Adventure travel in San Blas, cabins and 2021 deals! In this place the first Spanish settlement in the area was built in the early seventeenth century and was also where San Blas was founded. On the San Basilio Hill the most important Colonial Ruins on the Pacific Coast are found. The old fort of San Blas also known as La Contaduria (now semi-restored) and the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary «La Marinera» dating from 1769, where you can find the famous bronze bells immortalized by Henry W. Longfellow in his posthumous poem «The Bells of San Blas.» These Colonial ruins are not restored but well worth visiting… The church is beautiful and gives us a clear idea of the Spanish community that settled in San Blas in those days.
The San Blas trip is possible all year round. But you need to know one important thing: It’s windy season from December to March. This means there will be high waves, not necessarily around San Blas since it’s sheltered by a reef, but the journey over open seas can get rough (read more about the routes below). If you get seasick easily the sailing trip might not be for you. If you are adventurous and like the idea of sailing, then yes it’s for you!
Your San Blas adventure starts early in the morning. A friendly driver will meet you at your Panama City lodging between 5:15am and 5:45am and safely transport you and up to five other guests to the Port of Carti. Relax and start enjoying during the 2.5-3 hour journey through the spectacular jungle highlands. Oftentimes we encounter wildlife, such as monkeys and sloths on the road and will gladly stop the car to give you opportunities to admire these beautiful animals and to take photos. Our drivers will also stop at a grocery store in case you want to purchase any items, such as snacks, water or fruit. When arriving at the port your “lancha” boat and San Blas trip tour guide will be waiting for you, ready to commence the San Blas tour. The 30-minute boat ride to the first island may be a little bumpy and, depending on ocean conditions, there may be some ocean spray. All of our boats have ample space and feature sun protection that will make this journey more comfortable. Discover more info at San Blas Day Tours.
If you truly want to get off the beaten track and have a taste of adventure, a trip to the San Blas Islands might be just what you’re looking for. Postcard perfect islands with palm trees and crystal-clear water gently lapping the white-sand beaches is what this area is all about. However, you need to be prepared to bring out your inner Robinson Crusoe, as the accommodations are generally on the rustic side. The only way to visit these idyllic islands is to book a package with the local indigenous Guna people, which includes transport to, from, and around the islands, accommodation, and three basic meals a day. This is a totally off-the-grid type of trip, so prepare accordingly.
Few locations include Isla Isabel National Park, This island was cataloged National Park for being the habitat of a great variety of birds. Your visit will be unforgettable as you will enjoy sunrises and sunsets framed by the Pacific, plus you will have the possibility to camp one night on the island. If the visits during the winter opens the eyes well because they will pass whales.
San Blas adventure travel tours are a hot thing right now. Can you take your luggage to San Blas? Nope! You need to leave your luggage behind in Panama City an pack a day-bag for San Blas. If you are in these small planes, you cannot take a big bag, you can’t fit it into these packed tourist Jeeps, and you can’t take it on the small boats out to the islands. Both our original “hotel” (really just a bed over the sand) and our sailing company told us no luggage. You could get by with a backpack 48L or less I suppose. Definitely no rolling luggage! We left ours at our hotel in Panama City when we checked out. They are used to this.
And, as with any travel agency, we’re making a booking for you in a hotel in San Blas. We don’t operate the hotel nor are we in charge of their reservations. Once we receive a request for a reservation from yourself we will see if the hotel has a vacancy. We will then confirm a reservation for you and ask you for payment. We will ONLY confirm a reservation with you once we have received confirmation from the hotel. We ask for a payment as the hotels in San Blas usually request full payment before your arrival. We will make those payments on your behalf and obviously reconfirm your booking before your arrival. Now, as anywhere in the world, problems can arise and mistakes can be made. It has been known that a hotel can cancel at short notice, even though a deposit or full payment has been made. This is rare and we try not to work with the hotels that have done this. If this does happen then we will make all efforts to find you a new place to stay and to obtain a refund from the original hotel. As we said, San Blas is certainly not like it is back home and it doesn’t operate like it is. Don’t expect your hotel to be the equivalent of a hotel of equal value in Panama City. Accommodation will be very basic and you may well be sleeping in a grass hut with a sand floor. But I guess that is part of the attraction right? The very fact that you’re not back home and things aren’t the same. If they were, you wouldn’t have come. Find additional info on taotravel365.com.