San Blas Islands : 4 - Dagtour naar het eiland met lunch en snorkelen

The islands are superb. However, the organization of the tour and the visits left something to be desired (guide constantly late). Transportation to the activity was in an SUV for 5 passengers even though there were 6 of us. The trip there and back was painful for everyone.

There was no one who could speak English, so I did not show when there was food or when the boat sailed on. It wasn't a good service.

I’ve been on quite a few of these viator tours. However, I was bit disappointed in some of the details. Two things in particular. First, they advertise English or Spanish guide. And though I selected English…not a sole person spoke English from the transportation (which takes about 3 hours to get there) to the tour itself. So I was expecting to learn things on the ride there. Instead I feel like I just paid for a taxi. The second thing is food selection. I indicated one person in my party needed gluten free. However there was no such choice. And there was one island where the food was served. I noticed quite a bit of better choices from other tours. So it seemed this tour operator picked the cheapest meal options for us. This was particularly disappointing because we made a stop at a gas station that sold hot food. If we had known they wouldn’t honor gluten free request we could have purchased items from there. Another point to make, getting in and out of the boat was challenging at times. The different stops had different types of docks. So some you just climbed over the side of boat but others had concrete platforms that were so tall that you literally had to slide on your back almost between the boat canopy and the concrete dock platform to get on and off. So if you had any mobility issues it was a wrap. The tour itself was great otherwise. The islands and beaches were wonderful. It is a long ride. I saw some reviews mention it was bumpy. That must be old because the roads were pretty much paved all the way there. Make sure to read the fine print. Bring cash, not all places take cards. And you do need $22 in cash. $20 per person to enter the native land about 1/2 way up the mountain. And then $2 per person once you reach the lot where you’ll take the boat. They do require your original passport.

The tour guide is very friendly and very organized. The highlight is that I saw 2 different kinds of fishes in 2 islands 🐠.

The initial communication via WhatsApp was excellent. We were instructed to be ready for pickup between 5:00–5:15 a.m.; however, we were not picked up until close to 6:00 a.m. Upon arrival, there was not enough space in the vehicle for all three of us. We were then told that the issue was because our tickets were purchased individually rather than together, which was confusing since all three tickets were purchased for pickup from the same hotel. A second vehicle eventually arrived, but it first detoured to pick up two additional passengers unrelated to our group before we were finally on our way. The drive to the boat itself consisted of nearly two hours of continuous winding roads. Even for those without motion-sickness sensitivity, you’ll want to take caution. Especially if sitting in the very back of the 4x4 vehicle. Despite the tour description stating there would be a stop at a store, no stop was made, leaving us without access to food or drinks. When we arrived at the boat docking area, we were dropped off without clear instructions. We had to send a WhatsApp massage to ask for guidance, we were simply told to wait. Restroom access required a 25 cent fee, which was not communicated in advance. We were left unsure of what was happening and waited approximately 20 minutes before someone approached us and escorted to another waiting area before we boarded the boat. Once on the boat, it stalled in the middle of the ocean and required several attempts before the captain gave up and only used 1 engine. At this point, it was already around 10:50 a.m., and no activities had begun. We made a few stops to drop off passengers staying on other islands. The boat ride to the first stop took over an hour. We arrived around 11:15 a.m. and departed at approximately 12:40 p.m. for the next location. Lunch was included, and we paid extra to upgrade our meal to the lobster lunch for $25; however, it was served cold. Please note, the original included meal is not accounted for as part of the lobster upgrade. If you would like the original meal, as well, you have to ask. I recommend the fried fish and fries , as the shrimp were overcooked. Overall, the experience consisted of roughly 10 hours of travel and only about 4 hours on the water. We left the beach at 4:50 p.m. and did not return to our hotel until 7:40 p.m. While the beaches themselves were absolutely beautiful, the overall experience was disorganized, lacked communication, and fell short of expectations based on the tour description.

Every experience is different so from my experience this was a disappointment. The original communication from WhatsApp was amazing. We were told to be ready at 5-5:15 am. We didn’t get picked up until close to 6 am. They did not have space in the vehicle for 3 of us. We were told that we should have purchased all 3 tickets together and not individually; however, that doesn’t make sense as 3 tickets were still purchased with pick up from the same hotel. Another vehicle came and after stopping to pickup 2 of his friends we finally was on our way. The road is like an “s” for at least 2 hours of winding. We never stopped at the store as the description says so we didn’t have any food or drinks. They dropped us off at the boat docking area and that someone would come and get us. We had no clue what was going on. Eventually someone got us and after waiting for close to 20 minutes we were put on a boat. If you need to use the bathroom from the boat docking, it’s .$25 to use the restroom so make sure you bring some cash. The boat eventually stopped in the middle of the ocean. After a series of attempts they were able to crank up the engine and we were on our merry way. At this point, it was 10:50 am and we haven’t done anything. I actually wrote my review in the middle of the ocean. The boat ride to the first stop took over an hour. We arrived around 11:15 am then left at 12:40 pm for our next stop. Your lunch is free; however, we paid to add lobster to our meal. Our original meal which is included in your ticket should have been added to our upgrade. The trip time is really 10 hours of traveling and 4 hours of the ocean. We left the beach at 4:50 pm and arrived at the hotel at 7:40 pm. The beaches were gorgeous but that’s it. I just don’t think it’s worth 10 hours of traveling.

Very beautiful islands However, everything very touristy I didn't want to stay there all the time day tour tourists come and go

This was the highlight of our stay in Panama. I was hesitant to book because I had some concerns about the logistics and cost for us, but I am so thankful that I did

Definitely an adventurous day. The islands are beautiful to see and the water is amazing. However...The journey to get to the islands is not easy. Early morning wake up, long rough ride to get there in a crammed 4x4 with no suspension, long bumpy boat ride on an oversized dingy boat, nothing on the first 2 islands, last islands were identical. Not much to do once you get to the islands, no chairs to sit on, no towels, nothing except a bar serving warm drinks.

The island was very beautiful, there was a Spanish shipwreck we got to explore. The food was really good. Our tour guide and driver was amazing.