Islands and beaches · Comarca Guna Yala (via Cartí)
San Blas Islands (Guna Yala)
From maps and listings · not yet checked by us
An autonomous Guna indigenous territory of about 365 small palm-covered islands on the Caribbean. Day trips drive to the port at Cartí and take boats to sandbar islands for swimming and snorkeling; overnight stays are in simple island cabins.
Good to know
Bring your passport; operators warn you can be turned back without it. A Guna Yala entry fee is charged; travel sites and the regional tourism portal cite US$20 for foreigners plus a small port fee, but we found no official Guna Congress fee page. Book with an operator that includes 4x4 transport. Coordinates are for Cartí.
Details
- Hours
- Entry 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (visitcentroamerica.com)
- Duration
- Very long day trip, or 1-3 nights
- Seasonality
- Year-round
- Best for ages
- All ages comfortable with an early start and a bumpy 4x4 road
- Shabbat
- Requires a 4x4 drive and boat; weekday or Sunday, or stay over and settle in before Shabbat. Islands are very remote.
- Booking
- Yes
- Kosher food
- Tour meals are fish and rice; no kosher food. Bring all food and drinking water for the trip.
- Distance from Panama City
- The Llano-Cartí road section alone is 42 km (visitcentroamerica.com); total drive is much longer
Sources
- visitcentroamerica.com (opens in a new tab) · checked Nov 5, 2026
- chabadpanama.com (opens in a new tab) · checked Nov 5, 2026
- nominatim.openstreetmap.org (opens in a new tab) · checked Nov 5, 2026
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