Quick facts
| Coast | Caribbean, from the Gulf of San Blas to the Colombian border |
|---|---|
| Governance | Comarca Guna Yala: Congreso General Guna, plus each community's saila |
| Distance | About 38 nm from Linton Bay and about 60 nm from Shelter Bay to Porvenir |
| Tidal range | Under 0.6 m |
| Clearance | Migración and the Congreso at Porvenir; no port captain reported (Noonsite, Mar 2025) |
| Fees | Monthly Congreso fee per boat and per person, plus island anchoring fees (cruiser-reported) |
| Visitor rules | No scuba, no fishing, no coconuts; lobster closed 1 Mar–30 Jun |
| Fuel | No fuel dock found; carry what you need |
Geography and waters
Guna Yala is a long strip of mainland coast and offshore cays. Hundreds of small islands lie behind reefs, most of them uninhabited. Cruisers think of it in three parts:
- The west: Porvenir and its offices, the Cartí islands by the road head, and the busy cays such as Chichime and the Lemmon Cays.
- The centre: the East and West Holandes, Coco Bandero and the twin villages of Nargana and Corazón de Jesús, which have the best shops.
- The east: large inhabited islands such as Ustupu and Caledonia, few supplies, and Puerto Obaldía near the border.
The water is clear and the tide is small, under 0.6 m. The danger is coral. Electronic charts of San Blas are offset or incomplete. Noonsite has warned of four yachts wrecked on its reefs in one season by crews trusting commercial charts. Depths can go from 10 m to almost nothing without warning. The standard reference is Eric Bauhaus's Panama Cruising Guide, with its own waypoints and sketch charts.
Getting there by boat, road or air
By boat from the west. Most yachts base at Linton Bay, Puerto Lindo or Portobelo and sail about 38 nm east to Porvenir. From Shelter Bay it is about 60 nm, so most boats break the trip. The run is covered in cruising Panama’s Caribbean coast.
By boat from Colombia. Boats coming up from Cartagena usually make landfall in the east, at Puerto Obaldía, or clear Immigration at Porvenir. See Panama ports of entry by sea.
By road. The road from El Llano on the Pan-American Highway is the only official land route into the comarca. It is about two hours from Panama City on a steep road, usually in a 4x4 with a Guna driver. A Guna checkpoint collects an entry fee. Lanchas (small motor boats) run from the Cartí port to the islands.
By air. El Porvenir has an airstrip, which is useful for crew joining a boat in the western islands.
Anchorages, marinas and supplies
There are no marinas in Guna Yala. You anchor behind reefs and islands, in sand where you can see it. The nearest marinas and yards are Linton Bay and Panamarina, with Shelter Bay by the canal.
Choose by wind. In strong trades, reef-protected anchorages like the East Holandes still roll, and Porvenir is uncomfortable in a lively north-easter. Anchor in sand, never on coral or seagrass, and dive on the anchor. Reef protection in San Blas covers how to anchor without damaging the reef.
Supplies are thin. Nargana has the best selection. Porvenir and Wichubhuala have very little. Vegetable boats call at the popular anchorages, and Guna fishermen sell fish and lobster in season. There are no ATMs and no card payments, so bring US dollars in small bills. We found no fuel dock in San Blas. Provision and fuel in Colón or Panama City; see fuel, water and provisioning.
Tides, weather and seasons
The tide hardly matters here; the wind and the light do.
December to April: the north-east trades blow strongest. This is the best sailing and the worst anchoring. Northerly swell runs onto the outer reefs, and Panama's weather institute (IMHPA) warns of cold-front surges from the north that bring heavy rain.
May to November: the trades fade. You get calm days, better underwater visibility and afternoon thunderstorms with lightning. No-see-ums come out when the wind drops below 3 or 4 knots.
Panama lies south of the usual hurricane tracks, but it isn't immune: Hurricane Otto passed about 75 nm north-north-east of Colón in November 2016. Watch the tropical outlooks from June to November. Whatever the season, move between 10:00 and 15:00 with the sun high and behind you, with a bow lookout, and never enter a reef pass at night. See Panama boating seasons.
What people do on the water
Cruising and living aboard. Many cruisers spend weeks or months moving between the western and central cays. Linton Bay is their supply base.
Snorkelling, not diving. The reefs are the attraction, but the Guna do not permit scuba diving by visitors. Snorkelling is fine.
Crewed sailing trips. Multi-day catamaran and monohull trips run among the islands, and some boats sell the San Blas to Cartagena passage of about five days. Both need proper passenger authorization in Panama. See San Blas charters.
Lancha day trips. Guna boatmen run visitors from Cartí to the nearby islands, and Guna families run the islands that take overnight guests.
Buying from the Guna. Molas, the layered appliqué panels Guna women make, are sold from ulus (dugout canoes) alongside your boat. Fish, lobster and coconuts are also bought, not taken.
Rules, permits and agencies
National rules still apply. You need the AMP's cruising permit for a foreign-flagged yacht and a zarpe naming San Blas. Migración handles passports, and SENAN works at sea. Noonsite (March 2025) reported no port captain at Porvenir, so the permit or an international zarpe comes from Puerto Lindo or Colón.
On the islands, the community decides. The Congreso General Guna charges a monthly fee per boat and per person, paid at Porvenir or to a visiting official. Each island or group sets its own anchoring fee. The Congreso publishes no schedule we could open; cruisers have reported US$20 per boat and US$20 per person a month. Pay what the official receipt says. Details are in San Blas permits, fees and rules.
- No scuba, no fishing and no taking coconuts.
- No lobster from 1 March to 30 June (ARAP's Caribbean closed season).
- Ask before every photograph.
- Ask the saila before going ashore in a village.
- Carry all rubbish out.
The Congreso can close the comarca. It suspended maritime transport and tourism across most of Guna Yala on 1 February 2026 for wind and high seas. In 2016 and again in mid-2025, disputes with the government shut the Porvenir offices. Check the current situation before you plan.
Who San Blas suits
Self-sufficient cruisers with good ground tackle, a watermaker or big tanks, and reef-reading experience. Crewed charter guests who want islands with no road, no resort and no card machine. Boats staging between the canal and Colombia. It does not suit anyone who needs a marina, fuel on demand or a quick escape to a hospital. Budget it with the San Blas cruising budget worksheet.
Your practical starting checklist
- Get the national cruising permit and a zarpe naming San Blas at Colón or Puerto Lindo.
- Fill fuel, water and provisions in Colón, Linton Bay or Panama City.
- Load the Bauhaus guide's waypoints alongside your charts.
- Bring US dollars in small bills for the Congreso fee, island fees and molas.
- Pay the Congreso fee at Porvenir or to the visiting official, and keep every receipt.
- Move between reefs only between 10:00 and 15:00, with a bow lookout.
- Anchor in sand, snorkel only, and buy fish, lobster and coconuts from the Guna in season.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the San Blas Islands?
On Panama's Caribbean coast, east of Colón and Portobelo, running to the Colombian border. They form the Comarca Guna Yala. Porvenir, the western gateway, is about 38 nm from Linton Bay.
Do I need a permit to sail in San Blas?
Yes, two layers. You need Panama's national paperwork (the cruising permit for foreign-flagged yachts and a zarpe), plus the Guna Congreso's monthly fee and each island's anchoring fee. Keep the receipts.
Can I scuba dive or fish in San Blas?
No. The Guna do not permit scuba diving or fishing by visitors, and every coconut palm has an owner. Snorkelling is allowed, and you can buy fish and lobster from the Guna outside the 1 March to 30 June closed season.
Is there a marina in San Blas?
No. The nearest marinas are Linton Bay and Panamarina near Portobelo, about 38 nm west, and Shelter Bay at Colón.
¿Cómo llegar a San Blas en velero?
La mayoría sale de Linton Bay, Puerto Lindo o Portobelo y navega unas 38 millas al este hasta El Porvenir. Lleve el permiso de navegación y el zarpe, efectivo en billetes pequeños para el cargo del Congreso General Guna, y navegue entre los arrecifes solo con buena luz.
En español: navegar en San Blas (Guna Yala)
San Blas es la Comarca Guna Yala, un territorio indígena con gobierno propio: el Congreso General Guna y el saila de cada comunidad. El Porvenir queda a unas 38 millas náuticas de Linton Bay. No hay marinas ni estaciones de combustible en las islas, así que llene en Colón o en Linton Bay. Además del permiso de navegación y el zarpe de la AMP, cada embarcación paga un cargo mensual al Congreso y un fondeo en cada isla habitada; pida siempre recibo. No se permite el buceo con tanque, la pesca ni tomar cocos, y la langosta está en veda del 1 de marzo al 30 de junio. Los arrecifes no están bien cartografiados: navegue entre las 10:00 y las 15:00, con el sol a la espalda, y nunca entre de noche.