Crossing between Panama and Colombia
The journey between Panama and Colombia is not a straightforward transit – there is no road connection between the two, only the “Darien Gap” which essentially means hostile, uninhabited jungle and is fascinating to learn about.
The Darien Gap
The Darien Gap is a dense, nearly impenetrable rainforest located in the border region between Panama and Colombia. It stretches for roughly 100 miles and is considered one of the most challenging and dangerous regions for travelers to navigate. Due to the rugged terrain, harsh weather conditions, and the presence of armed groups and drug traffickers, there are no roads connecting Central and South America through this region. Even though it is extremely dangerous to attempt to cross this jungle by foot, there are sadly always many desperate people who try, and many who fail and pay with their lives. The trek across the Darién Gap is 97 kilometers long and can take more than a week to complete. Migrants have no choice but to travel on foot. This is the only break in the Pan-American highway which stretches for some 30,000 kilometers, from Argentina to Alaska. As a result, travelers who wish to go between the two continents must either fly or take a boat around the Darien Gap.
Boat trip options
Of course, the quickest and easiest way is to fly from Panama City directly to Colombia (there are direct flights to many bigger cities) – this usually costs around 250$. The speed boat trip is 500$, and the sailboat crossing is somewhere between 450$ and 750$.
This is a detailed overview of the crossing with San Blas Adventures, the company that offers a 3 night, 4 day tour between Carti, Panama and Capurgana, Colombia through the San Blas Islands. 4 days seem like a long time for this crossing, but this is because it’s not only a means of transport but an adventure and exploration of the pristine islands and their indigenous inhabitants. Most of the time is spent on the islands (either snorkeling and admiring their natural beauty, or meeting the communities), with less amount of time – max 3 hours daily – spent on the boat. Accommodation is also on the islands, guests never sleep on the boat, which is a big difference between the sailboat option and this tour.
The San Blas (or Guna Yala) islands and their inhabitants
The San Blas Islands are a stunning archipelago of more than 350 islands and home to the indigenous Guna people, who have lived on the islands for centuries and have managed to preserve their traditional way of life. Today they live in three politically autonomous comarcas or autonomous reservations in Panama, and in a few small villages in Colombia.
We have heard many interesting details about the Guna, some of which I share here, but which I cannot exactly verify with more accurate sources than “our Guna host said so”. But they are very interesting so here they are:
- Guna families are matrilinear and matrilocal, that the groom moving to become part of the bride’s family (they also take the last name of the bride).
- Their leaders are called Sailas (pronounced “sigh-lah”), they can be men or women, but currently all Sailas are male. We met one of them on our community visit which was a nice surprise.
- The Guna answer to the laws of their community (one of the 49), the Guna laws (governed by the Guna general congress which is led by 3 great Sailas) and those of Panama, in that order.
- The Guna have a ritual of painting young girls’ bodies black when they become fertile. This is part of a celebration of entering adulthood, and also a way to signal to the community that the girl is “of age” and ready to start looking for a husband soon.
The experience by day
- Day 1 Start of the trip
- Day 2 Pelican + Tupile
- Day 3 Caledonia island
- Day 4 Arriving to Colombia
Day 1
Ready for the adventure, we start with a 2 hour jeep ride to the charming port town (village?) of Carti, where, at the sight of the general conditions, everyone is busy checking if their bags are wrapped up in enough layers of black garbage bags. Without any organized instructions we file into the speedboats and start heading out to the first island (not the catamaran, as I thought :D). It is a relatively short ride, but surprising, as it is the first taste of what is to come in the next three days. I quickly learn that the left-hand side of the boat and the last two rows are NOT the place to be, but also learn later that any attempt to secure the “better seats” is pretty much futile, as we always randomly file into the boats clutching our little personal garbage backs. It’s better just to embrace the conditions anyway. A little bit of water is refreshing, and a lot of water can be handled by the clever use of our snorkel masks.
The first island is a shock though – straight from a postcard. There are always two islands a day the tour stops at, the first one is for “day activities”, the second one is where we sleep. The island is beautiful, the snorkeling superb with great visibility, and the food is great. We spend a few hours here snorkeling, relaxing and having lunch (fresh fish, coconut rice and salad).
Our first night is spent on another uninhabited island which is very small, and feels very cozy. The accommodation is always a mix of a few beds, and hammocks for the rest. I tried both during the 3 nights and found the hammocks surprisingly comfortable (I’ve never slept in one overnight before – the trick is to position yourself a little sideways if you want to avoid your knees hurting). Someone from the group celebrated their birthday, so we even got some cake and rum punch as a nice surprise!
Day 2
The second day we stopped at a bigger island for the day, with volleyball nets and views of the Darien. It was time for us to properly meet the Guna community for the first time! We were going to sail over to the island of Tupile, to socialize and also stay overnight.
I admit that I was a little nervous before going over to Tupile, being thrown in the middle of not only meeting the locals but kind of invading their privacy and staying on an island with them. It was pointless to worry, the experience was as positive and felt natural.The Guna can be pretty private, preferring to view you from a distance than socialize directly. Not so their children! They treat the tourists as welcome playmates and there aro so unbelievably many of them, the whole island quickly becomes a gigantic round of tag. I am usually very cautious about photographing and never do it without asking an adult, but here the children are begging to be photographed and love to pose! Since the village adults had no problems with it, here are two pictures that commemorate some serious posing skills 😀
Initially, I felt a bit apprehensive about visiting Tupile, concerned about intruding on the locals’ privacy and staying on their island. However, my worries were unfounded as the experience turned out to be wonderfully positive and natural. The Guna people, known for their reserved nature, often observe from afar rather than engage directly. Their children, however, are the opposite – they eagerly treat tourists as newfound playmates. The island brims with youthful energy, transforming into a vast playground of tag. I’m usually very careful about taking photos of children, always seeking an adults’ permission first. But here, the children were the ones asking to be photographed, delighting in posing for the camera! With the village adults’ approval, here are two photos showcasing their impressive posing talents :D.
Day 3
On our third day, we balanced our time between relaxing at the beach and engaging with the Guna community. This evening was special as we stayed overnight on our island, celebrating our last night of the journey. The sea was rougher, adding excitement to our boat ride, with some passengers even putting on goggles due to the drenching waves! Upon arrival, we were welcomed with delicious fresh coconuts.
During free time, I went snorkeling and was thrilled to spot a seahorse, a famously elusive creature. I’ve never seen one before up close, since they are so hard to find. I wished for scuba gear as I had to come up for air, losing sight of the seahorse.
The highlight of the day was a surprise activity: rowing traditional carved wooden canoes to a neighboring island to meet more Guna people. I have to say it was super hard to row and navigate in the carved wooden canoe, much harder than handling a modern kayak. On the island, we were warmly greeted by the village elder, who was able to share fascinating stories and insights about the islands in Spanish, a fortunate opportunity for us. The evening concluded with a delicious dinner back on our island, complete with rum, coke, and dancing to celebrate our final night.
Day 4
Crossing the border turned out to be quite the adventure. Our journey began in Puerto Obaldia, a remote spot near the Colombian border. Here, we briefly disembarked from the ship for passport formalities before heading towards Colombia.
Over the border, our first stop was Sapzurro, where we had a refreshing sea dip and some delicious homemade coconut ice cream. However, getting the passports stamped was only possible in Capurgana, we needed to go right away. Opting to travel light, I left my backpack at a Sapzurro hotel, planning a quick return (I booked accommodation there for 3 nights). But things didn’t go as expected.
The 5 minute journey to Capurgana was almost impossible due to the rough sea. Upon arrival, a malfunctioning computer at the migration office further complicated matters, preventing us from getting our passports stamped. To make things worse, with sunset approaching and no boats operating after dark, I found myself stranded in Capurgana overnight without my belongings. Luckily I already knew a bunch of very friendly people from the trip and they helped me out and I quickly found an extra room in one of the hotels:)
The next nothing was solved, of course:D. No passport updates yet, they told us it would take a few days, and they are closed on Sundays anyway, so we’d better diligently sunbathe until then. An overarching ban on Caribbean boat travel in Colombia due to the rough seas meant no return to Sapzurro by boat. So I decided to go for a hike through the jungle back to Sapzurro (it’s not very long but a sweaty hike, better not do it with all your stuff). So this is the story of how there is a gap of 3 days between my exit stamp in Panama and my entry stamp in Colombia. Anything can happen here!
Food and facilities
This trip is not for everyone and I do not mean that in a pejorative way at all. Yes the islands are beautiful but they are not that unique – there are other islands in Central America that compare in beauty and can be experienced with a much higher level of comfort.
Facilities are basic. This is an adventure tour and a chance to meet indigenous people in an authentic way, therefore, the experience of guests matches that of a “normal day” in the Guna community. There are no real showers, potable tap water, western toilets, mirrors, private rooms or air conditioners, and very limited electricity and cell coverage. Bring a power bank if you want to use your phone for taking pictures and videos.
You can get (thankfully cold!) drinks on the islands, like beers, cokes (regular, not diet) and coconuts, but you have to bring and carry your own water for the trip (I would recommend 6 liters per person).
The food on the trip is incredible – in fact, the best food I had on my whole Panama trip (except for Fonda lo que Hay in Panama City which is out of this world, but also a gourmet restaurant). The meals are designed by a nutritionist with vegetarians, vegans and other dietary needs in mind. It is really just great – if you have complaints about the food then probably the whole trip was not meant for you.
The boats
This was actually a funny experience. When we got into our boats in the small harbor of Carti, I thought this will be a very short trip to get us to the “big boat” – I was actually searching the horizon to spot the bigger catamaran anchored farther out that will take us all the way to Colombia. I even asked our guide when we would reach the boat to which he replied, looking confused, “well, you’re on it”. Now in turn I got very confused and couldn’t believe that we would make an ocean crossing with the two small motorboats that we were on…Don’t worry, it is very possible though – partly because most of the time during the trip is spent on and near the islands and not on the open ocean, and also because the captains are very skilled and used to navigating these boats on higher waves as well. However, my advice is to be prepared – especially during the high season (Dec-Apr), waves can get rough, and actually did for us on the last day. We were lucky to reach Capurgana on time, but the group there waiting for the Colombia – Panama crossing was delayed by a few days because of the rough sea. The waves can be a little scary at first, but the experience is not so bad – if you don’t overdo the party the night before you will probably not get seasick (just wet :P).
Respect and sustainability
For me it was an unbelievable experience to be on these islands and I felt very grateful for the opportunity and humbled by the openness of the Guna and the proximity of the looming Darien Gap. This is a real experience with the indigenous culture, not like other “meet the locals” fake encounters which we probably all know of or experienced at one point while traveling.
Keep in mind that this tour is only possible because the Guna decided to generously let foreigners enter their lands and experience their culture (yes, they earn some money with hosting the trip, but don’t be confused for a second, the Guna are NOT doing this for profit – for a long time it was not allowed at all to stop on the islands overnight, or even sail private boats into their territory, and the privilege can be revoked anytime again. So please remember that if you disrespect the Guna there is a very high risk that they will not let other travelers in again). As anywhere in the world, you should ask before taking a picture of someone – sometimes they ask for some money in exchange (1-2$), sometimes they are happy to pose. The two ladies on the pictures are an example of each – one of them even went to fetch her traditional hair piece before proudly posing before her home. Even though the other lady asked for a small contribution, this did not make the encounter weird at all, and we were both happy and smiling in the end. It is accepted to take pictures of the children and they ask for it a lot (see some of the results below!), but there are other rules you should ask about in advance (e.g. You can talk to a child but not give them candy or gifts or money. You can play chase with a child but you should not lift them in the air for safety reasons).
What (and how) to pack
It is explained in detail on the company’s website how to pack and wrap your bags. Essentially you need to have 2 packs, one big bag, which is everything that you don’t need and will not use on this trip. You will not see this bag until the end of the journey, and will not be able to access it at all. The other “small bag” should contain everything you will use on the islands, which isn’t much:
- Swimsuit, bikini or shorts
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Hat
- Beach dress
- 2 t-shirts and shorts
- Flip-flops/Sandals (leave your shoes in the big bag)
- Toiletries
- Light sweater for the night
- Phone or camera
- Power bank
- Snacks
If you have valuable or fragile things with you that you will not use on the islands (like a laptop) and wondering where to put it – it needs to come with you in addition to the small bag! This is less because things can get stolen (the Guna don’t steal, and your travel group is also very unlikely to take any of your things on purpose), but for fear of water or other damage (if you leave these things in the boat for the journey, they can get stepped on for example). Be mindful of leaving things on the islands, you will probably never see them again!