There are flights to San Blas: small planes of about 12 seats leaving from Panamá Pacífico airport and landing on dirt strips inside the comarca. It is a 30 to 45 minute hop with spectacular views, but it is expensive, there are few flights a week and baggage is very limited. That is why the normal route — and the one we use on every tour — is the 4x4 to Cartí port.
Landing in the comarca does not put you on an island: from the strip you still continue by boat, just as you would from Cartí, and that leg has to be arranged before you fly.
Both routes end in the same place: a boat. What changes is what they cost, how long they take and how many things can go wrong.
| Route | Duration | Cost | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small plane | 30–45 min flight | Several hundred dollars return | Few flights a week, very limited baggage, and cancelled in bad weather |
| 4x4 by road | 2 h 30 to the port | Included in the price of our tours | You have to get up early: pick-up is around 5:00 a.m. |
| Sailing | Days | Depends on the boat | Only makes sense if the boat IS the trip, usually heading to Colombia |
The planes leave very early, almost always before dawn, because the wind on the comarca strips picks up by mid-morning. The flight is low and along the coast: you see the reefs and the cays from above, and that half hour is one of the finest things you can do in Panama.
Baggage allowance is small — usually one carry-on per person — because the aircraft is tiny and weight rules. No large suitcases.
The strips are dirt, with no terminal and no baggage belt: you land, you get off, and the boat that takes you to your island is either waiting or it is not. That connection is the responsibility of your lodging or whoever organised the trip, and it is where most do-it-yourself plans fall apart.
It is worth it if you are going to the far eastern islands of the archipelago, where the sea crossing from Cartí would take hours. And it is worth it if time is worth more than money and you only have a couple of days.
It is not worth it for the islands around Cartí — which is where almost all tours go, ours included: you would pay a great deal more to save two hours of driving that are already included.
Every one of our tours includes the door-to-door 4x4 from your hotel in Panama City. No flights to coordinate, no baggage weight, and no mid-morning wind leaving you on the ground.
There is no airport with a terminal. There are several dirt strips across the comarca of Guna Yala, including one near Cartí, where small planes land. No baggage belt, no waiting room, no taxis waiting.
Considerably more than going by road: several hundred dollars return per person, varying by strip and season. The exact figure comes from the airline on the day you buy, because seats are few and prices climb fast.
Panamá Pacífico, on the west bank of the canal — not Tocumen. If you arrive in Panama on an international flight you will have to cross the city, and it is worth allowing a night.
It is risky. Flights are few, leave before dawn and are cancelled in wind or heavy rain. A one-day plan tied to a small plane stops being a plan the moment the weather turns.
Little: the plane is small and total weight rules, so it is usually one cabin bag per person. If you are travelling with large suitcases, the road is the only realistic option.
By boat, the same as from Cartí. Flying saves you the road, not the sea. That boat has to be arranged before you take off: there is nowhere at the strip to go looking for one.