a 44 Jeep or SUV. We also offer one-way, multi-day island hopping trips from Panama to Colombia and from Colombia to Panama as an alternative to open-water sailing as well as cultural visits to Kuna villages to get up close with our unique indigenous culture. There are several ways to book a stay on the islands with options increasing if you speak Spanish. San Blas Islands to Eberswalder Strae (Berlin U-Bahn) via - Rome2rio Take the Bus from Panama City to Cart. The San Blas Islands are a chain of remote islands off the coast of Panama City, and each island features its own incredible views and experiences. Exhilarating adventures, breathtaking landscapes and fairy-tale coral reefs. This particular location appears to be geared towards tourists who book a tour to the San Blas Islands. Eventually, we were guided to the boat that would transport us to our final destination. Do you want to become a partner of San Blas? Most of the drivers who drop off guests in the morning will wait around to transport guests back to Panama City. You may only be able to visit a single island. I believe its $21 USD per person for foreigners (as of February 2020). We tried to get people to talk to us about it both on departure and arrival and struck out both times. This water taxi takes you to one of the major islands of San Blas. How to Get to San Blas Islands, Panama - As We Saw It 51 likes, 1 comments - Wandering Heebs (@wanderingheebs) on Instagram: "San Blas is a group of beautiful remote islands on the Caribbean Sea side of Panama, run by the n." Wandering Heebs on Instagram: "San Blas is a group of beautiful remote islands on the Caribbean Sea side of Panama, run by the native Guna (pronounced Kuna) tribe. We expected to visit a port town on the sea, but instead we ended up at this parking lot. Most accommodations dont provide towels or soap/shampoo so bring those along as well (the more environmentally friendly, the better) and we always advise all visitors to take their trash back to Panama City with them. Sea San Blas Jan 26, 2022 BOOK NOW In order to experience the true beauty of Panama and to understand its colorful, diverse and ancient culture, then you need to escape from Panama City to San Blas Islands. It appears to be a daily routine. There are no stores or fuels stations here. The road is full of pot holes and drivers are swerving all over the road to avoid them. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. If you want to get straight to San Blas, you can charter a private plane to one of the islands. We knew we wanted to visit San Blas on our trip to Panama and after doing insane amounts of research we chose a sailing trip. Our challenge is finding transport from Panama City to Puerto de Carti. In this case, you can mostly not choose which island youd like to visit. The indigenous province is regulated by the Guna people (those indigenous to the San Blas Islands) and they have been known to change their entry rules with no warning. I recommend just taking a backpack and taking as little as possible. Sailing from Columbia to San Blas Islands (or vice versa) is another popular way to visit these islands, given the close proximity between Panama and Columbia. Increasingly popular are wooden cabins over the water or on the land but you can also find palm-thatched cabins with sand floor or even options for camping. The boat ride is quite bumpy. We did the day trip to San Blas. Spacious apartments, central location and rooftop pool. The drive from Panama City to San Blas takes about 2 hours and 45 minutes. Shallow waters surround the islands. While some may prefer to charter a sailboat and sail to the islands, others prefer to book a San Blas Islands tour with a reputable company. However, apparently, this is to avoid morning traffic and maximize time on the islands, which makes sense. Is a San Blas Islands sailing trip worth it? The islands are part of the Comarca de Kuna Yala, an independent indigenous territory on the Caribbean side of Panama. From the checkpoint to Carti takes another 1.5 hours, for a total of 3 hours (with a short break at the checkpoint). Getting to the San Blas Islands by yourself is possible, but requires a lot of planning and flexibility. You can book San Blas Islands tours here. Make sure to understand who you are booking with some of them are local Kuna people but many are foreign or Panamanian agencies or operators that are not in San Blas themselves but either in Panama City or abroad. |, Best islands and places to visit in San Blas, Panama. Just four wooden walls, an aluminum roof, 3 beds and some linen. For a truly relaxing experience, we recommend staying for at least 2-3 days. How would that work on the boat? $1,092 - $1,094. The Kuna people are the native inhabitants of the San Blas Islands and have lived there for centuries. How to get from Panama City to San Blas Islands The island size shifts with the changing tides. It did rain, but not for the whole trip, and only a few hours at a time. Theres no way to pick which one you get. Tickets cost $153 and the journey takes 6h 58m. Go to the bathroom before boarding the boat. There are approximately 365 islands and cays, one for each day of the year! Some companies share a bit of their profit with us as thanks for the referral. Hey, y'all! Watch this short video. I. This archipelago of 365 islands lies just off Panama's Caribbean coast, making it easily accessible from the mainland. This is the boat dock on Yanis Island. Since Covid, it is no longer possible to visit the San Blas Islands without having accommodation pre-booked. To get there it is necessary to fly to the Isla de Corazn de Jess. San Blas islands belong to the protected territory known as Kuna Yala, an autonomous district inhabited and ruled by the indigenous population, the Kuna people. However, it is generally difficult to get in touch with them and most speak only Spanish or might not be very responsive. Alternatively, Air Panama also has several daily flights to Kuna Yala Panama. The purpose of traveling is not only to see the sights, but to truly experience the way of life in a different part of the world. Recommended Fly Houston to Panama City, travel Fly from Houston (IAH) to Panama City (PTY) Travel from Panama City to San Blas Islands Most sleeping options are built from natural materials and you can find a variety of different styles. There are several options to choose from. Its great for adventure sports and hiking, bird watching, wildlife treks, volunteering and discovering indigenous culture. They have their own language, Guna, which is still spoken by the majority of the population, and their traditional clothing is a significant part of their cultural identity and is regularly worn by the women. Once you arrive at the port, you can take a boat to your chosen island. I suppose you can arrange boat transportation and overnight accommodations at Puerto de Carti, but I would not recommend that option. Its in the middle of nowhere, so we were confused. We would dive all day then make a dive or 2 at night. You can fly to San Blas Islands from Panama City. Getting to the San Blas Islands, Panama (Guna Yala) - Winging the World Tripadvisor performs checks on . All Rights Reserved | Sea San Blas, SeaSanBlas.com are all registered trademarks of Sea San Blas Ltd. This was an amazing trip! In a country that gets 8 months of rain a year, large potholes are very common, so even when its repaved, it usually doesnt stay great for long. Is it worth visiting San Blas Islands? But rainy season (April to November) also has its perks! First of all, there's the 44 drive to Carti (or Gardi), after which all you do is catch a quick boat to the islands themselves. After 45 minutes of waiting, we starting asking questions and bothering people to figure out what was happening. For the day tours, you wont really need to pack much, but be sure to pack a set of dry clothes for the journey back. Hostels, hotels, beach camping, cabanas, and villas are all options for your stay. Timing for getting to San Blas is important to get to the port when the boats are leaving (or at least when theyre supposed to). The drive from Panama City to San Blas Islands passes through Guna Yala, which is an indigenous province in northeast Panama on the Caribbean coast. We hope we could help a bit in preparing your trip and of course to see you soon there! The local government permits a number of selected drivers to bring tourists in 4WD to San Blas, or you can drive in your own car (necessary: 4WD) to the port of Cart. How To Get To San Blas Islands: By Boat, Car, or Plane. Transport to the San Blas islands, Panama These island tours offer small group sizes. We did SO MUCH research and talked to so many different people as we were planning our trip, that I absolutely HAD to share it. Panama is a wonderful country which definitely deserves a visit! How to get to the San Blas Islands from Colombia. Our San Blas Islands trip did not exactly go according to plan find out what happened here. Can you take a day tour to San Blas from Panama City? 12 Things to KNOW Before Booking a Trip to the San Blas Islands Very useful and just what I was looking for. As I mentioned above, arranging your own boat transportation at Carti can be very difficult. But ask questions if you feel like something is not right. Indeed, there are much higher chances to encounter rainy days or thunderstorms during rainy season, but those happen mostly during the night and as quickly as they show up, as quickly it is usually followed by sunshine. When you discover how to get to the San Blas Islands, you will quickly realize that this destination needs to be added to your bucket list. The archipelago is roughly 145 kilometers (90 miles) away from Panama City, which is where most people travel from. Be patient, and enjoy the journey! This is an adventurous way to begin your journey to the San Blas Islands.