SAN BLAS ISLANDS, PANAMA
When you envision paradise, you are thinking of the San Blas Islands whether you are conscious of it or not! As you approach by boat, you feel as though you are in a Hollywood movie set on an idyllic, Caribbean island - well, because you are! The San Blas Islands are made up of 365 islands spread across 100 square miles. There are different activities to do on the many islands but, without a doubt, the main things to do here are: relax in a hammock, lay out on the beach, and swim in the ocean! Enjoy!
San Blas Island Experience:
As mentioned above, the San Blas Islands are made up of 365 islands, 49 of which are inhabited. The islands are easiest to visit by booking a tour either at your hostel in Panama City or online. Tours range from $120-$370 depending on how many nights you choose to stay. I recommend spending at least 2 nights; my friend and I only spent 1 night and we both regretted it! Below is what our 2 day/1 night itinerary looked like (here is a map of the islands to contextualize the locations below):
Day 1: We were picked up from our hostel at 5:30am and driven 3 hours to Puerto de Carti. From here, the boat ride to Isla Aguja was 30 minutes. We arrived to our private hut just after 9:00am, put down our stuff, and wandered around the island. We were truly in the middle of nowhere; there could not have been more than 10 people on the entire island. Total serenity! We walked around the perimeter of the island, which could not have taken more than 30 minutes, and at 12:30pm, we sat down for lunch. The rest of the day was spent reading in hammocks or sprawled out on the beach. No complaints here! At 6:00pm, we were served dinner and, afterwards, we bought a few beers ($1 each) to enjoy while we watched the sun set in paradise. What a day!
Day 2: We woke up for breakfast at 7:30am and an hour later were on a boat to Perro Chico Isla. Here, we snorkeled around a sunken ship right off the coast for what felt like an hour. We saw fish of the brightest oranges, greens, and blues - truly remarkable! After lunch, we went on another boat ride to what is called a “natural pool” - a shallow sandbar in the middle of the ocean surrounded by water 50 meters (164 feet) deep. We were able to stand in the water here and found dozens of starfish in their natural habitat. Super cool! Our final stop was back to Perro Chico Isla for a few hours of swimming and sun-bathing before heading back to the mainland. We boarded the boat back to Puerto de Carti at 4:00pm and arrived within 30 minutes. Three hours later, by 7:00pm, we were back in Panama City wishing we could have spent at least one more night in the utopia that is the San Blas Islands!
Accommodation:
My friend and I had our accommodation booked for us through the tour (we stayed in a hut on Isla Aguja). That said, if you are looking to book something on your own, this website is a great place to start!
Transportation:
Panama City is 3-4 hours by car from the San Blas Islands. Unfortunately, no buses run this route. You must either rent a car or book a tour from Panama City. If you book a tour, transportation to and from the islands is included.
Assuming you rented a car and drove to the San Blas Islands, the drive from Puerto de Carti back to Panama City is 3 hours. There will be at least three police checkpoints along the way so have your passport and license ready. Some checkpoints require paying in cash to pass. If you book a tour, you do not need to worry about paying for any of these checkpoints.
The two closest airports to the San Blas Islands are Playón Chico (PYC) and Achutupo (ACU). If choose to fly from Panama City, upon landing at either you would need to hail a taxi or purchase a boat ticket to one of the specific ports operating trips to San Blas. Given the size of these airports, flights are hard to come by and cost $100-$150. I recommend saving yourself the headache and instead booking an all-inclusive tour from Panama City.
Thank you, Freddy, for taking the photo of me lounging in a hammock in paradise!