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Day Tour in San Blas Islands: Explore 4 Exotic Islands and Indulge in Exciting Activities
4.5
1,117 Ratings
San Blas Islands
Embark on a day tour of San Blas Islands and explore 4 exotic islands. Enjoy exciting activities like kayaking, swimming, snorkeling, and indulge in delicious local cuisine. Support the local community and learn about their way of life.
Duration:
14 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- San Blas Islands - The pickup begins at 5:20 am from your hotel or Airbnb in a shared 4x4 vehicle accommodating six passengers. Once everyone is on board, we’ll stop at a supermarket for you to purchase snacks, drinks (beer, wine, water, etc.), or withdraw cash from an ATM (cards are not accepted in San Blas). The drive takes approximately three hours, with the last hour being a bumpy ride through the San Blas hills. Our experienced drivers, who travel to San Blas daily, might even spot a sloth or monkeys along the way if you’re lucky.
You’ll arrive at the port around 8:30 am and board the boat once all cars have arrived. Your guide, Naidi, will introduce himself. After a 30-minute boat ride, you’ll reach the first island in this paradise: Island Perro Grande. Here, you’ll find fruits, umbrellas, and beach chairs. You can use kayaks and paddleboards exclusively to explore the island at your leisure, just for our clients!
Please note that the drivers do not speak English, only our guide does, but they will make an effort to communicate with you.
- San Blas Islands - Niunuidub is one of the best islands in San Blas, where we provide kayaks and paddleboards for our clients. You’ll have time to relax and enjoy a fruit snack.
- San Blas Islands - Visit a small island called Iguana, renowned for its beauty, where you can enjoy the beach all around.
- Isla Perro - The next stop is lunch around 12 pm at the famous Island Perro Chico. Enjoy a delicious lunch featuring the catch of the day (fish, octopus, shrimp, or lobster for an additional cost), chicken, or lentils for vegans, served with patacones and coconut rice!
After lunch, grab your snorkel mask or ask Naidi for one, and dive into the water to snorkel at the best spot in San Blas, which features a sunken boat that has become a reef teeming with tiny colorful fish.
Have fun with the locals and play volleyball with them!
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San Blas Islands - Our final stop is at the natural swimming pool, a sandbank in the middle of the ocean with water up to your chest or hips. Enjoy finding starfish or simply relax and admire the surroundings.
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Panama City - It’s time to say goodbye to this little paradise! Around 3:30 pm, you’ll be back at the port and will arrive at your hotel in Panama City around 7 pm, filled with souvenirs!
What's Included
- Traditional Lunch (Fresh fish with salad and rice)
- Shared Boat transportation from Port – Islands– Port
- Kayaks & Paddle board
- Welcome Snack (fruits)
- Snorkel MASK
- Umbrellas, chairs and towels under request and up to availability
- Tours to Iguana, Perro Chico, Niunudub and Natural Swimming pool (4 Islands)
- Shared transportation from Panama City – Port – Panama City for 6 passengers
- 1 Drink (Beer, Bottle water or soda)
What's Not Included
- Entrance and port fees (25USD per person)
- Infant spot in the car $50USD both ways, or can travel in adult laps for free.
- Pick in Dreams or Westin Playa Bonita $10USD pp. both ways.
Additional Information
We offer the most unique experience in San Blas Islands the 4 most beautiful islands in only one day.
You will Kayaking or Paddel board in Island Niunudub, visit one of the most beautiful beaches in Iguana island, go swimming in the Natural swimming pool full of starfishes, Snorkel in the Shipwreck in the famous Perro Chico island, Taste delicious lunch made by the locals in Island Perro chico and if we are lucky enough, our driver has the best eye to catch sloths in the road.
We offer umbrellas, beach chairs, Kayaks, Paddel board, Snorkel mask, Volleyball so you can travel with all comfort!
We support the local community, San Blas is a Indigenous protected zone, all our staff are local Gunas for Transportation, Boat, Food etc.. you will experience how they live and learn about their way of life.
- Departure time is at 5:20am in the reception of your hotel. Any delay will have an additional charge, or may imply not to go to SanBlas.
- You are allowed to bring additional beverages.
- Check out from the island is at 3:30pm you should be back in Panama between 6-7pm.
- PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO BRING YOUR ORGINAL PASSPORT. WITH OUT IT, YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO ENTER TO SAN BLAS.
- Please notice San Blas is an Indian protected zone. All the services are basic and rustic, only kuna people are in charge of all tourist’s services such as food, ground and water transportation, lodging, etc, we work with them to support the local economy. Please take this into consideration, the services are not as in the city, the waiting time can be long, and kunas are more informal. We have provided hospitality train to them, but they are still working on it, their culture is different, they are never in a rush, this is part of the adventure to San Blas. Food is basic such as fresh fried fish with salad and rice.
- The vehicle is 4x4 for 6 passengers plus the driver. Pick up time is between 5:20am to 6:00am depending on the route, you can be first ones of last ones. Please be ready at 5:00AM to avoid any delays to other passengers. No Show – or Mayor delays will incur in a penalty – cost of reservation fee. In case you will be pick up in Costa del este or near to the airport, pick up time is between 5:45 and 6:00am
- Day tour return is at 3:30PM. You will arrive in Panama City between 6:30PM and 7:00PM.
- We recommend you bring your personal hygiene items, towels, sunscreen, mosquito repellent. You can bring a cooler with your own drinks, potable water, snacks and beverages (fruit juice or alcohol) you can by on site or bring it yourself.
- The driver will make a stop in a super market where you can buy a disposable cooler, ice etc.
- In San Blas Islands there are no ATMs, only cash in received. You can buy drinks there, snacks, souvenirs etc.“+Movil” and “Digicel” are the cell phone companies which works in San Blas Islands.
- There is no power electricity in the huts, only light.
- Transport time is 2.5 hours way in and 2.5 back. Then 40 minutes to the island in boat. Real time in Islands is around 5 hours.
Location
San Blas Islands
, Panama City
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.5
(1117 Ratings)
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Jasmine_m
Aug 10, 2024
A must do tour!!! - This place was absolutely incredible it was like the real life bikini bottom!! Stunning sights, the water is just indescribable. I'm so glad to have been blessed enough to experience some of panama's beauty.
Review provided by Viator
Jesseca_s
Aug 10, 2024
A Beautiful Dreamy Experience! - Absolutely Beautiful experience. Davis is such a win tour guide very caring and catering.
Visiting the native islands far out in the deep pacific was like a dream.
This is a Must do experience that I recommend to anyone visiting Panama.
Review provided by Viator
Kaprear
Aug 9, 2024
San Blas Island: Take the Journey, Enjoy the Experience - Wow!!! San Blas is a beautiful place!!! Getting there was an experience. It’s about a 2.5hours drive, but they do a gas station stop at the halfway point. The roads are mountainous, so be prepared for twists, turns, hills and great views of the forests. Our driver,Nergan Igar, knew the roads very well and was an excellent driver. He even stopped and let us see some monkeys on the way up and they had photo op moments with the city signs. (BRING CASH and PASSPORT)
When you get to the docks they have shelters where they give you fruit while you wait with your group to board the boat. There are bathrooms available for $0.25 so make sure you have quarters if you need to use. Getting on the boat was a task, as you have to step/bend down from the dock to your boat row, but they help you as you get in and out (try not to bring a lot of bags). The 40-45 minute boat ride to the first island was beautiful and very scenic!!!!
The food and service were especially great! They offer fish or chicken and it was perfectly seasoned and fried! They have other food items as well for extra cost. Davis, our tour guide, made sure everyone was safe and that we moved from island to island in a timely manner. It rained on our last stop, but the boat was still safe to move and they had rain shield to block the rain, you just got wet. I just put a towel on my head, my husband loved the rain and cool breeze.
Overall JUST BOOK IT! Panama City doesn’t have beaches so if you want to see clear blue water and white sandy beaches go to San Blas. We had our doubts about the travel time, weather, and getting back late, but it was oh so worth it!!!!!! Take the journey, enjoy the experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rosaso1623fs
Aug 8, 2024
Wonderful experience - Amazing would recommend anyone who come to Panama as I will always recall to this memory of Panama.I loved the food along with the views .Along with that our amazing tour guide Davis.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Navigator368281
Aug 7, 2024
Gorgeous place! - FABULOUS time with Daves! What an incredible day in such a gorgeous setting 💯 The food, the service, the location were all amazing!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gijyw
Aug 7, 2024
Panama island trip - Our tour guide Davies was great. He explained everything very well. Food was good. We had good time. I will recommend this trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chris_c
Aug 7, 2024
Amazing family experience - Amazing. Highlight of our trip to Panama. It’s a long day but worth it for everyone in the family. It’s well organized. And great for anyone 6-60 years old.
Review provided by Viator
Lizaj877
Aug 5, 2024
10/10 - So much fun! The drinks and food were good. The island was beautiful. Davis and our tour guide to the excursion were excellent
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kaitlyn_c
Aug 2, 2024
San Blas Tour - We really enjoyed this tour. I would warn you to be prepared that it is a long day. We were picked up at 5 am and took about a 3.5 hour car ride through the mountains to the island, so bring snacks/drinks. We were able to stop and get food. The second half of the drive after the stop was VERY curvy so if you get motion sick be prepared. Once you get there, you’re taken to 4 different locations: the water is clear but it is hot. You get a selection of chicken or fish, sometimes lobster if they catch it for an extra charge. It was great for snorkeling and pics. Take your GoPro if you have one. Snorkeling equipment is provided too. The staff was very friendly. Bring cash if you want snacks/drinks on the island. It’s a long day total, we got back to the hotel at 7-8 pm. All in all it was a great experience and we saw a beautiful part of Panama!
Review provided by Viator
Reanna_a
Aug 9, 2024
San Blas and Staff Amazing - You have to go to San Blas when in Panamá. It is incredible. The staff on this tour were ALL AMAZING!
It was however crowded start to end. We had to sit shoulder to shoulder in the car both there and back.
All of the cars go to the same gas station at the same time on the way so it was a line to get coffee, a line to pay, a line to use bathroom, and everyone bumping into everyone trying to move.
They herded dozens of us under a shack to wait and we were shoulder to shoulder. The bathrooms at the dock are horrendous; they cost a quarter but I do not recommend going in. The water to wash hands was brown and the toilets did not flush.
We had to wait a long time (had to be a good 45 minutes perhaps more) to get on the boat, again having to sit shoulder to shoulder with bugs flying around.
At lunch, we were packed in tight at one table. The food was edible but I didn’t expect good food so I wasn’t disappointed. The first island was the best, nicest and cleanest.
The chairs and umbrellas provided are only on the first island and they were plastic upright table chairs, not lounge chairs.
When we got back all of the drivers were there however we had to wait around again. I asked why we had to wait so long again and they said because the drivers are looking over the cars. (They were at the dock all day while we were gone so that wasn’t the reason, I honestly don’t know the reason because we were all eager to get to a shower, etc.)
San Blas and the staff are amazing however I wish I would have booked a less crowded and more individualized experience. I saw other boats that were far less crowded and I am sure there were more islands as nice as the first one.
Review provided by Viator
