Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Restaurante Petita By the main jetty, Río Sidra. Serves home-baked fresh bread and coffee
for breakfast, as well as a decent main meal with dessert and coffee for around $6 at other
times of the day. Daily 7am-8pm.
LOBSTER AND THE CLOSED SEASON
If you're hoping to sample the succulent lobster for which Guna Yala is famous, avoid
the closed season ( veda ; March-May). During this period conch, crab and octopus are also
off-limits. Note that in budget accommodation there is usually a supplement if you want
lobster for a meal.
Cayos Holandéses and around
Three groups of predominantly uninhabited cays forming an equilateral triangle provide the
archipelago's most spectacular underwater scenery. At the top of the triangle, marking the
outer limit of the comarca 30km from shore, Cayos Holandéses (Maoki) are the most re-
mote, yet most visited of the three. Effectively out of bounds during the fierce winds and
high waves of December to the end of February, at other times this chain of around twenty
densely forested islands acts as a magnet for yachts drawn to the sheltered anchorage and
shallow, translucent waters. The protection is afforded by the outlying Wreck Reef , which
has ensnared Spanish galleons and the odd drug-smuggling vessel, parts of which still pro-
trude through the pounding surf. The resulting bays form clear natural swimming pools dis-
playing a stunning array of sponges and soft and hard corals - fire, elkhorn, brain, fan - that
attract rays, reef sharks, moray eels, starfish and a plethora of polychromatic fish.
Cayos Los Grullos and Coco-Bandero
Strung out along the 30km expanse of sea between Río Sidra and Narganá and Corazón
de Jesús, Cayos Los Grullos and Cayos Coco-Bandero (Ordupuquip) - two clusters of
around a dozen or so cays - comprise thin powdery beaches peppered with driftwood encirc-
ling densely forested isles and coral-filled shallows. Popular with cruising yachts, they attract
Guna dugouts selling molas and fresh produce to the visitors.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: CAYOS HOLANDÉSES AND AROUND
By boat For budget travellers staying on the inner isles near Cartí or Río Sidra, an excursion
to Cayos Holandéses usually requires a $30 fuel supplement, and will entail a couple of hours
in a boat.
< Back to Guna Yala
Central Guna Yala
The main appeal of the central isles lies in Isla Tigre , which sustains many traditional Guna
practices, and Río Azúcar , one of the most beautiful rivers in the comarca - both accessible
 
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