San Blas sailing and other adventure travel top locations

Mexico adventure travel destinations are a trendy thing to do right now. Few attractions include Isla Taboga is Panama’s favorite escape out of the city to bathe in its sandy beaches, ride Jet Ski’s, speed boats and fishing charters. First settled by the Spanish in 1515, Isla Taboga has a charming village with the second-oldest church in the western hemisphere, a few narrow streets with a few restaurants and great views to Panama City from the top of the Island.

Bocas del Toro is Panama’s main beach destination on the Caribbean. This collection of low-lying tropical islands, not far from the border with Costa Rica, is known for its outstanding soft-sand beaches lapped by crystal-clear, azure-colored waters. The atmosphere here is beyond relaxed, with many young travelers coming to the area and, in some cases, staying for months or years. Things to do in Bocas del Toro include surfing, swimming, diving, or just lazing on the beach. Activities are generally cheap. Although you can find luxury resorts with infinity pools, this is a budget-friendly destination, frequented by mainly singles or couples. The main town, also called Bocas del Toro or simply Bocas Town, is located on Isla Colon. The town itself is not known for beaches, but you can find lovely stretches of sand on other parts of the island or by taking a boat to nearby islands. Some of the most popular are Bluff Beach, Starfish Beach, and Red Frog Beach.

Getting to the San Blas Islands is a journey in itself. It’s essential to have 4×4 transportation, as the winding roads leading to the archipelago are full of intensely steep mountains and valleys. It takes approximately 2.5 hours from Panamá City to arrive at the port, where a water taxi awaits, lasting around 30 minutes, depending on your island destination. When it’s time to end your journey through the San Blas Islands, you’ll likely leave just in time to catch an ethereal sunset along the jungle road.

Your San Blas adventure starts early in the morning. A friendly driver will meet you at your Panama City lodging between 5:15am and 5:45am and safely transport you and up to five other guests to the Port of Carti. Relax and start enjoying during the 2.5-3 hour journey through the spectacular jungle highlands. Oftentimes we encounter wildlife, such as monkeys and sloths on the road and will gladly stop the car to give you opportunities to admire these beautiful animals and to take photos. Our drivers will also stop at a grocery store in case you want to purchase any items, such as snacks, water or fruit. When arriving at the port your “lancha” boat and San Blas trip tour guide will be waiting for you, ready to commence the San Blas tour. The 30-minute boat ride to the first island may be a little bumpy and, depending on ocean conditions, there may be some ocean spray. All of our boats have ample space and feature sun protection that will make this journey more comfortable. Extra info at San Blas tours.

The archipelago has 365 islands picturesque and palm tree covered, uninhabited and set in indescribably beautiful aqua waters. When famous author John Le Carre of The Tailor of Panama stayed in San Blas his comment upon taking in an island view was, “This is not paradise, this is heaven.” This is the place to go if you truly want to “get away from it all” to be seeped in and surrounded by nature. Owned by the Guna indians, they’ve kept everything natural and authentic. What a pleasure to spend a few days where there’s no concrete, glass or steel. The second major attraction is the Guna people- a beautiful ancient people, largely unspoiled by modern life.

The 360 or so tropical islands off Panama’s northern coast are home to the Kuna people, who since a revolution against the Panamanian government in 1925 have maintained political autonomy from the mainland. As such, they control tourism on their own terms – a very rare thing for an indigenous group. They know how many visitors are coming to their islands on a given day, where they will be staying, and they benefit directly from most of the tourist dollars spent. Aside from fuel for their motorboats, much of it goes on education, health or permaculture. Source: https://www.taotravel365.com/.