San Blas Sailing Itinerary
This is a typical San Blas Sailing itinerary of a 5 day all-inclusive San Blas with Mintaka. However, it serves as a good example for any of the trips.
The duration of the sailing trip is 5 days with an additional half a day sailing from Portobelo to San Blas. You will have three relaxed days in the beautiful San Blas Islands, one and half-day sea passage from San Blas to Cartagena.
There can be variations in itinerary and other islands can be visited with the general consent of the traveling group. This trip describes Panama to Colombia route. If you are traveling Colombia to Panama the itinerary is simply reversed.
Day 0 – Passport arrangements
You will meet the crew of Mintaka in Portobelo at 20.00 or 8 PM the day before departure to collect passports for immigration processing.
Day 1 – San Blas Sailing at night
You will board at around 18:00 hours in Portobelo and start the trip by having a nice dinner, usually Coque au Vin.
After dinner, you will start the first leg of the trip with a 12 hours overnight sail to the West Lemon Cays Island Group in Kuna-land.
Day 2 – Entering San Blas Islands
Mintaka reaches the San Blas Islands on the morning of day 1 and breakfast will be served on arrival.
Proposed activities for the day are swimming, snorkeling and volleyball.
Lunch will be served.
For the night you will anchor next to beautiful small islands with incredible beaches and a charming Kuna bar.
Dinner will be served in the evening.
Day 3 – Western Hollande’s islands
Breakfast is served with scrambled eggs, bacon and fresh bread with homemade jam.
The day start with a 2-4 hour sail to the next island group called Western Hollande’s.
From here the captain will bring you to an amazing reef for snorkeling. When you are finished snorkeling you will swim back to the boat for a nice lunch.
I’m the afternoon you are encouraged to bring your cameras for a beautiful afternoon beach walk and visiting a small Kuna village.
Here you will meet chief Julio and his seventh wife Laura. Fresh coconut will be serves as well as the very popular “Coco Loco”, a shot of rum in the coconut. The rum is sponsored by Mintaka.
Back on the boat dinner will be served.
Day 4 – Coco Bandera
Breakfast will be served before embarking on a 2 to 4-hour sail to one of the most beautiful island groups in San Blas called Coco Bandera.
You will be guided to another great reef for top class snorkeling.
After the swim back to the boat you will be served lunch.
In the late afternoon you can get a ride to the island for some island exploring and more photo opportunities.
Mintaka will leave San Blas for the ocean passage to Cartagena at around 17:30 hours. The night will fall and dinner will be served at sea.
Day 5 – Ocean passage
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be served at sea.
With the fishing lure out there is a chance of catching exotic fish on the way. Both Blue Marlins, Sharks and large Tunas have been caught on our boats*. And there is always a good chance of seeing some wild dolphins playing alongside the boat.
½ Day 6 – Arriving in Cartagena
On the morning the 6th day, you will still be at sea. Breakfast and lunch will be served at sea. You will arrive in Cartagena in the morning to late afternoon and all guests will be helped to shore.
Important
You should not book a flight or plan a bus ride on the day of arrival or the day after. All passports have to be handed over to a clearing agent and will be returned on the next day we arrived in Cartagena. The use of an agent is mandatory by law in Colombia for incoming boats with crew. The agent will need at least 24 hours until the stamped passport come back to us.
In a cafe in the hostel district Getsemani you will meet all the crew members to get back your stamped passports.
*Endangered species are let loose if no major injury has been caused.