San Blas Day Trip Cayos Limones, Perro Grande e Piscina Natural

honestly exceeded my expectations. picked us up at 5am sharp from our airbnb in casco. driving thru the mountains in the 4x4 gets a bit twisty so bring dramatamine if u get carsick like me. but man... as soon as u step on that boat at the port everything is worth it. isla perro is insane, underwater world there is crazy good. sea san blas handled all logistics without any hiccups. lunch was fried fish + patacones, crisp and hot. loved every second ❤️

Be sure to bring your passport. There is a police checkpoint in route where it is requested by the National Police. Have cash since a $20 per person charge is also collected at this location. Pack your passport(s) ahead of time since your driver may not give you a reminder before you leave your pick up location. Place the passport in two ziplock or waterproof bags to protect it against water. When traveling place it inside a larger bag or somehow pin or zipper it into your clothes. Have a photo of your passport in the event you are ever separated from it. The guides are real cool. Probably the best part of the trip. They put on a good game of volley ball, so beware. The vehicle ride thru the hills to the wharf and the boat ride to the islands themselves are not for those who have issues with motion sickness. Carry a throw up bag if this is an issue for you. The food at the location was ok. I saw people with ice coolers on the trip. So if you have the muscles, be obliged. A portable battery charger for your cellphone is recommended. Swim shoes or "croc" slippers are highly recommended, especially on the first island. The first beach has a lot of rocks. You will have to go waist deep into the water to get beyond them. This is not a location for ankle deep waders. The beaches would be much more enjoyable with better bathroom facilities. Bring toiletries (i.e. toilet paper) with you and wet wipes are highly recommended. Recommendations to Operator(s): [ I would not recommend this experience because of the following: ] It takes nothing more than a rake and buckets to clear the beach of the rough and sharp stones to create open lanes into the beach water. It would be worthwhile work for the locals. A cleared lane of 15 feet wide done section by section even once per week would soon have much of the water front cleared of these stones. This would improve the visitor experience tremendously. Fix the bathrooms. Put decent doors on the bathroom. Build door openings to standard sizes so that good doors can be readily installed. Toilets should be fitted with the proper seat for that toilet. Elongated toilets should have elongated toilet seats. Round toilets should have round toilet seats. Clean the toilet locations. A Sun Joe power washer is a small investment that would heighten the visitor experience. We are not living in the "Dark Ages", not yet at least. Place toilet paper holders in the bathrooms. Separate the toilet areas from the shower rooms. Have a sink in each toilet area. On the "main land" (wharf) the space in the supposed "banos" are ridiculously small. On the male side there are no showers. Its a blue drum and a bucket. Get there early else you will be climbing into the drum to get the water. Have a water supply boat (similar to having water trucks) so that each island is not dependent on just rain water to fill the water tanks. There is enough money being made to purchase larger sized water tanks. Seek water tanks from Trinidad if they are not made here in Panama already. I was around in the age of wooden out houses with newspaper to do your business. I am not being fussy. Applying some basic building standards, that are mostly fixed costs, would yield tremendous benefits. I am just giving you the honest 411.

We were in San Blas last week with Sea San Blas. The transfers were punctual and well-managed. The island is a true corner of paradise, transparent sea and very white sand. I recommend bringing cash to buy fresh coconuts or handmade souvenirs from the Guna community. An unmissable excursion if you visit Panama.

I took the day tour with my boyfriend and we had a blast snorkeling around the sunken ship in Isla Perro. The team at Sea San Blas was very professional and the boat captain drove carefully. The fish lunch was good, but the portion was a bit light for my boyfriend after swimming all morning.

I booked the day trip option and was worried about traveling alone, but the organization was seamless. The driver arrived right on time and made a quick 15-minute stop at a supermarket for snacks before heading to the mountains. At the port, the logistics can look a bit chaotic, but the guides find you quickly. On the boat, the captain insisted everyone wear life jackets properly. We visited a natural pool first, where the water is waist-deep; the guide accompanied us into the water to ensure no one stepped on sea urchins or touched the starfish. Then we had lunch at Isla Yanis. As a vegetarian, I was worried, but they prepared a nice plate of fried plantains, lentils, and salad for me. It’s an exhausting day because you return to the city around 7 PM, but for the price and security, it’s unbeatable.

The excursion was amazing! The drive up there and back through the winding jungle was another story. Our driver is an excellent driver, we couldn’t believe how skilled of a driver he was. My friends and I could never had driven through the jungle. If you get any kind of motion sickness bring Transdermal patch’s 1.5 mg from your doctor they work for 72 hours or pill! The patches my friends and I had on was a lifesaver! Several people had to pull over to get sick. The whole excursion was on time and professional!

The color of the water is incredible, it looks like a giant swimming pool. Excellent welcome from the local community. Bring cash and good sunscreen

The first hour on the 4x4 was fine..after that, Dramamine ain't gonna help, lol. But if you survive thate road, the Guna people and their beautiful water is worth it all.

The guide (Marcel) refused to speak English despite requesting this, explicitly; thankfully, another woman took pity upon me and was kind enough to translate the information. However, this was pure chance and another father-daughter duo completely missed much of the explanations. Furthermore, as a solo female traveller, harassment is unfortunately not an uncommon experience- especially within Latin America. The guide’s tendency to linger and follow me around was distracting to say the least, and at times outright perturbing. This is not a situation where I’m out on the streets, alone at night; I deserve to feel comfortable and safe within this atmosphere.

We loved the visit to the traditional Guna village in Cayos Limones. This is not at all an artificial tourist attraction, but a real community with its schools, traditions, and preserved way of life. Buying a colorful 'mola' directly from the artisan who hand-stitched it was a magical moment. A journey that has meaning.