sailing, snorkeling and no-seeums

[KATHRYN MCDONNELL]

I have just come back from a one-week exploratory trip to Panama City. It looks like it could be a good base for me and my husband to spend the winter. However, as much as we enjoy city life, our goal would be to get out on the water at least every other week, preferably to an area with good snorkeling. We would love for example to explore San Blas and Bocas Del Toro by water -preferably with some kind of a crewed charter arrangement. Is that possible? In my research, it seems the access to San Blas is either to stay in a rustic cabin (which is not an option because of the heat and insects) or come by boat from Cartegena, Colombia.I have also read that swarming no-seeums (to which I have had serious reactions) are prevalent in Bocas. So I guess the bottom line question is what, if any, areas of Panama have good snorkeling combined with live aboard boating or at least air-conditioned accommodations?

[COUNTRY EXPERT – LINDA CARD]

Hi Kathryn- as a former cruising sailor, maybe I can answer your questions. San Blas and Bocas del Toro are both fabulous areas for snorkeling and other water activities.

San Blas, since it is the comarca of the Guna Yala people, is much less developed as you have discovered. There are few facilities for tourists and they are rustic, so you will not find A/C and bugs may be a problem. The closest marina is at Shelter Bay, just west of Colon, and you may find charters available there. Shelter Bay has a nice hotel with A/C, and closer to the San Blas islands Portobelo and Isla Grande have a few hotels.

Bocas del Toro is beautiful and has much more infrastructure and amenities. Most of the hotels will have A/C and there are a number of tour companies that offer day trips or longer to the reefs and best snorkeling spots. There are a number of marinas and a considerable boating community at Bocas as well, so charters are more of a possibility.

Another option, on the Pacific coast, is Santa Catalina, a small beach town in Veraguas Province. There are some hotels with A/C there, and it is the access point for Isla Coiba and several other islands. The snorkeling and diving there is known as some of the best in the world, but the islands are a little further offshore. Tour companies in Santa Catalina offer boat trips and tours to the island.

I hope this is helpful to you as you continue your research.

[COUNTRY EXPERT- JESSICA RAMESCH]

Hi Kathryn,

I’ll just add a couple things to the great answer posted by Linda, above.

Guna Yala is the “Comarca” or autonomous reserve ruled by the Guna indigenous people. Guna Yala is the place and Guna is the ethnic designation for the tribe. The official name was San Blas but that is no longer the case, though some locals still use it out of habit. I don’t call it San Blas because the tribe members fought hard to keep control of their lands and preserve their culture and language, particularly ancestral names like Guna Yala.

About bugs: I personally tend to bitten more on the beach in Bocas than in Guna Yala, but everyone seems to react differently, and if you’re aboard a boat (which you can charter from Panama City to any marina in the country), you may find the bugs don’t bother you as much, as the sand and mangroves tend to be big draws for chiggers. There are of course mosquitoes and other types of bugs and critters (there are relevant posts on this forum, see https://internationalliving.com/forums/topic/creepy-crawlies/ and https://internationalliving.com/forums/topic/mosquitos-and-biting-bugs-in-boquette/ ).

I personally don’t love Isla Grande, mentioned above…lately it seems to be crowded.

Make sure you read the Panama Insider sections on Bocas and other destinations before you go, you’ll find helpful tips (for example, you will find one or two ATMS in Bocas, so you may want to withdraw cash in Panama City!).

Hope this helps.

Best,

Jessica

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