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San Blas Islands

Archipelago north of Panama

Photo: diego_cue, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

The San Blas Islands is a group of islands just off the Caribbean coast of Eastern Panama. The indigenous Kuna Yala tribe have self-governing authority over the islands.

Getting there and around

Getting there

By plane
Commercial flights to El Porvenir and Puerto Obaldía in Guna Yala are available through Air Panama and FlyTrip.
By helicopter
Charter operators fly from Marcos Gelabert (Albrook) Airport in Panama City.5 to 2 hours depending on the destination.
By land
From Panama City there is a regular road all the way to the ports of Cartí. Though a 4x4 vehicle is not necessary at all anymore, only registered vehicles are allowed on the final stretch of road.

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Airports and nearby hotels

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Tocumen International Airport

Tocumen · International · PTY

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Read before you go to San Blas Islands

Articles and travel topics about San Blas Islands and Panama.

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Full travel guide

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UnderstandThe local people, the Kuna, are a wonderful example of how an indigenous people continue to flourish and practice their age-old customs surrounded by the modern world. They are friendly and mostly welcoming to tourists.

TalkTulekaya is the first language of the indigenous people of San Blas., you will find the same word written in many ways like islands of "Gardi" and "Cartí" which refers to the same place.

Get inThere are a number of different boating options if you want to get here to or from Colombia:

SeeThe San Blas offers a large array of sights. Starting with the fascinating people, incredible seascapes, colorful reefs and islands, to the abundant sea life in its waters and wildlife on the mainland.

DoIf you snorkel in the Dog Islands, you will find a great variety of tropical fish in the shallow warm waters. This is not the case for the main villages that have their latrines where land and water.

BuyThe native peoples wear very colorful traditional clothing and make and sell beaded jewelry and molas, which are creatively stitched squares and articles of multi-layered cloth that can be very elaborate and take weeks…

EatThe larger villages in San Blas have small restaurants with limited menus. Villages also have small grocery stores that sell basic food items and beverages. Ice is very hard to come by in San Blas.

DrinkSome of the islands have one small bar that caters to the locals and tourists alike. Ice is in short supply. Drinks, including beer and sodas, can be purchased at small stores on some islands.

SleepThere are small and very rustic hotels on some of the islands, and due to the lack of restaurants, they offer all-inclusive meal packages.

ConnectWi-Fi is hard to find on the islands. Most of the San Blas islands are covered by +movil and Digicell, whereas coverage by Claro and Movistar is very limited.

Stay safeThe Kuna are usually timid, though friendly and welcoming of tourists.

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Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "San Blas Islands" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the Wikipedia article "San Blas Islands", available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia
Photo: diego_cue, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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