My Trip to the San Blas Islands
Posted by Travel Editor
My vacation to the San Blas Islands began with the decision that instead of taking a flight from Panama City to the San Blas Islands, we would hire a driver for a change. Yes, you can also get to the San Blas Islands with a driver. It costs $25 US per person for the three hours, very bumpy trip for up to seven people. The driver will take you to the San Blas Islands and pick you up and take you back to Panama City when you wish to leave the Islands. Let’s say, driving is for the more adventurous among us.
A jeep took us to the San Blas Islands. It was a wild ride on very bumpy terrain. Luckily, the car is a four wheel drive jeep. The drive took about three hours, up hills, down hills and through a river. At the end of this wild journey, not for the faint of heart, we were met by a man who worked at the hostel. He took us by boat to the island we would be staying at.
We were very surprised though when we arrived at the island we were going to stay at and saw there was no beach. We had been expecting clear blue ocean, white sand beaches and palm trees as you see in all the photographs of the San Blas. This was not the San Blas Islands we had heard about, nor what we expected to find after our rough and rocky journey to the islands.
However, the next day after breakfast we were taken by boat to a small island with the white sand beaches and palm trees we had been looking for and were expecting to find on the San Blas Islands. Our time that days was spent walking around the island which was very small and took only about ten minutes to complete the walk around. The beach was marvelous and the water clear blue. We sunbathed, snorkeled. At lunch time, a man who had brought us our lunch which consisted of fish and rice. After lunch, we spent a few more hours on the beach and then the guy from the hotel came back in his boat to take us back to the hotel after this lovely day on the island all by ourselves.
The next day we were taken on a tour of a local Kuna village as a sort of cultural immersion into their way of life. They still live in their traditional ways, having won the right from the Panama government to own the San Blas Islands, maintain their traditional life and speak their own language. They are friendly people and very welcoming to us. They live in a village of bamboo, palm leaf houses with dirt floors. They don’t have a lot of money, electricity or running water. Coconuts used to be their currency. Now it seems, they are accepting American dollars. If you want to photograph them, you must pay them a dollar for the privilege. But that’s okay.
On another day, we went fishing with a Kuna guide on his boat. We caught some big ones and they were prepared and cooked for us that night – delicious! Nothing like fresh fish.
Another days we were taken by boat to other islands and one of the best was where there was a shipwreck off shore. We spent a lot of time snorkeling around the shipwreck and taking photos. Lunch was again dropped off for us – sometimes fish, sometime chicken.
Our stay on the San Blas Islands wasn’t glamorous, we were roughing it. The total cost was $35 a day for lodging, food, and our transport to the beaches on the islands. The price was a good deal and our hosts were attentive and very friendly. The food was really good, lots of freshly caught fish, crab and lobster, chicken, rice and lots of fruit. It was all we needed.
All in all, my trip to the San Blas Islands was an adventure, roughing it a bit and staying in very rustic basic accommodations. The food was really good. But we wanted to get away from it all and this was a great escape and being taken to other beautiful islands where we could spend the day in an island paradise was perfect.
More San Blas Hotels
Posted by Travel Editor
Some more hotel suggestions in the San Blas Islands?
The Comarco de Kuna Yala, or more popularly named, the San Blas Islands are situated on the north east coast off of Panama. A beautiful tropical islands’ getaway, the San Blas Islands, have been governed since the 1950s by the indigenous Kuna Indians. This largely undiscovered tourist destination has started to receive tourists desiring a tropical island escape. For those wanting to visit, there are only a few San Blas hotels to choose from when you book your vacation in the San Blas Islands When you book, be sure to use a travel agent with knowledge of the San Blas Islands vacations.
Out of a total of 378 islands, 49 of them are inhabited by the Kuna Indians. The other islands are uninhabited. How to get there? You can take a flight from Panama City which will take you about 20 minutes or you can take a boat from Colon to the San Blas Islands. As far as San Blas hotels go, you should not expect to find any North American or European style luxury hotels or hotel chains. There are only a few hotels in San Blas and your only other options would be to stay with a Kuna family or at a hostel. The San Blas Panama hotels are classified as rustic, basic or simple. However, they are eco friendly hotels and will suit the needs of those looking for a tropical island getaway.
Visiting the San Blas Islands, your main goal should be to relax in the sun, swim, and snorkelling in the coral reefs, hiking and visiting the Kuna people in their own villages for a cultural immersion and to learn about their way of life. There are also hiking opportunities in the rainforest areas for birdwatching and exploring the tropical flora and fauna. If you are looking for a busy vacation with lots of amusements, restaurants and nightclubs, the San Blas Islands vacation is not for you. Here, there marvellous sunsets, relaxation and exploration. You can also visit some of the uninhabited islands or even rent a deserted island for a day. You will eat plenty of freshly caught seafood and tropical fruits. Fresh and healthy on your vacation. Snorkeling and diving opportunities are plentiful in the coral reefs which surround the San Blas Islands. Beautiful tropical beaches of white sand, palm trees are plentiful.
When to visit the San Blas Islands? The best time of year to visit the San Blas Islands is between January and March, during the dry season. The rest of the year is the rainy season, rains which start and stop intermittently. You can book short excursion trips from Panama City which will take you over to the San Blas Islands for a couple of days if you just want a quick trip over to the islands to investigate. If you want to stay close to the islands, but not actually on the islands, you can find a luxury hotel in El Pouvenir on the mainland. My guess is that your next vacation will be in the San Blas Islands for the entire time.
About San Blas hotels though, as I said, you won’t find any chain hotels here or luxury hotels in Panama. The hotels in San Blas are basic and rustic. Some are more suited for backpackers. You could also find some hostel accommodations on either of the islands such as Wichubwala. Nalunega, Kagantupu, Coco Blanco or Achutupu Island.
The following hotels are a list of San Blas Panama hotels for you to choose from. Some of these hotels have websites where you can investigate further and book online.
The Cabañas Kuanidup Hotel
The Cabañas Kuanidup Hotel located on a small beach on Kuanidup Island is more expensive than the hostels on the San Blas Islands. The accommodations consist of small cabanas, shared bathrooms and showers, and foam mattress beds. You will not find electricity here and your lighting at night is from kerosene lamps. This is an eco friendly way of traveling on the San Blas Islands. It is ideal for backpackers. Food is included in the price of your room. The beach is unspoiled beautiful white sand, palm trees and the mountains in the distance over the sea. Lovely!
The Dolphin Lodge
Another eco tourism San Blas hotel you could choose to stay in while on your vacation is the Dolphin Lodge. It is one of the nicer hotels in the San Blas Islands – an all inclusive resort. This San Blas resort has its own restaurant and bar where you can have a drink or a romantic dinner. The restaurant serves good food; mostly freshly caught seafood and lots of tropical fruits are on the menu.
To get to the Dolphin Lodge you fly into Manitupo and from there are transported by boat. Situated on a beautiful private beach, some of the cabanas are on the the beach. Private bathrooms and electricity is available 24 hours a day in the larger suites. Hammocks are available for just laying back and watching the sea and the sunsets. As well as just relaxing, there is volleyball, swimming, snorkelling, and kayaking.
Also be sure to include on your vacation in San Blas Islands, a tour of a Kuna village where you can experience the life of the Kuna and perhaps pick up a souvenir or two, including a lovely Mola made by the Kuna women. These are hand crafted, colorful fabrics made of geometric patterns, animal and bird figures.
The Coral Lodge
The Coral Lodge can also be classified as a luxury hotel in San Blas. Located on an isolated pristine beach with the rainforest in the background, the Coral Lodge “water bungalos” or cabanas sit over the water on stilts. Each of the suites come with a private veranda with a hammock and a Jacuzzi. This San Blas resort has two restaurants which serve Caribbean, Mediterranean and Latin American food and vegetarian dishes are also available. This is the most expensive of the San Blas Panama hotels and the most luxurious eco friendly resort on the islands. The price of your room includes food and the activities of snorkelling off the coral reefs, kayaking and equipment. The Coral Lodge also offers honeymoon packages and is the perfect tropical island romantic getaway location.
The Kuna Niskua Lodge
The Kuna Niskua Lodge is located in the center of Wishub-Wala Island in the San Blas Islands. Although there is no beach per se on the island you will be staying in the Kuna community and you will have the opportunity each day to visit the surrounding islands full of palm trees and white sand beaches where you can enjoy the islands, the sun and water activities such as swimming, snorkelling and just laying back and working on your tan. There are 10 private rooms with private bathrooms at the lodge with twin, double, triple and quadruple rooms. Electricity runs from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Prices here for a room are about $60 per person and this price includes your food and local tours to uninhabited islands in the area and the Kuna villages.
The Kuna Niskua Lodge also has three separate cabins with bathrooms available for tourists who are seeking more of “beach vacation.” These cabins are on Wailidup Island , 20 minutes by boat from Wishub-Wala Island . These cabins are only available between May to October because of the sand flies. The white sand beaches are beautiful on these islands which lined with palm trees and surrounded by the crystal clear waters. The cabins sleep two people, each with an ensuite bathroom and the cost of $95 per person includes your meals. The Kuna Niskua Lodge is not a luxury San Blas hotel but offers you a real tropical island escape and the chance to get to know another culture and people.
The Sapibenega Kuna Lodge
When visiting the San Blas Islands and staying at one of the San Blas hotels, you will find most of the accommodation is rustic, basic and simple. One of the most luxurious places to stay in the San Blas Islands is the Sapibenega Kuna Lodge on a private island named Iskardup. Electricity is available 24/7 and your room is in very nice cabana which sits on stilts over the sea. There are also a few cabanas on the beach. Private bathrooms, queen and double beds, satellite phones, ceiling fans, hardwood floors, and walls of bamboo decorate your cabana. On your veranda overlooking the sea there are hammocks for laying back and watching the magnificent sun sets.
The Sapibenega Kuna Lodge restaurant and bar are a wonderful setting for romantic dinners. Activities whilst you are there besides the restaurant and bar, watching sunsets, and relaxing, include swimming, snorkeling, visiting a Kuna village and the nearby islands of Arridup (Iguana) and Diadup. You will also have the opportunity to go birdwatching, sailing, fishing and canoeing. For nature lovers, you can participate in a jungle trek to Saibar Maid waterfalls for birdwatching and photographing the wildlife and fauna of the rainforest with a tourguide. For those especially interested in tropical birdwatching, there is an opportunity to go to Diwar Dumad, an uninhabited island.
The above San Blas hotels are your main options for your vacation in the San Blas Islands. At the present time, since the islands have only recently been open to tourism, there are not many hotels to choose from unfortunately. It is predicted though, that the islands will become a more popular vacation destination as tourists discover the beauty of these islands. If you are looking to “get away from it all”, the San Blas Islands are a perfect choice for you. The San Blas Islands are also a wonderful destination for children too.