Sailing in the San Blas Island, the Guna Archipelago

San Blas Archipelago

San Blas Archipelago, also known as the region of Guna/Kuna Yala, is formed by 365 coral islands and remains one of the best-kept secrets in the Caribbean for sailing charter. The best and most privileged way to discover San Blas is by sailing among its white sand islands and beautiful turquoise waters. Come on board and discover it with us!

Day 1: Arrival to El Porvenir in San Blas at 6:35 in the morning. We will pick them up for embarkation on our sailboat to start the charter. We will sail to Cayo Limon. Snorkel on a sunken ship covered in multicoloured coral and surrounded by crystal clear waters. Anchor at this idyllic spot to enjoy sunset and spend the night.

Day 2: After breakfast, we set sail to Salardup. Stroll on a small island, inhabited only by a Kuna family in charge of the cocunut palms. Swim and snorkel among the nicest coral reefs. Delicious fresh fish and seafood barbecue aboard.

Day 3: We will pull up the anchor and set sail to Coco Bandero, a group of extremely scenic islands, described by many, as the most beautiful in all of San Blas, with their white sand beaches and pristine waters.

Day 4: We will set sail at noon and enjoy a couple of hours of sailing among the islands of San Blas, we may fish on our way to Wichuwuala, where we will visit a small Kuna villag to discover their traditions and craftworks.

 Day 5: Guest’s disembark soon in the morning in El Porvenir, to take the flight back to Panama City.

 Note: Itinerary may be adapted by the skipper to weather conditions and, as far as possible, to the guests’ preferences.

Price per person: $740.00 for a minimum of 4 passengers traveling together.

Prices include:

– Rental of the boat with crew

– Boat and passenger’s insurance

– Fuel and water tanks

– Sheets

– Dinghy with outboard engine

– Snorkeling gear

– Fishing gear

– Meals on board based on fish, seafood, fresh local vegetables and fruits

– Drinks on board in reasonable consumption (water, sodas, fruit juices, beer, wine

and local rum)

 

Prices do not include:

– Fly tickets and transfers to San Blas

– All expenses outside the boat

– Local taxes: 10 USD per person approx.

 

Some suggestions:

Climate:

– Tropical weather, below the Caribbean hurricane zone, with temperatures between

28 and 33ºC (80-90ºF). Seawater temperature around 28ºC (82ºF)

 

What to bring:

– We recommend to pack lightly in soft luggage for storage reasons. Most of our

guests tend to pack more than they end up using. Life on board is casual, so bring

some shorts, summer cotton clothes, a long sleeve shirt and long pants, bathing suit

and towel, cap or hat, sunglasses, a light rain jacket, sandals or reef runners and sun

protection.

Do you know Taboga?

Cerrito Tropical B&B

Taboga Island

La isla de las flores

El Morro

Taboga Island (Spanish: Isla Taboga), also known as the “Island of Flowers”, is a volcanic island located in the Gulf of Panama. It is a tourist destination, about 20 km from Panama City, Panama and the best way to reach it is by Ferry.

The island was discovered in the 16th century and was originally named Isla de San Pedro by the Spanish explorer, Vasco Nuñez de Balboa. Its current name derives from an Indian word, aboga (“many fish”). The island’s first settlers were Indian slaves from Venezuela and Nicaragua.   For more of the history of Taboga, click here

Getting to Taboga Island:  A short ferry ride from Panama City takes you to the beautiful “Island of Flowers”. The ride is quite fun and it offers spectacular views to the city skyline, Biodiversity Museum, the Americas Bridge and the ships waiting to enter the Canal. On the island you can walk through its narrow sidewalks adorned with flowers, hike to the top peak, or go for a refreshing swim in one of its many beaches.

What to  Do:

There are two main beaches on the island, one to the left and the other to the right of the dock, this last one has a sandbar connecting Taboga with El Morro. During high tide the sandbar disappears and you can walk towards El Morro.

Sustainable Fishing: Taboga is a fishermen’s town, therefore an interesting option is to hire a local boat with captain to explore the surroundings and practice sustainable catch and release fishing.

Hiking The view from the top of the island is beautiful.  There are two options, “La Cruz” which has view back to town, and “El Vigia”, the highest elevation on the island. There are two options to reach the last one, using the main road in town that turns into a dirt road, or using a trail through the forest that starts from the park in front of the church. Sings are scarce so it’s not a bad idea to ask around.

There are some hotels to stay in the island.  Our suggestion B&B Hotel Cerrito Tropical

Boat Schedule Taboga click here

Did you know that Paul Gauguin the famous painter lived in Taboga Island for a short time and worked on the Panama Canal construction during the French years, however he was dismissed from his job after only two weeks.

Dog Island – Achutupu San Blas

Whale Watching Panama

Every year thousands of humpback whales are swimming along the coastline of Panama as part of their migratory journey. They will pass Panama over a four months period, from July to October. This is an amazing opportunity to head out to the pacific ocean and admire the huge friendly giants from up close.

From Panama City you will take a boat into the direction of the Pearl Islands and as soon you are in the wide open water the first humpback whales will emerge from the water. They are gigantic! This enormous animal is even bigger than the boat. You will keep a safe distance, but it will still be possible to see them really close.

After you have admired the whales for a while you will set sail to another spot. This because we do not want to disturb the whales too long with the spluttering boat. Here you could see more humpback whales. Some of them are taking it easy and other ones are jumping around. Maybe, if you are really lucky, you will see a mother with her child. Do not forget to bring your camera and to take some beautiful pictures. This way you can always remember this wonderful day.

On the way back to Panama City the show is not over yet. You could be accompanied by a group of dolphins. They will be swimming along side the boat and they will be jumping around and performing a show you can not miss.

In the evening at dinner you will still be amazed by the wonderful day you have had. You will look at your pictures and can not believe you have seen these massive giants for real. This was a day you will never forget.

If you are interested in the whale watching tour please check our website

 

By Jiske Schaling

Marriott Announces New Property on Panama’s Pacific Coast for 2013

Panama City, Panama – July 11, 2011 — Marriott Hotels & Resorts announced plans in Panama City to develop the 180-room Casamar Marriott Panama Resort within the Casamar master-planned resort community on Panama’s Pacific coast.  The five-star resort, under a franchise agreement with Casamar Development, S.A. and Corporación Turística del Pacífico, S.A., will open in 2013 and be a significant addition to Panama’s Pacific beachfront resorts.   Marriott Hotels & Resorts is the signature brand of Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR), with more than 500 hotels in 54 countries.

The Casamar Marriott Resort will be situated on the beach, near the town of San Carlos, approximately 55 miles from Panama City.  The Casamar community will include a number of condominium and villa clusters, tropical gardens and walking trails, freestanding restaurants, retail units, a sports club and a beach club.  Panama’s Pacific Coastline, traditionally a weekend retreat for wealthy Panamanians, is quickly developing into resort destination with the development of quality resort hotels, and from 2002 to 2010, tourist visitation to the area more than doubled, to 1.7 million.

he Casamar Marriott Panama Resort will offer 180 guest rooms in a series of interconnected buildings surrounding the hotel’s public and recreation areas, which include a large free-form swimming pool and extensive deck areas. The hotel will also have two restaurants, two bars, extensive meeting space, retail outlets and a full-service spa.  The project architect will be Zurcher Architects, whose work includes the Bristol Buenaventura Resort, as well as all the Marriott Hotels & Resorts and JW Marriott properties in Costa Rica – the Costa Rica Marriott in San Jose, Marriott Los Sueños Ocean & Golf Resort, and the JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa.

Sailing in San Blas – Kuna Yala

San Blas Archipelago, also known as the region of Kuna Yala, is formed by 365 coral islands and remains one of the best kept secrets in the Caribbean for sailing charter. The best and most privileged way to discover San Blas is by sailing among its white sand islands and beautiful turquoise waters. Come on board and discover it with us!

Day 1: Arrival in the morning of guests in Cartí. We will pick them up for embarkation on our sailboat to start the charter. Visit of a small Kuna village to discover their traditions and craftworks.

Day 2: We will sail to Cayos Limon. Snorkel on a sunken ship covered in multicoloured coral and surrounded by crystal clear waters. Anchor at this idyllic spot to enjoy sunset and spend the night.

Day 3: After breakfast, we set sail to Kuanidup. Stroll on a small island, inhabited only by aKuna family in charge of the cocunut palms. Swim and snorkel among the nicest coral reefs. Delicious fresh fish and seafood barbecue aboard.

Day 4: We will pull up the anchor and set sail to Corazón de Jesús. We will anchor on theway to enjoy swimming and snorkeling on another pristine coral. Visit of a traditional Kunavillage.

Day 5: Guest’s disembark soon in the morning, to take the flight back to Panama City.

Note: we offer custom made itineraries and also sailing tours to Bocas del Toro.

For prices and full itineraries, please contact us at annie@ecocircuitos.com or sales@ecocircuitos.com