WELCOME
TO SAN BLAS ISLANDS
Hidden paradise
San Blas Islands have eluded arrival of civilisation and protected their natural beauty for years.
Off the grid
No signal. Limited electricity. Leave your phones and computers turned off, enjoy the silence. Find yourself again.
Unique experience
There is no place like this - nature, corals, peace and coconuts. Come before the change invades Guna Yala region as well.
What will you find in Guna Yala?
Sun. Sand. Fish and maybe yourself.
That is just a short sample list of things you might see or feel, once you arrive to San Blas islands. When we came here first time, these were the things we were hoping to experience, and San Blas delivered. We have also met a lot of interesting travellers from all around the world, played a lot of games, traded a lot of stories. These islands will leave a lasting mark in your heart.
This is the ideal place for people who love authentic experiences. This is not the ideal place for people who prefer to stay only in 4-star hotels.
Accommodation in San Blas
Going back to simple. And enjoying it.
You will sleep in wooden sheds, just like in those pirate movies. Most of them do not have any floors, sand is everywhere. Families we work with are however already used to tourists, so they found ways to make it somewhat comfortable. Matrasses are mostly comfy and you always get clean sheets when you arrive.
Rooms are empty, usually have just beds, seldom some table or chair. Toilets are looking old-school but are cleaned many times a day, so they keep fresh feeling. Sweet water is scarce, so not-salty showers work usually every 2-3 days. You will find out you don’t need to shower twice a day and your skin will thank you :-)
Food
Eco-organic bio-bombastic
You will be well taken care of during your stay. That means 3 times a day you will get a full meal. Every day almost the same meal, but still - delicious.
Breakfasts always start with eggs and local bread. Lunches and dinners consist mostly out of freshly caught fishes with lentils, potatoes or rice. Time to time you get to eat chicken or octopus for a change. And if you wish to eat something fancy, as in the picture, locals will always hunt it down for you for a reasonable price. You may buy also limited variety of alcohol and snacks, together with coconuts on the island - also for reasonable
What to do there?
Inspiration from our experience.
Read books. Sleep a lot. Listen to podcasts. Sunbath. Collect shells. Exercise. Train yoga. Play volleyball. Plan your new business. Improve the current one. Learn Spanish. Drink a lot of fresh coconuts. Meet new nationalities. Make new friends. Drink, dance and party. Watch sun set. Build a bonfire. Fall in love. Play card or desk games. Go snorkeling. Discover local culture.
Or simply do some of the extra trips listed below.
You can book additional tours together with your stay:
Isla Pelicano
Island that is even smaller than the one you are staying on. Beautiful beach where if lucky, you might even find some starfish. Just dont take them out of the water, they would die.
Price: 15 USD
Tres Islas
You will visit 3 unbelievably beautiful spots - not only Isla Pelicano, famous for the TV series Casa de Papel, but also a natural pool in the middle of the sea or Isla Ucubsui.
Price: 20 USD
Cascadas
Ideal trip for those, who love adventure - you will sail to the coast, to explore untouched jungle, sacred cemetery and small river waterfalls, in which you can swim.
Price: 35 USD
Cayos Holandesas
A real treat for those who love snorkelling. You will travel far to scarcely inhabited islands which are rich with all kinds of colourful fishes, or even gracious manta rays.
Price: 20-75 USD
What to bring along
+ sunscreen - ideally some that doesn't hurt corals (easier to buy in your country than in Panama)
+ own towels, nature friendly soap and shampoo if possible
+ snorkeling equipment, even though you may rent one on island for a small fee
+ books or some card games, if you stay for more nights
+ alcohol or snacks if you like to party, but you can buy some for a reasonable price from locals
+ water, if you plan to stay longer - good to have at least 1,5 liters of water per day
+ flashlight, as after the sun sets down, there are no lights in your cabins
What to leave at home/hotel
- your social networks addiction :)
- drones or diving equipment, it is forbidden to do any of those at San Blas islands
- computers, with limited electricity you won’t really have use for them
- fancy clothes - you can basically live in your bathing suit every day
Excited to try all this? We will make it happen for you!
What is the difference between Naranjochico and Isla Pelicano?
Naranjochico
This is the original Inas island that we are visiting from the start.
Some facts:
- it is about 2-3 times size of Isla Pelicano - but still unbeliavebly small, like 7-9 minutes to walk around
- there is more people - both locals and tourists
- we have a nice beach volleyball court
- long white sandy beach
- a small village of local people
- a paid option to borrow snorkeling equipment or to recharge a phone
Isla Pelicano
The first cabins have opened up in April 2022, so this is a new kid on the block!
Some facts:
- the most famous island of all! Why? It was featured in „Casa de Papel“, famous TV Series from Netflix
- tiny tiny island, you can walk around in 3-4 minutes
- lots of green grass and awesome pics
- less people there
- but also smaller beach and less things to buy
- free paddleboards, snorkeling equipment, 24/7 coffee and phone recharging
Pricing
Your stays per night are easy to calculate. Our family at Guna Yala charges:
- 45 USD per night for a private cabin (minimum of 2 people) in Naranjochico
- 70 USD per night for a private cabin (minimum of 2 people) in Isla Pelicano
The rest of the prices below consist of fixed fees for transports - jeeps, boats, entrance fee to Guna Yala territory, entrance fee to harbour, tours etc. You will pay us just a small part of the package as reservation and you will pay the rest in cash to the family on your way to the island.
As you might have already guessed, since fixed transport costs are so high, it is actually cheapest to go for more days :-) We can build you custom packages based on your needs. Just let us know in the reservation form.
Fill in this sign-up form and we will send you the payment link + details.
About us
We are a young couple, originally from the Czech Republic, Europe, who after several unfogettable visits to San Blas islands decided that more people deserve to know abou this paradise on earth. A local family became our friends and it didnt take long before they trusted us to spread the word around the world. And here we are now, helping English speaking people reach our most beloved place in the world, even though we ourselves keep travelling throughout the world :-) But sometimes you might meet us on islands as well, since we love to come back often.