The San Blas Islands: Traveling from Panama to Colombia

The San Blas islands are a group of about 365 islands off the Carribean coast of Panama. There are lots of tours doing day trips to the San Blas islands and two main tours organising cruises around the San Blas islands as a method to travel between Colombia and Panama.

I chose to go with San Blas Adventures as they transport the guests via a speed boat which means you sleep on the islands and minimise your time on the water and get more island time. I didn’t fancy sleeping on a boat either with people possibly being sea sick beside me. Couldn’t hack the idea of smelling other people’s vomit. No gracias.

All you need to know about San Blas Adventures:

• It’s a 3 night, 4 day trip.
• It costs $399 (or $379 if you use this discount code: TWOWANDERINGSOLES)
• You sleep in hammocks for night 1 and 2 and have a bed on night 3.
• You spend day and night 1 and 2 and day 3 on the islands.
• Night 3 is spent in a traditional Kuna village.
• The tour includes all food and accommodation from day 1 to lunch on day 4, snorkelling masks, accommodation and transport between islands.
• Not included: breakfast day 1, alcohol, snacks, 4×4 jeep to the departure point from Panama city. It’s $30.
• You can buy beers and snacks every evening on the islands.
• Bring snacks and all your alcohol for the tour.
• Obviously there is no wifi or service on the islands so you’ll be off the grid for a few days.
• You go through immigration in Colombia on day 4 and it’s very straight forward. No proof of onward travel required, just 3 photocopies of your passport.
• No running water on the islands, it’s a shower with a bucket so leave the shampoo behind, you won’t be using it.
• Everything gets soaked, waterproof your electronics like your life depended on it.
• The food is amazing.
• You meet the Kuna and learn about their culture which is so interesting.
• It’s great fun, the guides are great and you’ll meet people who will be your friends long after you finish the trip. I’m still traveling and meeting up with people I met on the trip nearly a month later.

Before the trip:

We had a pre departure meeting with the guides and all the guests to explain about the trip, collect final payment in cash and answer any of our questions. We all introduced ourselves and then headed to the shops to take out cash, buy bin liners to waterproof our bags and litres of cheap rum and fresca. You don’t have access to your big bags for the trip. Keep a day bag with you for the 4 days with all you need. You really don’t need much. A swim suit, a set of dry clothes, wet clothes, a torch, long pants and jumper for the night and a towel. Amazingly, there were no mosquitos on the islands.

Day 1

We left Luna’s castle in Panama city at 5 am and headed for a big supermarket to get last minute snacks, mixers, booze and cash. There are no ATMs in Capurgana, the small village which is the last stop of the trip and where you travel onwards in Colombia. You will need an extra $150 for dinner on night 4 and accommodation in Capurgana and money for your bus and boat out of their the next day so make sure you have enough dough on you to survive until you get to Medellin or Cartagena.

It is about a 2.5 hour drive to the coast where you get on the speed boats and head for the first island for lunch. This island is spectacular, like them all but this was one of my favourite because of its size, see through water surrounding it and starfish!

After lunch and chilling for the afternoon we headed to island 2, where we would be spending the night in hammocks. Again, another incredible island a bit bigger than the first. The food was incredible and we spend the evening on the beach, playing music, drinking and getting to know each other around a camp fire.

Day 2

We moved to an island where we would be spending the whole day and night on. This was bigger than island 1 and 2. We spend the day chilling out, snorkelling and swimming. That night we had amazing wraps made by our guides. The food was honestly some of the best food I’ve had in four months of traveling.

Day 3

We moved to the fourth and final island of the trip where we played volleyball, sunbathed, snorkelled and ate yet another incredible lunch.

We left the fourth island island in pairs on these tiny wooden boats we paddled to the traditional Kuna village, where we would spend the last night of the trip. Paddling these boats looks easy when the kuna do it but a few of us managed to capsize the boats and it took several attempts to park our boat near the dock.

The evening was spent walking around the Kuna village and learning about the Kuna traditions and culture. It was fascinating learning about an indigenous tribe who have managed to retain their culture and traditions, despite historical pressure to become part of Panama and westernise their culture.

The Kuna children put on a dance for us and enrolled us all into a game of duk, duck, goose which ended up just being a glorified game of tag free for all. It added another dimension to the trip that I hadn’t anticipated and really made the trip for me that we got the chance to interact and learn about this unique tradition tribe that have managed to avoid the stress, hustle and complexity of modern society.

Day 4:

We left early the next morning to get to Colombian immigration which was a very easy process. The town we landed in was fairly grim and desolate but had a bakery we hung out in whilst waiting for everyone to pass through immigration.

We got back on the boat after immigration and stopped in Sapzurro for lunch on the beach. This lovely little town has a nice beach but not much else in it bar a few restaurants and a hostel or two by the waterfront.

After lunch we got on the boat again only for 15 mins to Capurgana, the town we would be spending the night before we got a boat and bus to Cartagena and onwards. Again, not much in Capurgana, not even an ATM but we had a final meal together and a great night out with the crew. The boat was a struggle the next morning.

Getting out of Capurgana:

We caught the boat which take just under two hours to Necocli. The boat leaves at 8, 10 and 11.30am. We arrived to buy our tickets for Necocli that morning and the boat was full so book the night before.

From Necocli you can get a bus to Medellin, Bogota or Cartagena. The bus to Cartagena supposedly takes 7 hours but took us closer to 10. The bus has AC and reclining seats on it and stops often enough for toilets but only stops once for food so bring snacks with you.

Where to stay in Capurgana:

You can usually just wait until you arrive to book something but I had heard of friends arriving over Easter weekend and there was little left so I booked a place in advance. After 3 nights of hammocks, dorms and no showers you might welcome a private room. We booked a private room for €15 in Posada del Gecko. It’s basic enough but clean and quiet and less than a 5 min walk from the port.

The San Blas island trip was one of the highlights of my four month trip thus far and I think at the end of this year it will still stand out as one of the best things I did during my travels. It’s 100% worth the money so if you get the chance, go and explore the San Blas islands and get off the grid for a few days. My stress levels have never been so low and I’ve never switched off from reality like I did during these four days on paradise with beautiful people.

Thanks for reading!