THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Panama - page 371

PACKAGE STAYS IN GUNA YALA
Given the complexities of travelling independently around the archipelago, the easiest way
to visit the region is to go on a package tour ; in fact most hotels only offer package deals.
This is also what the Guna prefer as it affords them greater control over tourist activities.
The majority of hotels are aimed at budget travellers, and there's very little mid-range ac-
commodation ; the nearest luxury accommodation lies 25km west of El Porvenir ( coral-
lodge.com ). Panama City hostels and hotels can help organize a multi-day trip, or you can
make arrangements yourself.
Most packages in the western region include return transport by boat from the end of
the Cartí road, or the nearby airstrip at El Porvenir; three basic meals ; rustic accommoda-
tion; and a daily excursion , usually to a near-deserted (there's usually someone living there
to look after the place) palm-fringed island, or a cultural visit to an inhabited island or to
the mainland to visit a cemetery or a waterfall. Check in advance exactly what's included.
There is usually a fuel supplement to visit the Cayos Holandéses, which offer the best snor-
kelling in the comarca but are inaccessible due to rough seas for much of the peak season
(Dec-Feb/early March).
On the sandy atolls, all of which are privately owned, accommodation is usually
provided in simple white cane cabañas , with either a thin mattress or a hammock and per-
haps somewhere to keep your belongings out of the sand. The often-basic toilets (which
may have to be flushed with sea water from a bucket) are shared, and electricity is not a
given; washing may be under overhead showers , or may involve a barrel of water and a
jug or calabash (gourd).
Travellers looking for more comfort will find that several lodges in the central area fit
the bill, offering cabins with private bathrooms (flush toilets, hand-basins and cold-water
showers), often with private balconies, fancier cuisine and English-speaking guides.
At the budget end, package rates are generally $25-60 per person per night, but you'll
pay $100 or more for more comfortable options. Price changes depend heavily on fuel
prices.
TOUR COMPANIES
In theory only Guna-owned companies are entitled to operate within the comarca though
several others do, including backpacker boats to and from Colombia (see Sailing to
Panama ) . Given the time needed to get to the islands, the three-day tours offered by some
outfits are rarely worth the expense and are not listed here - short trips are better organized
directly with the lodging involved. Itineraries may change depending on sea conditions.
Expediciones Tropicales (Xtrop) 317 1279, xtrop.com . Excellent sea-kayak tours
working with trained Guna guides and communities, camping on deserted tropical islands