The San Blas Islands

The San Blas islands is a chain of 378 islands spread over 100 square miles. It is located northwest of Panama, facing the Caribbean Sea. The tropical climate, turquoise water and sandy beaches make these islands one of the most popular vacation spots in panama. Since these islands are mostly unknown to tourists they remain a pristine and undiscovered treasure, a perfect paradise. Most of the islands have no inhabitants, but the larger ones have natives known as Kunas. Approximately 50,000 people inhabit the islands.

The Kunas are entirely independent from the Panama government, therefore they have full control of the islands and work to protect them from the harmful effects of tourism. To accommodate tourists, there are eco-friendly accommodations built by the Kunas.    

In addition to a native population of humans, the San Blas Islands are home to a great number of plants and animals that inhabit the land, as well as a diverse marine life. Some of the species found on land include many tropical birds, insects (including mosquitoes), small reptiles that have swam from the mainland, and sometimes a dog or cat from the Kuna families. In the water, sharks, stingrays, zebra fish, starfish, squids, flying fish, jellyfish, crabs, lobsters and dolphins can all be found. Needless to say, this Archipelago would be perfect for SCUBA divers. 

 Interesting Facts

• You can visit another island every day of the year in San Blas, because it has over 365 islands.

• Operating system Microsoft Windows used a default wallpaper that showed an island with only a few palm trees on it, this was taken in San Blas.
• Chichimei is an island owned by the Kuna community ad every three months another family is located  there to earn money from tourists.
• You are free to dock on the empty islands but not on all the inhabited islands
• A new road brings you from Panama City to San Blas in 3-4 hours, instead of flying or by boat.
• There are no big hotel chains in the San Blas area because the Kunas own everything
• San Blas is a known drug trafficking area and is guarded by the Panamanian and US DEA
• You pay $100 dollars a person to enter San Blas by boat.
• You can’t make a reservation for staying at most of the lodges, people just come and go.

And just remember, flights to Panama are only $650.

By Vicky and Angela