Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The El Llano-Cartí road is the only road that leads into the district. It connects the town
of El Llano, on the Carretera Interamericana 70km east of Panama City, to the San Blás
coastal hamlet of Cartí. The road begins near El Llano at the turnoff for Nusagandi.
It's best to take a shared 4WD with a powerful engine, a winch and good tires. Ask
your Panama City hostel to arrange transportation. Both Kuna Yala Expeditions (
Click
per person US$25)
offer transfers for US$50 round-trip, per person.
BOAT
Sailboats travel to Colombia via the archipelago, but most board in Colón Province.
Lodgings in Panama City have more information about these privately run trips.
San Blas Adventures
(The Darien Gapster;
www.sanblasadventures.com
;
all-inclusive per person
US$350)
More of a tour than just transport, this popular new four-day service takes back-
packers between Cartí and La Miel (the Colombian border), visiting Kuna communities,
camping on beaches and snorkeling along the way. Fiberglass boats have outboard en-
gines. A good alternative to the sailboat crossing (avoiding cramped overnight quarters)
and rough seas. See the website for useful planning details.
Getting Around
Few of the islands in the archipelago are more than 10km from the district's mainland.
All of the heavily inhabited islands are very close to the coast to permit access to agricul-
tural areas and vital natural resources, such as water, firewood and construction materi-
als. Also on the mainland are the giant trees from which the Kuna make their chief mode
of transportation - the
cayuco
(a dugout canoe made from a burned and hollowed-out
trunk). There are nine towns on the mainland, all within 100m of the sea, though there
are no restaurants or hotels in these towns.
AIR
Inter-island flights are occasionally available, though it's a good idea to inquire directly
at regional airstrips since schedules fluctuate wildly.
BOAT
Boatmen await the arrival of planes to shuttle people to their island destination (US$2 to
US$80). If you want to travel by boat between island groups or explore some of the far-
flung islets, you can either hire local guides at the docks or have your hotel make the ar-
rangements. Inquire about your ride in advance if you don't like small seacraft (some go
quite slowly).
