One Day Tours to the San Blas Panama Islands
Posted by Travel Editor
If your time and budget is limited and you want to visit the San Blas Panama Islands, (the Kuna Yala Archipelago), there are a number of day tours operated by tour operators to the Islands. The problem is that these tours fill up fast, so you’ll have to book in advance in order to ensure a seat.
The best company which offers one day tours to the San Blas Panama Islands is Panama Travel Unlimited in Panama City. They have a variety of tours to the San Blas Panama Islands, but here we’re talking of the one day tours for those that are short for time to explore. The Panama Travel tour includes a visit to a Kuna community and one or two of the beautiful beaches on the islands. The tour departs at approximately 5:00 a.m. and will have you back in Panama City between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. approximately. Also included on the tour is the transportation in an air conditioned four by four vehicle from Panama City, boat transportation between the islands and your breakfast and lunch. The vehicles fit up to seven people and sometimes feet room can get a little tight, but, hey, this is an adventure for sure.
There are three different one day tours available ranging in price from $120 US to $135 US per person depending on the tour you want to take. There will be some beach taxes which are around $2 to $5.00 per person. You can also get a three day tour to the San Blas Islands from Panama Travel Unlimited, but we’re talking here just about the one day tour for those that don’t have a lot of time to spare.
The basic itinerary of the San Blas Islands tour by Panama Travel Unlimited is:
5.00 – 5.30 a.m. – Leave Panama City in a 4×4 Transport
8.30 – Arrive in Carti San Blas
8.45 – Launcher to island/Breakfast
9.30 – Visit Kuna community
10.30 – Visit one of the beach islands, with time for snorkeling and enjoying the beach
12-1 – Lunch
15.00 – Return to Carti
15.30 – Leave Carti by 4×4 Transport
Arrive back in Panama City between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m.
The one day tour to El Porvenir and Isla Perro costs $120 per person.
The tour to Isla Aguja Day Tour is $130 per person and the Carti including Isla Perro Day Tour will cost you $135 per person. Each tour includes some beach time and snorkeling. The El Porvenir – Isla Perro is a basic tour and offers a more simple menu of food. You’ll get more time on the beach on the Isla Aguja Day Tour and the Carti – Isla Perro tour.
So if you can only spare a day and still want to get to the San Blas Panama Islands, this is probably the best way of seeing some of the Islands. I’ll bet you’ll get a taste of the Islands and will end up desperate to come back and stay a little longer. This one day tour to the Islands is just enough to whet your whistle.
Panama Travel Unlimited in Panama City is located at Calle Primera, Edificio Stella, 7-103, Planta Baja Local “A” Diagonal a la Junta Comunal. Their telephone numbers are: (507) 395 5014 or their cellphone: (507) 67300664.
Photo courtesy of Panama Travel Unlimited. If you take any of these tours, let us know about your experiences on these San Blas Island tours.
San Blas Island Activities
Posted by Travel Editor
What to do on your San Blas Island Vacation
The range of activities you can find in San Blas Islands are a plenty on these beautiful islands. From experiencing the culture of the local Kuna Indians to boating around the islands where you can marvel at the beauty of this tropical paradise, there will be never a dull moment for you or your family during your vacation here. The San Blas islands are also an ideal romantic getaway or a honeymoon destination. Some of the hotels have their own restaurants and bars and their hotels consist of lovely cabanas built on stilts over the water with balconies and a hammock, where you can lay back and watch the sea and some gorgeous, memorable sunsets. The photo opportunities are endless. Just working on your tan and swimming could be one of your favorite activities on your San Blas Islands Panama vacation.
From relaxing in a hammock on a lazy hot day, strolling on the beach, snorkelling at any one of the nearby islands or, if you are interested in scuba diving on the coral reefs or finding shipwrecks to explore, there is lots to do or nothing to do. Whichever you prefer. Hiking is plentiful whether you are on your own or with your family. Birdwatching and nature lovers will find themselves in a tropical paradise full of amazing bird and tropical fauna for you to observe. The San Blas islands are a birdwatcher’s paradise. A Kuna tourist guide can assist you when you want to explore the lush rainforests found in the San Blas Islands.
You can visit a Kuna Indian communities near your San Blas hotel where you can learn of their way of life and can buy some of their handicrafts, or the beautiful molas made by the Kuna women. They have continued with their way of life and language since a bloody rebellion in the early 20th century. In the 1950s, the Panamanian government gave them these islands where they could live their traditional life. They own these islands and they govern themselves. You can photograph the Kuna people, but you should give them a dollar tip for modeling for you. They are a friendly and warm people and welcome you to their islands.
The island of Isla Perro (Dog Island) is a must visit destination here. The natural splendour of the coral reef here has to be seen to be believed. The colorful tropical fish filled reef is an amazing sight, offering you wonderful opportunities to explore the rich undersea life here. Bring an underwater camera with you. Snorkelling and scuba diving enthusiasts will find it offers great opportunity to explore the underwater world. The coral reef surrounds almost the entire island. The owners will charge you one dollar to go to the island and they sell molas, other handicrafts and shells. The white sand beaches are absolutely gorgeous with thatched huts and lazy palms on the beaches along the shoreline.
For snorkelling and diving enthusiasts you can rent your equipment if you don’t have your own and your Kuna tourist guide can take you by boat to some of the best locations on some of the uninhabited islands which make up the San Blas Islands . You can also rent a boat by yourself if you are knowledgeable enough and know where to go.
One of the wonderful things you can do here on your San Blas vacation is that it is possible to rent your own private island by the day if you want to splurge and experience being on an island by yourself or with your romantic partner. There are so many secluded beaches around the San Blas Islands that if it’s peace and privacy you want, you will be sure to find it here. A Kuna guide will take you to this isolated island by canoe, dugout boat or motor boat. A San Blas Island vacation is a stress reduction vacation for sure, if that is what you are looking for.
If you are a lover of seafood and tropical fruits – you are really going to enjoy yourself. The fish and lobster and literally “just caught” and you will probably eat lots of it in your hotel restaurant or one of the other restaurants on the San Blas Islands. If you are vegetarian, the restaurant at your San Blas hotel will gladly prepare a vegetarian menu for you.
There best thing to do in the San Blas Islands is relax by the blue crystal clear sea with palm trees behind you or lie back in one of the hammocks and think about life or nothing in particular, so if you like to be hyper-busy, we would suggest just visiting the islands for a couple of days and staying overnight in one of the San Blas hotels.
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