Panama to Colombia
When I first discovered that you could get from Panama to Colombia while experiencing the crystal-clear waters of San Blas. It blew my mind.
I had been dreaming of experiencing the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean from a sailboat since I was a child.
I was crazy enough to buy my own sailboat in Venezuela at the age of 26, with no prior experience with sailboats. Nor any kind of boats, as a matter of fact.
For me, the dream of sailing the Caribbean on my own boat was just too exiting to let go.
It was not until six months later, when I arrived in Cartagena, Colombia I learned that one could experience the San Blas Islands. Not only experience the San Blas, but also cross the Darien Gap and sail from Panama to Colombia, without risking your life buying a sailboat you cannot sail.
I survived my 9 months on the sea, but it would have been easier to do just get the 5-day all-inclusive Colombia to Panama sailboat trip.
After I sold my boat, I retired from the sea life, but I made many good seafaring friends. I also fell in love with Cartagena and Colombia. So, much that I ended up living there, and amongst other things making it easier for travelers to find good sailboats to sail from Panama to Colombia.
Why is there no road going from Panama to Colombia?
Getting from Panama to Colombia has always been a challenge not easily understood if you just look at the map.
Is hard to get a grip around the fact that although central and South America is firmly connected by landmass if has no functioning road to connect them.
Exactly why a road has never been built I cannot firmly establish, but knowing tens of thousands of lives was lost building the panama canal due to dengue fever and malaria, one piece of the puzzle falls into place.
The large swamp area of south Panama and Pacific side of Colombia is ridded with mosquito infected swamp land. The rainy season is long and could easily wash away months of work in a few days.
On top of these challenges the half century long guerilla war in Colombia made sure Farc and Paramilitaries got a stronghold in these hard-to-reach wilderness of South America. Access to both the Caribbean and the Pacific was ideal for drug smuggling routes to North America.
So, maybe not so hard to understand why no one has made the effort to connect Panama to Colombia.
The challenge of crossing the Darien Gap
Road or no road. People need to move. Especially backpackers traveling north or south in Latin America needed to get from Panama to Colombia.
Prior to 2010 there was few cheap airlines that could do the job. Meaning crossing the Darien Gap could take a real bite out of a backpacker’s budget.
Fortunately, there was alternative ways to land and air travel.
The Panama Canal made sure that both Cartagena, Colon and Panama City was packed with leisure sailors going through the canal for their circumnavigation of the globe.
Sometime in past thirty years the habit of helping backpackers to cross from Cartagena to Panama became part of the sailors culture in the area. Initially, most sailors helped a few along the way for a small payment, while others would stay a few months sailing backpackers back and forth. The extra income was a good addition for pacific crossing.
By 2010 Colombia was becoming more secure and tourism started to really catch up. Along with it the interest to cross from Panama to Colombia and the other way. The booming business attracted more sailors, sailboats and captains. Over the next decade the business was taken over by professionals.
What’s the deal with the San Blas Islands?
With the influx of low fare air travel the necessity for crossing the Darien Gap by sea has become less relevant. Many backpackers can find cheaper deals by air, than spending hundreds of dollars on a slow-going sailboat.
But there is more to the Panama to Colombia crossing than waves and cramped boats.
The San Blas Islands.
The Panama San Blas Islands is an archipelago stretching one-third of Panama southern coast. This is a long island scattered area protected by an outer reef, making it a beautiful sailing destination. Inside Panamas San Blas archipelago you will find smooth blue sailing for miles and miles.
It is said that the Panama San Blas Islands have 365 small, medium and large islands, but other sources claim there are 378 islands in the archipelago. It is possible that 365 has been a number stuck in peoples mind as one say there is an island for every day in the year in San Blas.
Only 49 of the islands are inhabited by the indigenous Guna Yala people.
Is it Kuna Yala or Guna Yala or..
San Blas was the Spanish name given to the island group. Other places in Latin America have the same name. There is by example a municipality in San Blas Mexico. San Blas is the Spanish name for the Armenian physician and bishop Saint Blaise who was killed in 316 AD.
San Blas was the official name until 1999 when it was changed to Kuna Yala, but since the indigenous language does not pronounce the letter K, the name was in 2011 again changed to Guna Yala, as this more closely represents the way the indigenous say the name.
Guna Yala means the land of Guna.
The Guna Yala people are some of the smallest indigenous people of the world and they live in a matrilineal society, which means they trace their kinship through the mother. The groom becomes part of the bride’s family and takes the bride’s last name.
The San Blas rebellion of 1925 leads to Panama pledging to respect and protect the Guna culture. By the end of world war 2, the Kunas had reached self-government of the San Blas Islands, which they hold to this day.
A bad reputation
Before 2010 it was very difficult for travelers to find good information on the best Panama to Colombia sailboats. Social media was still in its infancy and the internet did not offer much information on the topic.
To add insult to injury most Panama to Colombia sailboat trips were sold by hostels who were loyal to specific captains. This resulted in greater loyalty to captains than to travelers, and many backpackers did not get good information about good and bad boats.
It was in this environment Colombia Panama Sailing was born. Colombia Panama Sailing wanted to be an online alternative to the hostels. Only sailboats that could demonstrate great service, punctuality and focus on security were invited in. The boats were also reviewed periodically to make sure standards are being kept at a high level.
Panama to Colombia via the San Blas Islands
After you have done three days of amazing San Blas sailing you will embark on the final chapter of the Panama to Colombia sailboat trip. Now you will spend 36 to 40 hours in open water blue sailing.
Sailing the open seas from Panama to Colombia is a different experience than sailing the San Blas. The San Blas Archipelago is protected from larger waves by an outer reef.
Now you will be in open water with more waves and typically more movement of the boat.
This is a beautiful part of the sailboat trip. Most people will not get to experience such a voyage as this and there are more exciting things to experience other than the possibility of seasickness.
This is when you get the biggest chance of spotting wild dolphins playing around the boat. What an amazing experience it is to see these playful creatures jumping all around and swimming right next to you. So close you can almost reach down and touch them.
Also, many captains like to keep the fishing lure out on the open water crossings. Although it is rarely more than one blue marlin or a huge yellow finned tuna have been caught on these passages. Even sharks have found their way onboard via the fishing gear.
Star-spangled night sky
At night you will see the brightest night sky you have ever seen in your life and most probably will ever see. Out there in the middle of the ocean, there are no other light sources and you will be able to see the star-spangled night sky in all its glory.
After a long and eventful trip from Panama to Colombia, you will finally see the impressive skyline of Cartagena and be happy to reach the shore. Tired from all the impressions, a shower and a bed will seem like heaven. And now there will be the incredible Cartagena to experience.