San Blas Info

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For us, the Kuna, the earth is the mother. The mountain is the mother, our mother. Nature, the forest-is a woman, not a man. The mother loves us, she helps us cultivate sugarcane, cacao, and all kinds of fruit. And then comes the mother who takes care of us in the home. She also gives us good advice. Delfino Davies, Carti Sugdupu

The San Blas islands consist of 340 islands along the Caribbean coast stretching from 77* 25W to 79*04W.

Worldwide they are unique in many ways;it is the home to the indigenous Kuna Indians, who have best preserved their culture and traditions out of all the tribes in the Americas, yet are reachable by small airstrips.

At the same time, you have one of the most untouched stretches of virgin mountainous rainforest and a cruising ground of incredible beauty.

The San Blas islands and the mainland territory are called Kuna Yala by the Kuna Indians who effectively control this region of Panama. The Kunas population is around 55,000, organized and united within a strict hierarchy of tribal leaders. Each village has three “Sailas” (chiefs) who hold the highest authority at village level. Three high chiefs rule the nation as a whole, each one representing his part of the land. One of these leaders is then elected as supreme leader.

The Kunas economy rely on selling coconuts which grow en masse on the islands. Therefore, coconuts are not to be taken freely. The coconuts are gathered up by the Kunas, then sold to the Colombian trading boats who bring in supplies to many of the islands. Kuna Yala also exports lobster, crab and octopus.

The women make money selling “molas”. These beautifully handcrafted works of art are actually part of the traditional dress they wear. Each mola is different, some with designs of animals while the more traditional ones are of geometric shapes. They are made out of fabric using scissors to create the design and sewn painstakely together layer upon layer. A high quality mola, therefore, consists of the number of layers, the closeness of the stitches which are not seen on the front and the design.

Here are some helpful tips if you are planning on visiting the San Blas islands, which we recommend highly.

The San Blas is below the hurricane belt, so no worries. The weather is tropical of course, 80-90 degrees year round. The rainy season begins in June thru November. Thunder and lightning storms are frequent. The driest months are January thru March, but the northeast tradewinds do blow at that time.

There are two locations for checking in by boat, one in Porvenir and to the east, Puerto Obaldia. A cruising permit is given three months at a time and costs around $20 a month.

Immigration will give you a 90 day visa for $20 per passport.

Kuna Yala charges a fee of $24 per month. There are also anchorage fees in some areas; ranging from $5 to $10.

The Kuna Indians live primitively, in palm thatched huts, no running water, no indoor plumbing. Electricity is powered by generators, which some islands have while others do not. Some generate lighting at night using solar panels.

Digicell is the best in phone coverage and most Kunas do own a cell phone, but then lack the ability to charge them. Cruisers are often asked to recharge cell phones.
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There are no internet cafes or ATM's, so bring USA dollars, small bills are best.

And small tiendas sell just the basic stuff. There are vegetable boats, (large canoes), that come by the anchorages and offer to sell fresh vegetables, beer, boxed wine and milk, whole chickens, and Kuna bread. Local Kuna fishermen will come by your boat everyday offering their catch of the day, usually crab, lobster, conch and fish at very reasonable prices.

There is a road, (dirt/gravel for the first hour and switchbacks thru the mountains) now from the Carti airport to the Panamerican Highway. Jeep rides are available to and from Panama city. The cost is $25 per person each way. You can also transport cargo (supplies from grocery stores, just box it all up for the bumpy ride back). It is about a 2 1/2 hour ride to Panama City. There is an airport at Porvenir and Nargana and flight fares one way to and from Panama City is $55.00.

A must have book onboard is Eric Bauhaus's, “The Panama Cruising Guide”.
Sea Clear is a free download off of the internet of all the charts of the San Blas that Bauhaus features in his book. With these
charts and a GPS, navigating around the San Blas is so much easier.

The Eastern Coco Banderos and the Eastern Hollandes