San Blas Islands travel guide

History

According to their own history, the Kuna arrived on Panama’s Caribbean coast during the 16th century, having been driven from their Colombian homeland around the time of the Spanish conquest. However, recent evidence suggests that they did not properly settle on the islands until the mid-1800s, first inhabiting the jungles of Darién after fleeing the Gulf of Urabá in Colombia. It’s likely that disease and conflicts with other indigenous groups spurred their migration to the coast and islands that are their present-day home.

Throughout history, the Kuna have been keen traders, exchanging coconuts for staples such as sugar, cacao and rice, as well as tools, cloth and weapons. Former business partners include the Scots, who established the ill-fated colony of New Edinburgh in Darién in 1698. By 1700, New Edinburgh had sunk beneath a barrage of tropical disease and Spanish hostility, never to return. Around 1740, promising relations were struck with the French, who were so admired that they were even permitted to marry Kuna women. But when they started growing cacao for export and using the local Kuna as a workforce, relations rapidly deteriorated. The French were violently expelled from the region. The British, with their well-established colony of Jamaica were the next trading partners, but it is the Colombians who proved most consistently loyal and profitable. Trade with Colombia continues today, protected by international treaty. Lobsters and coconuts are Kuna Yala’s major export and much of it ends up in the Caribbean port of Colón, an international centre of commerce located at the northern entrance to the Panama Canal.

In 1903 the nation of Panama was born and the new government initiated a programme of ‘national culture’ which included the forced suppression of age-old Kuna traditions. The result was outright rebellion. In 1925, the Kuna attacked the local Panamanian police force with the backing and support of the US government. Each side suffered around 20 casualties and the Kuna subsequently established their own independent region, officially recognized as a semi-autonomous province or comarca in 1938. Their constitution was set out in La Carta Orgánica de San Blas in 1945, a document which outlined the comarca’s unique self-governing structure and relationship to national government. In 1980, the Kuna elected their own representative to the national legislature. In 1999 Kuna-born Enrique Garrido was made head of Panama’s general assembly, giving new voice and energy to the Kuna cause.

Festivals and events

All the following fiestas involve dances, games, meals and speeches, and are traditional. Those on Narganá have a stronger Western element (but also typical dancing and food).

Getting around

Without your own yacht, moving freely between the islands is not easily accomplished. It’s sometimes possible to rent a lancha (motor boat) or dugout canoe for your own purposes, but usually your hotel will want to organize your daily excursions along with those of the other guests. This means that unless you’re travelling in a group large enough to warrant your own vessel, you may have a limited say in which islands you visit and when. Public lanchas (motor boat) do depart between major settlements but there’s no official schedule. If you have a specific journey in mind, you should discuss it with your hotel manager or guide. Note that you will have difficulty finding a boatman to travel to the more remote eastern islands, but you may be able to hitch a ride with a yacht. Otherwise, light plane remains the best way of travelling long-distance within the comarca.

Ins and outs

Getting there

There are around 20 airstrips in the Kuna Yala archipelago and most are served by the two domestic airlines, Air Panama and Aeroperlas. Most people enter the comarca via El Porvenir, which has a small airstrip and access to several nearby accommodations. On a sailing journey, this is the place to obtain your final exit stamp from Panama, or to check in if coming from Colombia. Other popular points of entry include Cartí, Río Sidra, Corazon de Jesus, Playón Chico and Mamitupo. You will be required to pay a local tax when you land and for any subsequent island you visit, usually US$1-3. Carry lots of small notes.

It is also possible to reach Kuna Yala overland. From Panama City, head east along the Interamericana to the village of El Llano, then turn north and cross over the mountains until you reach the village of Cartí, from where boats depart to the islands. Hardcore adventurists can also walk over the continental divide from Cañita to Cartí. Take a bus from Panama City towards Darién and get off at Cañita, then walk two to three hours to the EcoLodge at Burbayar (there is also a lodge at Nusagrande). The following day camp on the coastal side of the Serranía de San Blas and on the third day make sure that you reach Cartí before 1600 when the last boat leaves for the islands – US$20-30 to El Porvenir, or US$10 (20 minutes) to Isla Naranjos. Before embarking on either of these journeys, contact your hotel to check the state of the roads, seasonal accessibility and frequency of transit from Cartí to the islands. You may also be able to reach the comarca by boat from Colón, or from less frequent sailings along the Central Caribbean coast.

Tourist information

There are no official tourist information offices in Kuna Yala. Your local hotel owner or guide will know about all the best attractions. Many of the hotels listed below have their own websites, which give a good indication of what to expect.

Local customs

The Kuna are very conservative and you should respect by their culture by dressing appropriately when visiting their villages. Not all islands are open to outsiders and you cannot land wherever you wish. Photography is an important issue. Never take a photo without permission and expect to pay US$1 for each you do snap. In Kuna Yala, visitors are generally treated hospitably, but also expected to act with the courtesy of guests in someone’s home.

Transport

Air

Both Air Panama and Aeroperlas fly to Kuna Yala, serving all of the major destinations. El Porvenir is the entry point for most visitors, US$58 one-way. All flights leave between 0600 and 0630, Mon-Sat, returning 0700-0830. Evening and Sun flights must be booked privately. Baggage over 15 kg is charged at US$0.50 per kg, so wear your heavy stuff.

Boat

There are occasional boats to Kuna Yala from Colón, but there is no scheduled service and the trip can be rough. One ship that goes from time to time is the Almirante; try to find the captain, Figueres Cooper, who charges US$30 for the trip. The port captain’s office at Coco Solo may have information on boat departures, T441-5231 or T445-1055, although most boats are not keen to take gringos. Alternatively, go to the Costa Arriba and try from there.