San Blas Island Discovery – Day Trip Experience

Embark on a breathtaking day tour to the San Blas Islands, a tropical paradise off Panama’s Caribbean coast. With over 360 pristine islands, this experience offers a perfect blend of natural beauty, cultural immersion, and adventure.

What to Expect

• Early Departure: Your journey begins around 5:00 AM with a scenic 4×4 drive from Panama City through lush rainforest, followed by a boat ride to the islands.
• Island Hopping: Visit 2–3 stunning islands such as Nugnudub and others islands. Enjoy white-sand beaches, swaying palm trees, and turquoise waters.
• Natural Pool: Swim in the famous Piscina Natural, a shallow, crystal-clear area in the sea filled with colorful starfish.
• Snorkeling: Explore vibrant coral reefs, snorkel around calm waters.
• Cultural Experience: Engage with the Guna Yala community, learn about their traditions, and admire their handwoven molas (textiles).
• Lunch on the Beach: Savor a freshly prepared meal featuring catch of the day, coconut rice, and tropical fruits. Vegetarian options available.

San Blas Islands Fact Sheet (read before you book your trip with us) :

We have created this fact sheet based on our own experience, customer survey feedback and travelers’ opinions on different travel forums and social media.

We believe it’s important to share the reality of these small postcard-worthy islands with white sand beaches and palm trees prior to departure. This way you can better enjoy your trip to San Blas and know exactly what to expect and ultimately decide if this destination is for you.

The San Blas Islands are run by the indigenous called the Gunas. They have their own rules and Panamanian law doesn’t much exist. Nowadays, their main income is the tourism industry and foreigners are not authorized to operate cabins there. It means as soon as you embark on their small boats, you are in the hands of the Gunas and it will be difficult to claim back any delays, logistics problems or refunds. The waiting time can be long and the Gunas are quite informal and at first sight can appear to be not very welcoming. But you must understand their culture and living style is simply different than yours.

You will find many tour operators offering day trips or overnight stay to the same islands at different prices. We believe all these listings are creating confusion to travelers and uncertainty. You may book with tour operators who care about their customers and deal with them directly, and other tour operators who are purely acting as a middleman and as a booking system between travelers and the Gunas and the transport companies without giving any follow-up.

Remember all islands are beautiful in San Blas and your choice should not be determined by the most beautiful islands out of the 365 islands, but on the Guna Family hospitality, the accommodation, and service they provide. We also recommend that you avoid travel to San Blas on weekends and national holidays.

To explain the “low” service level sometimes offered or stated on traveler’s feedback in social medias, you must understand that San Blas islands are very basic and rustic, which is also the highlight of this experience which will, for some of you, take you out of your comfort zone. There is no power electricity in all huts or even lights. If you want to charge your cellphone, ask the island owner, they may ask you to pay a small fee. It goes without saying WiFi is not available on all islands.

The Guna operating there have not all studied Hospitality Management, Logistics, Gastronomy, nor Tourism. There has been a big “boom” over the last 10 years and they have not been trained for that.

About the 4×4 road transportation, you can expect to be a little squeezed as 6 passengers can fit into the car. As well, you can experience some delays or the car already waiting for you because the pick-up route can change, and sometimes other passengers are late and create delays. To avoid that, we recommend you pay an extra fee for a private transportation, it will make your trip smoother and avoid frustration before you arrive in San Blas, the same goes for your return to Panama-City which can be sometimes chaotic.

Be flexible! You must expect some delays, lack of communication, waiting for someone or something without knowing the cause, rustic cabanas, no fish but pasta, (Yes! Sometimes the fish season is low!), fried eggs and bread for breakfast, but in the end, everything works out if you can accept the little discomfort.  Simply enjoy the adventure!

Finally, the San Blas islands have a problem with trash collection, so you can expect to see trash on these islands and more during summer season because of the strong current. The main rubbish is coming from the sea and mainland. For the benefit of the island, please take your trash back with you.