Day tour Beach and Culture San Blas Islands: 3 islands 1 Village

A lot of fun. Beautiful...

A lot of fun. Beautiful islands. Make sure you request to visit "la comunidad " so you can meet the Guna Yala in person. So rewarding.

via Viator

If it wasn’t for that boat ride?!

I wanted to like this so much as the beaches are pretty. First the ride was like a roller coaster with no seat belt. To get through the San blas hills must be in a 4x4. Driver spoke little English so we missed some things but we had a translation app. Driver was very kind and accommodating. Offered to lend his xtra clothes when we were cold and wet. Boat ride was HORRIBLE , very choppy, entire family was drenched each ride to every island. More like waterboarded bc the high pressure salt water in our faces the entire time. Our eyes were burning we couldn’t see anything and was hard to breathe. We returned cold and soaking wet to ride back to hotel for 3 hrs. Avoid last 3-4 rows! Poncho won’t save your face and high pressure salt water into your eyes. Tour: very nice to see some of indigenous San blas village. English was very broken so we missed a lot and cellular service was not the greatest. Wish there were umbrellas for shade. Had the worst sunburn despite lots of sunblock. We were able to buy some molas and bracelets. Beaches are small. Food was delicious: Fish, pineapple, etc. Overall we enjoyed ourselves. ADVICE: bring a change of clothes and keep in bag up front. Sit in 1st-2nd row in front. They were the driest. Nowhere to really sit on the beaches. Bring a beach blanket and towels. Will need lots of sunblock or swim shirt.

Response from the operator: Thank you so much for your detailed feedback. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the beauty of the beaches, the kindness of the driver, and the delicious food. It’s important to note that San Blas is an autonomous indigenous territory managed entirely by the Guna community. All services—from transportation to food and hospitality—are operated by local families, who work hard to offer visitors an authentic experience, even in a natural and rustic environment. We truly appreciate your understanding and suggestions. The boat rides can indeed be challenging, especially when the sea is choppy, and we will take your comments into account to improve how we prepare travelers for the journey—such as recommending front-row seats, packing extra clothes, and using protective eyewear for the boat. Thank you again for choosing to visit San Blas and for supporting the local community by purchasing their crafts. We hope that, despite the rough parts of the trip, the cultural connection and natural beauty left a meaningful impression.

via Viator

Great cultural tour and visit to the Caribbean in one.

Tito led a very fun tour to the Blas Islands. The overland ride was amazing and we stopped at several overlooks and saw a baby sloth. The boat part of the tour was well run, the Caribbean was exceptional with fish, crab, pelicans, and sharks. This was a very relaxing day!

via Tripadvisor

Fun in the sun

Getting to visit the different islands the day was great. Our driver was awesome it took it slow for my mother in law we got to see a sloth in the tree on our way back. The only negative is getting in and out of the boat.

Response from the operator: Thank you for your feedback. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed visiting the different islands and that your day was great overall. It's wonderful to know that our driver took special care to ensure your mother-in-law's comfort and that you had the chance to see a sloth on your way back—what a special experience! We apologize for any difficulties you encountered while getting in and out of the boat. We understand that this can be challenging, especially for those who may need extra assistance. We are continuously working to improve our services and will take your feedback into account to make the boarding process smoother and more accessible for all our guests.

via Viator

Beautiful tour, but some logistical issues

First off, I will start off by saying, this place is UNREAL and is probably the closest the average person will ever come to having a private island experience! This was my favorite place in Panama by far. The transfer from our vehicle to the boat went fairly smoothly, but our driver told us he would be in port with the car in the same place when we came back, but this wasn't the case. We walked across the whole parking lot looking for him, only to find out from our island guide, that he had gone. When he finally did come back, he was supposed to give a ride to us and two guys from our boat, then said we he was waiting for one more person and was gonna help another couple find their driver, then disappeared into the village for an entire hour. Everyone else had already left, by the time our driver came back with the other people. At the rest stop, or driver asked if we want to get into another car and get to our hotel faster. I have been on many tours and have never experienced anything like this before, where passengers were returning with different drivers than they arrived with. Now for the island tour itself, the boat ride was nowhere as bad as I feared and the islands were nowhere as crowded as I had feared. We briefly had some of the islands to ourselves, and even when there were other groups you weren't bothered by them. That being said, the schedule and logistics made no sense. Our first stop was Islas Carti to visit the indigenous village. The village was really neat, but I was disappointed that you aren't allowed to take pictures of the Guna. I would have loved to spend more time here and explore, but we basically just walked down one street and were given information about the tribe, and were told we can buy something if we wish. The other people in our group seemed uninterested in the village, and we were maybe there for only about 20 minutes. Our second stop was the island of Guasirdub. The island was small and didn't have a whole lot going on, but you had the option to kayak or paddle board, so I can understand the one hour stop here. However, the stop on the next island, Nugu Dup was way too long. This was supposed to be the snorkeling island, but all there was to see was a sea grass bed with a few fish, starfish and trash. This is where the lunch stop was, and we had a choice between chicken, fish and octopus. Lunch was delicious by the way. The 45 minute leisure time before lunch made sense to me, but what didn't make sense to me is why they kept us on this island for another hour and a half after lunch. While this was probably the most beautiful island, there was nothing to do there. If anything, THIS is where the kayaks should've been, as there are other islands next door you could visit. There was so reason to stay here for so long after lunch. We could've visited two, even three more islands in that time, which would have been a much better use of the time. The next stop was a starfish bed in the middle of the sea, which no one had interest in. And the last stop was the lagoon in the middle of the sea. This is where the best snorkeling was, and our boatman showed me some starfish and coral reefs, which was probably the highlight of my tour. All in all, I was extremely satisfied with this tour, but I only give it 4 stars instead of 5, because of how our transport back to the city was organized, and I also think they could've utilized our time better, and visited more islands with how small they are.

Response from the operator: Thank you for sharing such a detailed review of your experience in San Blas! We're thrilled to hear that this was your favorite place in Panama and that you found it to be an unreal and almost private island experience. Your feedback about the transfer and logistics is invaluable, and we apologize for any inconvenience you faced with the driver and the scheduling. We'll certainly take your suggestions into account to improve the overall experience for future travelers. It's great to hear that the boat ride and the islands exceeded your expectations in terms of comfort and crowding. We appreciate your insights on the stops and the time allocation for each island. We'll consider your recommendations for better utilization of time and the possibility of exploring more islands. We're glad that you enjoyed the snorkeling and the lunch, and that the visit to the indigenous village was a highlight for you, despite the limitations on photography and time spent there. Thank you for your constructive feedback, and we're happy that you were extremely satisfied with the tour overall. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you again in the future and provide an even better experience. If you have any more feedback or need assistance with anything else, please feel free to reach out.

via Viator