San Blas Hotels
Posted by Travel Editor
Where to stay in the San Blas Islands
The lure of the tropical islands of San Blas brings many of visitors from around the world each year. The islands have a range of San Blas hotels options available for all of those visitors. From home stays with a Kuna family to simple, rustic hotels to somewhat more costly luxury hotels, there is a choice, if you wants to visit these beautiful islands.
The Coral Lodge is a good pick if you are searching for luxury San Blas hotels. Located near the Comarca de Kuna Yala , this hotel, with its little cabanas build over the water, is popular with tourists to the San Blas islands. You will be staying surrounded by the rainforest as a backdrop, and pristine white sand beaches. You will be able to watch the sea, with amazing views of the sunrise and sunset from your private balcony of your cabana. The rooms are air conditioned and are very tastefully decorated in rattan and teak furniture. Fresh seafood Latin, Kuna and Caribbean food is on the menu, served at the Coral Lodge restaurant.
The Dad Ibe Island Lodge is another popular San Blas hotel, consisting of a few basic authentic cabins with private balconies and hammocks on the beach where you can enjoy the gorgeous views of the surrounding sea. You are surrounded by quiet deserted beaches, and coconut trees. Each room has a shower and toilette. Three meals with lots of seafood and fruit per day are included in the price. It’s not luxury accommodation, basic, but worth the price. The Kuna who own the Dad Ibe Island Lodge are very helpful, friendly and provide good service.
Another popular San Blas Hotel would be the Kuna Niskua Lodge. It’s actually a hostel five minutes from El Porvenir airport in the Wichub-Wala island. There is no beach here but they will take you to other islands close by where you can enjoy the beach, snorkel, diving etc. Accommodation is basic and comfortable, consisting of 10 bungalows rooms most having a private bathroom. There are hammocks for you to relax in. Electricity is solar panel generated and available only after 6:00 during the evenings. The Kuna Niskua Lodge offers friendly service and is clean and very reasonably priced for budget travel to the San Blas Islands. You will have lots of opportunity to meet the Kuna Indians here and explore the neighboring islands.
The San Blas hotels on the Islands range in price from budget to luxury accommodations but you are not going to find world wide chain hotels here. The hotels in San Blas are owned by the Kuna people and are all prime examples of eco-tourism at its best. Don’t expect 5 star luxury hotels here because you won’t find it. Travelling to the San Blas Islands is an escape to pristine beaches, great fresh seafood, relaxation and various activities such as fishing, snorkeling, diving and swimming. You can also go on a tour of a Kuna village, or your hotel owner will provide you with a boat or boat ride to see the other nearby islands. The San Blas Islands are paradise vacation, a romantic getaway, a family adventure vacation. You won’t find a Best Western in Paradise.
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How to Get to the San Blas Islands
Posted by Travel Editor
Exactly how do you get to the San Blas Islands Panama?
The San Blas Islands Panama attract many of tourists each year searching for a tropical island escape, surfing on amazing waves, a backpacking adventure vacation, from all over the world. The Islands are close to Panama, on its north east coast and well connected to the mainland and can be reached quite easily.
How to get to the San Blas Islands? Tlhere are several options available to you. A 20 minute plane ride from Panama City will take you to these beautiful islands. A vast majority of people arrive in these islands by plane, though there are boats too that are available to take you to the San Blas Islands. Daily flights are available offered by Air Panama and Aeroperlas. You can book a return flight from the Aeropuerto Marcos A Gelabert or more commonly known as the Albrook Airport in Panama City for about $80 US to the Playon Chico airport in the San Blas Islands. You must book your flight in advance because there is only one flight per day and the flights fill up fast. You also must have a hotel reservation at one of the San Blas hotels so you will be picked up at the airport and taken to your accommodation.
You can reach the San Blas Islands by boat from the mainland. There are many small boats which supply essential items to the islands, which also double up as ferry service. With a little bit of luck you can easily get on one of these boats and reach your vacation island destination. You can easily find them in the harbor at Colon.
You can also find many such boats anchored in Nombre de Dios, Carti and Portobello. These boats take supplies over to the islands and you may be able to get a ride with them for a small price. Another option would be to rent a boat to take you to the island of your choice. In fact, a vast majority of visitors to these islands often rent boats. Chartered boats are a great way to explore the numerous islands of the region. They also offer you a great way to enjoy the natural splendor of the region’s rich coral life. For those looking for some adventure, hiring a kayak would be a great way to have some fun, as well as travel between the various islands.
There is a road to the San Blas Kuna yala (El Llano/Carti) and you can hire a driver to pick you up in Panama City and take you by four wheel truck to the Islands for about $25 per person, each way.
Many large cruise ships too pass through the islands. Cruise ships are the best if you want to soak in spectacular views of the islands and the coral reefs. Luxury yachts are another great way to explore the manifold natural splendors of the area. Apart from helping you travel between the various different islands, luxury yachts would also double up as world class accommodation too. This is what makes them a favorite with visitors to the islands. You can find many operators in the mainland offering yacht charter, complete with accommodation, dining and crew.
So there are several ways to get to your San Blas Panama vacation islands. Best advice is to book ahead so everything will go smoothly and you can relax and enjoy your visit to the islands.
The links to the two national airlines of Panama can be found on our Panama Travel Resources page.