Day Tour in San Blas Islands All Included Visiting 4 Islands
Description
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 Misdub, visit one of the most beautiful beaches in Diablo 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, Paddle boards, Snorkel mask, beach toys, pickle ball, mini golf, water bed exclusive for our clients! 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.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Pick up starts at 5:20am in your hotel or airbnb, it is a shared 4X4 for 6 passengers. Once everyone is on board we will make a stop in the supermarket so you can buy snacks or other drinks (beer, wine, water etc), or get cash from an ATM (card is not accepted in san blas). There are around 3 hours driving, the last hour is a bumpy road in san blas hills, but our drivers are very experienced as they have travelled everyday to san blas, and if you are lucky enough our driver will spot a sloth or monkeys on the way in. Arrive to the port around 8:30am and jump in to the boat once all the cars arrive, your guide Naidi will introduce himself. After 30 minutes in boat arrive to the 1st island in this paradise: Island Chichime where you will have fruits, kayaks, and paddle boards exclusive to explore the island at your own, just for our clients! Please notice the drivers do not speak English just our guide, but they will make the effort to talk with you.
First stop Misdub Island those are one of the best islands in san blas, where we have kayak and paddle boards for our clients, you will have time to rest and take a fruits snack.
Visit a little island called Diablo, very famous for its beauty, where you can enjoy the beach all around.
Next stop is lunch time around 12 am we will go to the famous Island Perro chico. Taste a delicious lunch which is catch of the day (fish, octopus, or shrimps, or lobster for an additional), Chicken or Lentils for the vegans with patacones and coconut rice! After lunch, take your snorkel mask or ask it to Naidi, and jump in to the water to snorkel in the best spot in san blas, as it has a sunken boat, nowdays a reef full of tiny colored fishes. Have fun with the locals and play vollyeball with them!
Our final stop in the natural swmiming pool, a bank of sand in the middle of the ocean, with water up to your chest or hip, and have fun finding your starfishes. Or just relax lay back and admire the surrondings.
Time to say goodbye to this little paradise! Around 3:30pm you will be back to the port, and arrive around 7pm to your hotel in Panama city full of souvenirs!
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We pick up in all hotels in Panama city. Just leave us a note with your hotel in Panama city if you dont see your hotel. Its not needed to call to confirm. We need also your room number once you make check in. Hotels in Playa Bonita has additional cost of 10USD per people to be paid to the driver in cash. Other hotels outside Panama city, please contact us to know the additional fee, we do not pick up in hotels in Playa Blanca, Summit or Gamboa Rainforest, or others hotels more than 30min far from Panama city. Pickup from your lodging is scheduled between 5:00 AM and 5:30 AM, although in some cases it may be as late as 5:45 AM. To ensure a smooth experience for all guests, please be ready and waiting in your hotel lobby by 5:00 AM. If you are not at the designated pickup point, the driver will try to locate you, but cannot delay transportation for more than 10 minutes.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Pickup from your lodging is scheduled between 5:00 AM and 5:30 AM, although in some cases it may be as late as 5:45 AM. To ensure a smooth experience for all guests, please be ready and waiting in your hotel lobby by 5:00 AM. If you are not at the designated pickup point, the driver will try to locate you, but cannot delay transportation for more than 10 minutes.
- You are allowed to bring additional beverages.
- 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 6 hours.
Reviews(1,606)
The beaches are beautiful! Not much time spent at each though maybe 45-1hr. The last two beaches do accept cards for a 10% charge. Lunch was delicious. The drive was nauseating. A lot of hills and turns. Take dramamine in advance and close your eyes or go to sleep to help get through it. Little English is spoken by your guide and boat drivers. Boat drivers can be a little rude. There is chaos on site before leaving for the islands. Lots of people just sitting in one area waiting to leave. If you have any back, mobility or serious health issues this activity is not for you! There is little to no assistance getting in and out of those boats. Overall, I would probably do this excursion again.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience and for highlighting the beauty of the San Blas Islands and the lunch! We also appreciate your helpful advice for future travelers regarding the winding road—those who are prone to motion sickness may indeed find it useful to take medication beforehand. As San Blas is a protected Indigenous Guna territory, all of our boat drivers and local guides are members of the community. Their English is basic but sufficient to explain the day's activities, and while their communication style can sometimes seem more direct than visitors may be used to, we will certainly share your feedback with our local partners to continue improving the visitor experience. The boarding area can be busy in the mornings since many boats depart around the same time, but once on the islands, the atmosphere becomes much more relaxed. We also agree that this tour is adventurous by nature and may not be suitable for guests with significant mobility, back, or other health concerns due to the boat transfers and uneven beaches. We're delighted to hear you would do the excursion again, and we hope to welcome you back to San Blas in the future! 🌴
This was an experience! The photos, the videos don’t do this place justice. You should definitely see these islands with your own eyes. Beautiful beaches, friendly people. I had an amazing time!
Our experience with this tour was excellent from start to finish. The tour operator was phenomenal—everything was well organized, communication was great, and the pickup and drop-off were right on time. A special thank you to our driver, Milci. Although he spoke limited English, he communicated well, was friendly, and made the three-hour drive comfortable with his safe and smooth driving. The beaches were absolutely beautiful with crystal-clear water, and the food provided was good. Our island tour guide did a great job and kept everything organized, making for a relaxing and enjoyable day. The only downside—and this is not the fault of the tour operator—was the condition of the amenities on the islands. The restrooms, rinse areas, and showers could use a little more care and maintenance. The infrastructure is already there; it just needs a bit of TLC to make the overall experience even better. Overall, we had a wonderful time and created great memories. I would absolutely recommend this tour operator to anyone visiting the area. They delivered an organized, enjoyable experience, and the stunning beaches made the trip well worth it.
Naid did a great job taking us to the 4 islands and guiding us to our destinations on time.
Naidi was our guide and did a good job and translated to English pretty well. After the first island, I feel that an hour at the other ones was a bit too long. Other than that, it was great
We had tons of fun island hopping. The water was beautiful and clear. Snorkeling there was an ultimate treat. We would recommend this for all adventurous travelers. The long journey to the destination was definitely worth it.
My tour guide, Naidi, was absolutely amazing! He was so kind, friendly, and made sure everyone felt safe throughout the entire tour. He went above and beyond to make the experience enjoyable, and you could tell he genuinely cared about everyone in the group. I couldn’t have asked for a better guide, and I highly recommend him to anyone visiting San Blas!
Nadie, was an excellent tour guide. It was excellent experience.
To start with the positive aspect - the lunch was really good. The pickup in the hotel worked well, the first tranfer to the harbour was also OK. Regarding the rest: - the quality of English of the guide was limited; - the boat is very basic and filled to the last possible place; - the first stop is only for relax, during the low tide the lagoon is too shallow; - the second stop is not a snorkelling spot, it makes no sence to give snorkel and mask to participants; - the last two stops provided also the chance for a nice snorkelling; however you need to find corals and fish by yourself, the guide does not advice. The nightmare for me was the return journey. If you are six guests in the car, one person shall "sit" on the middle space in the second row. This "seat" is painful for the first part of the journey with many curves, as you are not able to fix your body. Therefore, it should not be regularly used, even for a bit higher price (or the chance to buy an emtpy middle seast should be given to everybody, now only to couples). I was also unlucky - as the most senior person in the car, I was given this "hot seat" by the driver (should not happen, seniority should be somehow reflected when the driver allocated seats). And other young people in the car "new young generation" just enjoyed full size seats... (for four hours of the retunr journey, due to road reconstructions).
Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed feedback. We truly appreciate both your compliments and your constructive comments. We're very happy to hear you enjoyed the lunch and that the hotel pickup and transfer to the harbor went smoothly. Regarding the guide, the Guna people who accompany our tours speak basic English. San Blas is an autonomous Indigenous territory, and we prioritize working with local Guna guides so that tourism directly benefits their communities. While their English may not be fluent, they do their best to communicate with visitors from around the world. As for the boat, the boats used in San Blas are traditional local boats operated by the Guna community. They are simple by design and operate within their legal passenger capacity. The snorkeling stops vary depending on sea conditions and tides. Some islands are better suited for relaxing, while others offer excellent snorkeling opportunities. Since San Blas is a natural marine environment rather than a managed marine park, guests are free to explore the reefs at their own pace instead of following a guided snorkeling tour. We are especially sorry to hear about your experience during the return drive. Our shared transportation uses SUVs with three rows of seats, and we understand that the middle seat in the second row is less comfortable, particularly on a longer journey when road construction extends the travel time. For guests who would like additional comfort, we do offer the option to reserve the front passenger seat, or for groups of two, to reserve the entire second row, ensuring no one sits in the middle seat. This option is available for an additional fee and can be arranged before the tour. In shared transportation, the remaining seats are assigned according to the pickup order and operational logistics, without preference based on age or nationality. Thank you again for your valuable feedback. Comments like yours help us improve and better explain what guests can expect when visiting this unique Indigenous paradise. We hope the incredible beauty of San Blas will remain one of the highlights of your travels.
Upon arrival at the departure location, you only see trash everywhere. It is dirty. On the boat, the pilot only wanted to arrive at the island very quickly. The small waves made the boat bounce, making the trip totally uncomfortable. The meal is more than neglected. We go from islet to islet where there are only "local" vendors on each one. You really feel that it is a mass tourism outing. We were in the same place, about 250/300 people since the departure. It is really a shame because the place is really beautiful except for everything I mentioned before. I had not detected this when we signed up.
Bonjour, Merci d'avoir pris le temps de partager votre retour. Nous sommes sincèrement désolés que cette excursion n'ait pas répondu à vos attentes. San Blas est une comarque autonome gérée par le peuple indigène Guna, et notre rôle est de travailler en partenariat avec les communautés locales tout en respectant leurs règles, leur mode de vie et leur façon d'organiser le tourisme. Cela signifie que certaines infrastructures et certains standards sont très différents de ceux que l'on trouve dans des destinations touristiques plus développées. Concernant les déchets que vous avez observés au port, nous comprenons parfaitement votre déception. Malheureusement, il s'agit d'un défi auquel la région fait face en raison de l'absence d'un système public de gestion des déchets dans cette zone isolée. C'est un problème que les communautés Guna tentent progressivement d'améliorer, mais qui reste une réalité de la région. Le trajet en bateau peut parfois être mouvementé. Les capitaines adaptent généralement leur vitesse aux conditions de la mer afin d'assurer un trajet sûr, même si cela peut malheureusement être inconfortable lorsque les vagues sont présentes. Le déjeuner proposé est un repas simple, préparé par les familles locales des îles avec les ressources disponibles sur place. Il ne s'agit pas d'une expérience gastronomique, mais d'un repas traditionnel qui permet également de soutenir directement l'économie locale. Enfin, concernant le nombre de visiteurs, certaines îles sont effectivement très populaires et accueillent plusieurs bateaux chaque jour, surtout en haute saison. Nous comprenons que cela puisse donner une impression de tourisme de masse. Pour les voyageurs recherchant davantage de tranquillité, nous proposons également des excursions privées et des itinéraires vers des îles plus éloignées et beaucoup moins fréquentées. Nous sommes heureux que vous ayez malgré tout trouvé les paysages magnifiques. Nous espérons que cette beauté naturelle restera le souvenir principal de votre visite, et nous vous remercions encore pour vos remarques, qui nous aident à mieux expliquer à nos futurs voyageurs ce qu'ils peuvent attendre d'une visite dans cette région unique.
