April 20-23, 2025
The San Blas Islands are a stunning chain of about 365 islands off the Caribbean coast of Panama, one for every day of the year! (Plus I think there’s actually a few extra if you’re feeling extra adventurous!) Only around 50 are actually inhabited, mostly by the Guna people. The Guna people have lived there for centuries and still run the islands today. Tourists have the option to get there by taking a 4×4 ride from Panama City to the coast and then hopping on a boat to reach the islands. It’s a bit of a trek but totally worth it.
However, since we wanted to capitalize on both our time together and seeing more of Panama we opted to take a privately chartered plane there. During all of my research, it took me a while to find a company that offered both the sailing portion and the flight over to the islands. We decided to book with San Blas Sailing. This company really took care of everything, had outstanding communication during the booking process, and helped ensure that they understood each of our individual dietary needs (we would be eating all of our meals on the catamaran). And at this point, most of you already know that your girl has a lot of food quirks. 😉
So on Sunday, we were picked up bright and early by a van that took us to the regional airport. We got some conflicting information on how long the flight would take – ranging from 4 to 45 minutes. Either way, we knew it would be a quick flight over there, which really beat the 4×4 option! San Blas Sailing recommended that we leave our larger hard-sided luggage behind in their office, due to the small storage space on the boat.
It took a little bit before the plane got there, but before too long we were off! They let us know it was actually going to be more like a 20 minute flight over to the islands. We were technically landing at an “airport”, but I’d say it was actually just a landing strip with a crew waiting to help us with our bags. We were quickly shuttled over to a dinghy that would take us over to our boat.
This was the beginning of our adventure! Once we all made it over to the boat – we got to choose from four different cabins. Honestly, it’s surprising when you see these catamarans from the outside that they can have four bedrooms with their own bathrooms attached. Each room had a queen sized bed and a small closet to hang some clothes and other cupboards for storage. It was snug, but the company did a great job of preparing us how small it would be.
The crew was incredible: Yuri (the Captain), Isabela (the cook and the unfortunate one who had to deal with my food nuances!), and Bali. They were so warm and charming – they really made sure that we rarely had to ask for anything. Bali was slinging fresh drinks and setting us up for our different activities – and Isabela cooked three fresh meals each day!
One of our favorite parts was the fact that the local people would paddle up to our boat and sell the crew their recent catches. These ranged from crab, to snapper, and spiny lobsters! We really enjoyed all of the food – and how fresh everything was. (Including the produce!)
Throughout our time there, we stopped at about 7 different islands. (But we sailed past so many more!) They ranged in size, but most of them you could walk around within 10 minutes. All of them had wonderful white sand beaches and warm water that surrounded them. One of the first islands we stopped at even had a bar! Unfortunately it was Easter, so they didn’t have a whole lot going on – and only 5 beers. 😂
The islands were perfect for water activities: snorkeling, stand up paddle boarding, swimming, and floating. We had the option to kayak, but I don’t think any of us actually asked to have them taken out. One of the islands Bali dropped us off in the dingy (this is where the bar was!).
The crew even helped decorate for Andy’s 40th birthday and baked him a cake. It truly was one of the more memorable trips we’ve been on. It was incredible to see these islands in such an untouched way – a lot of the residents living without electricity and in huts. But with one of the best views you could ever imagine.
Wednesday morning we made our way back to the airstrip for our flight back to Panama City – where we would be reunited with our luggage and move on to our resort!
Up Next:
– Westin Playa Bonita
– Panama Canal Visitor Center
– Casca Antigua
– Ecotour
Scribbles and Snapshots 