A mere few hours’ drive from Panama City you’ll find a true paradise– a 365-island archipelago with silky white sands and ultra-clear water unlike anything you’ve seen before.
The San Blas Islands lie just off Panama’s north coast, in the Caribbean. Inhabited by the autonomous Guna Yala people (also called Kunas), the islands are absolutely breathtaking, a must-see on any visit to Panama if there ever was one.
While many of us have certainly been on more than a few day trips to the beach in our lives, nothing will quite compare to this one. San Blas is almost totally undisturbed and pristine, and while popular with tourists, remains very rustic and traditional. It’s a great place for sunbathing, swimming, relaxing, and purchasing handmade artisanry made by locals, like molas.
Before going any further into trip planning or daydreaming, though, a few disclaimers.
- It’s important to note that the road conditions once you exit the main Panamerican highway are unfortunately… really, truly atrocious. We strongly recommend hiring a tour (or even just a car and driver) to take you there unless you have 4WD, nerves of steel, and don’t mind ruining your car’s suspension. The potholes are often large enough to lay down in, and the road is very badly in need of maintenance. The ride is bouncy at a minimum and frankly a bit scary, with some blind turns and steep inclines. Consider taking Dramamine prior to leaving the city to avoid motion sickness. We are extremely grateful we didn’t attempt it by ourselves and urge you not to do so either.
However, please don’t let this discourage you from visiting! There are many tour operators that do day-trips or overnights to the archipelago. They are accustomed to the drive and know exactly at what angle to go to get there safely and efficiently. - The Kuna people have autonomous control over the area and take a lot of pride and care in its management. Prior to entering the archipelago, there is a border crossing of sorts where you are effectively leaving Panama and entering Guna Yala territory. There are border patrols that check identification. If you’re not Panamanian, you must bring your passport with you.
Panamanians can show their national ID. They also charge a fee to cross– $25 for non-Panamanians and $5 for Panamanian nationals. This must be paid in cash. They also charge a flat rate of $10 per car to enter, but it doesn’t matter how many people are in the car.
- Once you get to the islands, there is a fee of $2-3 per person per island. This also must be paid in cash, though they do often have change for larger bills. If you’re catching our drift here… having cash for your visit is critically important in order to be able to pay the tolls and fees. It’s also good to have if you didn’t bring your own drinks and would like something cold to drink, or to purchase molas.
Recommended Reading
Now that that’s out of the way, it’s time to plan your trip! As we said earlier, we strongly urge you to get a day or overnight tour, or at the very least transportation to the archipelago. The roads are really unpleasant, and the transfer costs can be as low as $100 round trip.
You can (and should) plan to bring a variety of things with you, namely:
- Dramamine
- Sunscreen (and a LOT of it, as the sun is super brutal)
- Sunglasses
- Bug spray
- A change of clothes for the ride back
- Swimsuit, coverup, hat, and towel
- Cash (singles or coins are best)
- Cooler with cold drinks, snacks, etc.
Your San Blas Day Trip
Once you’ve gone through the border crossing and arrived at the port, consider going to the bathroom, as it may be the last one you see that day. It costs 0.50 per person.
Next, you’ll likely see some commotion at the small dock area. Don’t panic, this is just where you’ll get turned over to your Kuna guide for the day. These guides shepherd you from island to island and generally keep an eye on you while you’re there. Non-Kuna tour guides are strictly not allowed, so if you have a driver they will stay behind at the port area.
Depending on the size of your group, you will be herded over to a boat. Each boat holds about 20 people on long wooden bench seats. Your Dramamine will serve double duty, as the boat ride can be really choppy, with no protection from the waves. So put on your lifejacket and get ready for the splash zone!
If you go for the day like we did, you’ll likely see 3 islands and a sandbar lagoon. Some of the more popular islands include Perro Grande, Perro Chico, Wailidup, Chichime, and Pelicano.
Some islands have more infrastructure than others, but prepare yourself for a pretty rustic scene. There is no electricity, so make sure your phone and camera are fully charged prior to departing the mainland– you’ll definitely want to take photos!
Most tours include lunch, usually some sort of fish with fried plantains, salad, or potatoes. If the sun makes you as hungry as it makes us, be sure to pack some snacks to tide you over before and after lunch.
A surprisingly nice side effect of the day trip is a total lack of control. In other words, a day trip to San Blas also gives you the gift of not having to think about absolutely anything while you’re there.
The guides handle everything– they take you to an island and set you loose to swim, sunbathe, or snorkel, then collect you when it’s time to move along to the next island. Other than remembering to reapply sunscreen or deciding if you want a beer or a Coca-Cola, you have absolutely zero responsibilities while you’re here– adding to the utter enchantment of the place.
At 3:30 or so, the boat takes you back to the mainland, and you hop back in the car to head back to the city. Due to the condition of the roads, all day visitors are required to leave Kuna territory at this time– the roads are impassable after dark, and believe us, you don’t want to test that theory.
All in all, day trips to San Blas are a well-oiled machine. Your only regret will be not having more time. If you can stay overnight and are okay with a bit of roughing it, consider doing so– having more time in this paradise is never a bad thing!
To pin our guide to the islands for later, you can click here or on the photos below. As always, we love hearing your thoughts in the comments!
Lastly, for something totally different, check out our guide to some adventure options in Boquete, a town in the highlands of Panama’s westernmost Chiriquí province, just a stone’s throw from Costa Rica.
