Sail away to the San Blas Islands

This is a mesmerizing day trip from Panama City that you will never forget. I can guarantee it.

I visited Panama in 2015 capping off a year of big post-residency vacations. Was I excited to travel as a freshly minted attending*? HECK YES. This day tour was a splurge, in comparison to the rest of my trip, and worth every penny. Now, that’s not to say you have to drop a bag to see the San Blas Islands, but the group tours I came across were unappealing and didn’t seem to leave much time to enjoy each stop. Something told me I’d want to have flexibility when visiting these islands and I was right.

You might be wondering by now, what’s the big deal with the San Blas Islands and where are they anyways? Well, I have been to many islands and so far, none can compare.

The islands in Guna Yala are located off the north coast of Panama and are absolutely breathtaking. The archipelago of over 365 islands and its surrounding waters are independently controlled by the indigenous Guna Yala tribe and not the Panamian government (don’t forget to carry your passport). This means that the Guna Indians have been able to maintain their language, culture and customs without succumbing to mass commercial tourism. Even access to the port is very tightly controlled by the Gunas.

I booked a private trip with PBA Holding Group after reading many stellar reviews and it was one of the smoothest tours I’ve ever experienced. My morning started off with a ridiculously early pick up (~5:30am) with George, who was my driver and professional guide for the day. He was incredibly polite and gave a lot of insight regarding the current state of affairs in Panama, which I found fascinating.

We left Panama City before sunrise as traffic is intense and can really throw a wrench in your day. As it was so early, there’s nowhere to get breakfast before being picked up and it was nice to have it included in the tour, so I could happily munch away as we drove out.

Now, this is where you want to stay awake because the views, as you wind through the mountains with the sun rising, are incredible. There was also a quick stop for coffee and a snack in the middle of nowhere. I say nowhere because there really were no signs marking the roads or the little coffee shop. I had no idea where we were but was I going to say no to coffee in Panama? Definitely not. My guide said it was his favourite morning spot on the way to the islands and I immediately understood why with that first sip of coffee. So smooth.

2.5 hours later we pull up to the Guna’s Reservation Area where the port is. As I mentioned before, this tribe operates autonomously so passports are checked and stamped at the gate before you are allowed to proceed. I felt like the locals at the port were generally a little suspicious of everyone who was coming to visit, I don’t blame them though. A lot of extremely wealthy foreigners have tried to enter the waters with their massive yachts from near and far (we’ve all heard this story before…) and thankfully none have been successful.

Fun fact: the Guna Yala is a matriarchal society and only those from the tribe are allowed to live in the protected area. According to my guide, only one Panamanian had been allowed to move to the islands. He had married a Guna woman and the entire tribe had to come to an unanimous decision before he could live there. They do not mess around when it comes to outside influence and I’m here for it.

Because the Guna retain such tight control of the area, there is a noticeable lack of modernization. Think no AC or wifi and living off the land and water the way their ancestors did. It is something truly amazing to see in this day and age. Thanks to all of that, you will probably never see such pristine waters or picture-perfect islands anywhere else.

Since I was doing a private tour, I was able to see or stop at several islands if I wanted to before arriving at Isla Perro (which translates into Dog Island) without any other tourists around. I loved having my own boat (seriously who wouldn’t?!), even more so when George had the boat stop in the middle of the ocean and encouraged me to get out for a little swim. Wait what? Yup, you read right. There’s a special area in the archipelago called La Piscina, where you can actually stand in the middle of the water. It’s only 2 feet deep with warm crystal clear water. It’s simply unreal.

As we continued on, I saw islands of various sizes, some uninhabited and others with only 1-3 families living there.

Isla Perro was the second last stop of the day trip and is where I saw the most tourists all day, maybe 12-15. It was fantastic for this ambivert! George set up a hammock in a spot of my choosing, along with a lounger and provided food or drinks on request. After relaxing for awhile, I went snorkelling around a small nearby shipwreck. It was nice, but there was not a lot to see. It was fine for me, as I didn’t have high snorkelling expectations for this day trip.

My day in this extraordinary tropical paradise was pretty much: boat ride-relax-swim-relax-eat and repeat, while being catered to from start to end. In case you’re wondering, lunch was cooked to order fried fish and delicious sides.

I loved that all food, drinks, entrance fees and beach equipment were included in the tour’s price. I just walked with my phone for pictures, some cash in case I wanted a souvenir, a towel and a change of clothes.

I really was living my best life in the San Blas Islands thanks to my awesome guide, George and PBA Holding who coordinated my entire day flawlessly. I know I’m going on and on about this company, but I think it says something that I ended up booking them for a Panama City tour immediately on return to the city. I had already done a tour with a different company earlier in the week, but PBA was truly in a league of its own.

If you’re wondering about Panama, or already have booked your flight there, then certainly don’t miss the San Blas Islands. It’s like you’ve sailed back in time, in the best way possible.

N.B: You may have noticed that I didn’t link to PBA Holding. Unfortunately, they were likely a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic and folded in spring 2022.

*attending: a physician who has completed (aka survived) residency training and can practice independently.