This is your Ultimate Guide to a San Blas Islands tour by San Blas Adventures: The best way to get from Colombia to Panama and see the amazing San Blas archipelago! This four-day boat adventure was one of the most amazing experiences we had in the region with island hopping, snorkeling, bonfires, and amazing, tropical scenery.
WHY A BOAT TRIP IS BETTER THAN A FLIGHT
The journey from Colombia to Panama is not a straightforward transit. The dangerous Darien Gap Jungle makes it impossible to pass through overland on a bus or via car. The most common way to reach Panama from Colombia is to fly to Panama City. However, we found that the flight tickets were $250 USD one way, which is quite expensive given the distance of the flight. The next option is to sail or take a boat from Cartagena, Colombia to Panama City, which sounded like the most adventurous option. We organized a 3-night/4-day San Blas Islands tour boat trip from Colombia to Panama, which costs $399 USD with San Blas Adventures.
WHY WE DECIDED TO GO DO A SAN BLAS ISLANDS TOUR
If you need to get to Panama City in a rush then you will definitely need to fly. However, if you are backpacking or traveling through Central/South America, the boat trip is the best option.
- The cost of the San Blas Islands Tour was $399 and the flight from Colombia to Panama was $250. Therefore you get the San Blas Islands tour and transit bundled into one convenient package for only $150 more than the flight itself.
- You need to transit one way or the other so combining the transit with an authentic adventure seems to make the most sense.
My mate Josh and I decided that for the extra $150 we would do the boat trip with San Blas Adventures for $399. Included in this fee were all accommodation, transits, meals, snorkels, and activities. The only other money we spent was on beers and coconuts but it was only a few dollars here and there. The group was awesome and we ended up having an epic time.
SAN BLAS ADVENTURES BOAT TOUR
In this San Blas Islands blog post, I am going to give you a detailed look into the four-day San Blas Islands tour with San Blas Adventures. It was seriously an epic four days of living like nomadic pirates and getting a unique insight into the Kuna culture and way of life. Of course, the scenery was out of this world and I was lucky enough to get permission from the Kuna leaders to fly my drone to be able to get a unique aerial perspective of this beautiful region.
SAN BLAS ADVENTURES TOUR AVAILABILITY
The calendar below shows the availability of the current tours with San Blas Adventures!
CARTAGENA TO SAPZURRO
For our journey, we needed to get from Cartagena to Panama City. The first step was to get to Sapzurro, a small town where the San Blas Islands tour departs. San Blas Adventures makes it really easy with instructions on how to get there by public transport. It was two relatively long days of transit before the tour even started, which is something to take into consideration, but there is no real way around that unless you sail from Cartagena directly. Beware of sailing directly as you will be stuck on the boat the whole time. The max time we were on the boat was 2 hours and for the rest we were exploring islands and villages, which is the best way!
From Cartagena we caught the following transports to Sapzurro:
TRANSIT DAY 1
- Taxi from Cartagena to the bus station
- 10-hour public bus to Necocli
TRANSIT DAY 2
- 1.5-hour Public boat from Necocli to Capurgana
- 15-minute ferry from Capurgan to Sapzurro (or you can do the 5km hike over the hill)
THE PANAMA – COLOMBIA BORDER
DAY 1
We woke early and jumped in our passenger boat, which we would be cruising for the next four days. This was the official start of our San Blas Island tour. All of the bags were wrapped in black garbage bags, people were showered, and smelt nice. The next four days would be all about the adventure and that kicked off with our first stop at the Panama/Colombia border.
Our boat pulled in and we were asked to bring out all of our bags and lay them in rows on the wet cement. Still in the black garbage bags, a sniffer dog was released from a small cage as a soldier with a machine gun led him around our bags. He finished and luckily none of the guys in our group had been dumb enough to try and smuggle anything across the border!
We thought that might be the end of the process. However, they indicated we would need to have every single back, and every single pocket individually searched. This took about an hour for our group of 13. After we finally finished we went to the local bakery with our bags to chill and wait for our passports.
After five hours of waiting on the island, we finally got our passports and could head off. It is a pretty lengthy process as the guards need approval from the head office. It doesn’t seem like the most efficient system ever but if you want to get through via boat this is just how it goes. We had a kick-around with some local kids, watched the world cup, had numerous coffees, and pastries, and chatted amongst ourselves. Five hours passed quickly.
ATIDUP ISLAND
DAY 1
Leaving our lengthy process of border security behind us we got back in our boat and headed off in the direction of Atidup Island. It was finally time after 2.5 days of transit to enjoy the San Blas Islands tour. This is where the fun began.
Atidup Island was beautiful. No one else was there, it was our private island for the afternoon. A beach volleyball court was sheltered by plentiful coconut trees. The sun was out and the good times were rolling. All around us were beautiful yet empty, palm-tree-laden islands. Most of the islands we would see on the trip seemed untouched or occupied by one small bamboo hut.
Coconuts and beers were available but Josh and I opted to get straight into the water to snorkel the nearby reef, which turned out to be amazing. A huge shelf of the reef drops down into the dark abyss. Hundreds of fish swam about the brightly colored coral. We even found a tunnel that we held our breath through for a few nervous moments!
Back on dry land we grabbed a coconut and settled into a chair. The local Kuna tribe from Caledonia village had sent a boat of talented kids to perform a traditional dance. They are the champions in the region and it showed. It was a great show for the kids, some as young as five getting in on the action with flutes and dancing.
In the distance, the sun began to set over the layers of mountains in the Darien Gap. From beneath the palm trees, we watched the early colors develop. We jumped in the boat to watch the final moments of the sunset, which spectacularly lit up the dense layer of clouds above.
CALEDONIA ISLAND
DAY 1
We arrived after sunset at Caledonia Island, which would be our home for the evening. It is the main Kuna Island in the San Blas Islands. The village is home to 900 people, 600 of which are children. The Kuna people sleep in hammocks, eat a lot of seafood and the kids love soccer. They have a rich history and have overcome a lot throughout the years.
There is just one hostel and restaurant on the island, both of which offer luxuries like beer for sale and allow alcohol consumption. Alcohol is not allowed outside of the hostel or restaurant. We had a big group dinner of octopus, fish, and vegetables before heading back to the hostel for a few drinks.
DAY 2
Our accommodation at Caledonia Island was simple but everything we needed. The bungalow-style accommodation hung out over the water and one side and was an epic spot to welcome the new day. Our legendary crew made us a breakfast of fresh fruit, Kuna bread, chia seeds, peanut butter, coffee, and tea. The food was really good throughout the whole trip but breakfasts with fresh tropical fruit were my favorite.
After quickly packing up we set off for a big day of adventures on our San Blas Islands tour. In the San Blas Islands archipelago, there are 365 different islands and on this trip, we would be setting foot on five of those! We boarded our boat and settled in for a 2-hour drive. It would be the longest boat ride of the adventure. You get to spend 90% of your time on the islands and 10% (8 hours) in the boat throughout the entire 4 days, which is prime.
PELICAN ISLAND
DAY 2
The waves weren’t too bad for most of the trip to Pelican Island but I was definitely glad to be on a boat for 2 hours and not a sailboat for 4 days. Two hours was enough. We rolled into Pelican Island, another deserted island for our group of 13 to enjoy for the afternoon. One of the great parts about this San Blas Islands tour is that it wasn’t rushed. Sometimes on a trip or island hopping adventure, you get one or two hours on an island. We would get 3-5 hours. It meant you could play volleyball, explore, and have lunch but also wind down and read a book. You didn’t get to the accommodation at night completely wrecked from trying to fit it all in.
Beach volleyball fast become the activity of choice for our crew. It’s always risky spending four days in tight quarters with a group of others but I think the adventurous nature of this trip ensures everyone on board loves the beach, and being outdoors, and wasn’t looking for a luxury, glamping experience. Everyone was keen to get involved with activities, games, or exploring.
Josh and I shot some hoops on the jungle basketball court despite both scoring 1/50 shots. It’s just how you look in the photo right?
After another amazing lunch of quinoa salad, pasta salad, and chicken, we lay on the beach watching small sailboats ferry coconuts to and from the villages.
TUPILE (REVOLUTION ISLAND)
DAY 2
After our relaxing afternoon at Pelican Island, we docked into our home for the night, which was Revolution Island. It got the name after being the central hub for the revolution when the Kuna tribes came together here to take back their land. Now, Tupile, is a peaceful village with kids playing volleyball and soccer, older women making bracelets.
We went on a short tour of the village but Josh and I got sidetracked and ended up losing our group and getting involved in some games and soccer with the local kids. It was a crazy afternoon of laughs and fun hanging out with the kids and teenagers of the village.
Dinner at Tupile was amazing! The crew made chicken burritos, Panama-style, and a pumpkin sauce. It was incredible the quality of food they were coming out with as they cooked from small islands with ingredients we had brought in coolers from Colombia.
Our beds for the night would be hammocks. I had never slept in a hammock before so this was a first for me and it ended up being more comfortable than I had expected. I slept in shorts and a t-shirt without even a blanket, although some in our group used blankets that had been brought.
ISLA PELICANO
DAY 3
Another day, another island. We set off from Tupile and made our way to Isla Pelicano. It took about an hour and we arrived mid-morning. The island required almost no exploring as it was about fifty meters across the island at the longest point, which made it a sweet little spot to hang out on the sand, read a book and fly the drone!
The snorkeling at Isla Pelicano was pretty cool. While we didn’t quite find any epic reef, there were so many starfish and we even came across a spotted ray only a few meters out from the shore. You can tell this is a region with a diverse array of wildlife. Dolphins, fish, rays, and everything in between had been spotted during our San Blas Islands Tour.
Lunch was outstanding once again with multiple healthy salads and tuna baguettes. It’s amazing that the best, healthy food we had during our time in Colombia/Panama was on a deserted island in the middle of the ocean! The crew really rocked it at every meal.
This island was beautiful, but it wasn’t until I sent the drone up to explore that I saw how epic the reef system was around Isla Pelicano. Huge drop-offs from the shelf into deep blue water create an epic contrast. Giant blue holes look like perfect spots to snorkel, explore and watch the native marine life.
COCO BANDERA ISLAND
DAY 3
After Isla Pelicano, we made our way to our headquarters for the night, which would be Coco Bandera Island. It was a beautiful little island, about 100 meters long. It was adorned with palm trees and white sand with a few huts for sleeping, cooking, and the local Kuna people. We slept in hammocks inside the bamboo and leaf huts and eat our meals out in the communal hut.
Luckily the huts had strong roofs because that night a huge storm hit us. We managed to stay dry and despite the storm, it wasn’t cold, just very wet!
Coco Bandera Island has a volleyball court, which our crew made the most of for several hours! There was also some great snorkeling to be had and we even watched a few dolphins cruising around the island. Not long ago a huge sea turtle came ashore to lay her eggs. The hatchlings had already scampered out to sea before we arrived.
We spent the night enjoying a few beers, which were available for $2 a bottle on the island, and some rum we had brought from Colombia. Sat around a bonfire on Coco Bandera Island in the middle of the ocean was the perfect end to our last night of the San Blas Islands tour.
DAY 4
We packed up at Coco Bandera Island and enjoyed a relaxing morning in the sun. After lunch, we made the 1-hour boat trip to the port in Panama. Here we loaded into jeeps organized by San Blas Adventures and made the 3-hour journey through the jungle to arrive at our Hostel. We were pretty damn tired and dirty from our epic trip so we showered up and got a good night’s sleep at Mamallena Hostel in Panama City. If you want to book a night of accommodation at Mamallena for the night after your trip you can click here.
SAN BLAS ADVENTURES TOUR VIDEO
We made a short video of the adventure, which you can check out below.
SAN BLAS ISLANDS MAP
The map below was made by San Blas Adventures and give you a great guide of the whole process from Cartagena all the way through to Panama City. Depending on where you begin, whether it be Cartagena or Capurgana, this San Blas Islands Tour map will help you understand the whole process from start to finish.
WHAT TO PACK FOR A SAN BLAS ISLANDS TOUR
I went pretty basic in terms of packing but there are some key things to consider while packing your bag. You will need a daypack with all of your gear as your big luggage will be wrapped in plastic and taken from Colombia to Panama and you will only have access to it after the trip. Essentially they transport it there for you so you will wave goodbye to it in Colombia and see it at the end of the trip. This means you need to pack everything you need in your day pack. Here is what I recommend packing for the San Blas Islands tour.
Another point to note is that there will not be electricity along the way. So a power bank is necessary if you want to charge your phone and camera.
- Daypack: For the last 3 years I have traveled the world with my Victoria Tourist Camera Laptop Backpack. It is only $60 on Amazon and one of the few camera backpacks that hold your camera and 3 lenses in a padded, easy access pouch, a 13-inch MacBook Pro and still have room for everything else. I’ve talked about how good this bag is to so many people that lots of my friends have traded in their expensive Lowepro bags for my budget backpack because it is the best all-rounder for a backpacker who takes photographs and uses a laptop. You can check it out on Amazon by clicking here.
- 2 T-shirts or tank tops
- 2 Boardshorts or shorts
- Reusable water bottle: Generally for me, the Hydro Flask has always been the best bottle to keep your water cold throughout the day and a great way to not use a ton of small plastic bottles. On this trip, you can buy gallon plastic bottles, which is still better than lots of small plastic bottles. Each morning fill up your Hydro Flask from your gallon and you are good to go! You can check out the Hydroflask and pick a color you like by clicking here.
- Flip-flops/Sandals: You won’t need shoes on this trip so save space by just packing a pair of flip-flops or sandals.
- Sunscreen
- Toiletries: I literally just packed soap, deodorant, toothbrush, and toothpaste. For me, island living is not a fashion parade. Bring the essentials but leave the beauty products and hair straighteners in your big bag!
- Power Bank: I’ve used a lot of power banks and the most reliable and long-lasting is the Anker Powerbank. It has a dual USB-slot and it never drains itself or magically appears to be dead like others I’ve had in the past. I can charge my camera batteries and my phone multiple times with this gem. You can check the Anker Powerbank out on Amazon by clicking here.
- Camera Gear: Your camera phone may be enough for you. Obviously, I packed a lot more to shoot the whole trip. If you want to check out the gear I use to capture photos on this trip and all of the trips I take across the world you can click here. I use a drone, GoPro, Sony Action Camera, DSLR camera and my iPhone.
View the full blog post: MY TRAVEL BLOGGER CAMERA GEAR & GENERAL TRAVEL EQUIPMENT LIST
I hope this blog post convinced you to explore the San Blas Islands via boat during your journey from Colombia to Panama City. Like I mentioned above it is only an extra $100-200 to do the entire tour than to fly direct. Therefore unless you are in a rush this is the best way to explore the San Blas Islands and transit to Panama to continue your travels.
It was an absolute blast thanks to our guide Svea and her crew who made sure everything was always organized and we were never hungry! I can’t recommend this experience enough so I hope you guys get out to the San Blas Islands and be sure to message me when you do with a photo! Let me know if you have any questions about the trip. You can email me at [email protected] or contact me via direct message on Instagram.
Kim
Friday 12th of May 2023
Beautiful pictures and story. We would love to go there. May I ask how you got permission to fly your drone? Thanks in advance!
Austin Gosney
Monday 11th of October 2021
I read a lot of your articles and every one of the articles are extremely useful. I also might want to contribute an article on your website page. I have been composing a lot of articles and might want to distribute them on your site. Desire to get a positive reaction from you.
Thanks
Michael Roche
Monday 6th of January 2020
Nice blog. I was going to do the sailing trip from Cartagena but after reading this, I signed on withSan Blas Adventure. I used the link to save 5% on the trip and the money saved mostly paid for the Anker Powerbank you also recommended. So a worthy read!
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