San Blas Blog
Practical, honest posts about visiting San Blas — no filler, written by people who actually run the tours.
October 13, 2026
Are the San Blas Islands Sinking? Sea-Level Rise in Guna Yala, Explained
The islands are low, the sea is rising and one Guna community has already moved to the mainland. What the measurements say, why coral islands are so exposed, what it means for a trip and what visitors can do.
October 13, 2026
Can You Buy an Island in San Blas? What Guna Law Actually Says
No outsider can buy, own or permanently lease an island in San Blas. Who does own the islands, the laws behind it, and what those 'island for sale' listings are really offering.
October 13, 2026
Omeggid: How Guna Society Recognises People Who Live as Women
Omeggid is the Guna word for people identified as boys at birth who grow up and live as women. What the word means, what anthropology and Guna activists say about their place in the community, and which words a visitor should use.
October 13, 2026
San Blas vs San Andrés vs Roatán vs Los Roques: Which Caribbean Islands Suit You?
Four Caribbean island destinations that often end up on the same shortlist, compared honestly: how you get there, what is built on them, the water, the culture and who each one is really for.
October 13, 2026
Sandflies (Chitras), Jellyfish and Other Nuisances in San Blas
The small things that can spoil a San Blas day: biting chitras at dusk, the odd sting in the water, sea urchins underfoot and the sun. What they are, when they are worst and what to do about each.
October 13, 2026
The Scottish Darien Colony: Scotland's Lost Settlement in Guna Yala
In 1698 Scotland tried to plant a trading colony on the Guna coast. It lasted less than two years, cost thousands of lives and helped push Scotland into union with England. Where it was, how the Guna fit in and what is left.
July 8, 2026
Day Tour or Overnight Stay in San Blas? How to Choose
A day tour shows you the islands in about fourteen hours; a stay lets you be there after the day boats leave. What really changes, what it costs you in comfort and time, and who each one suits.
July 4, 2026
Is San Blas Safe? An Honest Answer on Sea, Health and Crime
Crime against visitors is rare in Guna Yala. The real risks are the sun, the sea and the distance to a hospital. What each one means, and how to handle it.
June 30, 2026
5 Things Nobody Tells You Before Visiting San Blas
Packing lists cover sunscreen and swimsuits. They rarely explain that you are entering a self-governed territory, that you will see a sliver of it, and why it is rustic on purpose.
May 27, 2026
Best San Blas Photography Spots, by Subject and by Light
Chichime for palms, the Piscina Natural for horizon shots, the outer cays for clarity, Perro Chico underwater, and an overnight for golden hour and stars. Where to shoot San Blas, and when the light allows it.
May 23, 2026
Where Does the Guna Yala Community Tax Actually Go?
The $22 you pay on the road into San Blas is not a national tourism fee. Who charges it, what the Guna General Congress uses it for, and why collecting it is part of Guna autonomy.
May 19, 2026
Sailing Trip, Day Tour or Yacht Charter? Three Ways Into San Blas Compared
A Cartagena sailing crossing, a tour from Panama City and a private crewed charter all end up in the same water, but they are built for different goals. One table and an honest look at each.
May 15, 2026
San Blas Weather Month by Month: Rain, Sea and Crowds
A month-by-month table for San Blas: when the dry season really starts and ends, what green-season rain looks like on the water, when Panama's holidays fill the boats, and what the calendar changes on your plate.
May 11, 2026
The Guna General Congress: How Guna Yala Actually Governs Itself
Two general congresses, a sagla in every community and a Fundamental Law of its own. Who decides what in Guna Yala, which Panamanian laws recognize it, and what it changes for you as a visitor.
May 7, 2026
What Does 'Guna Yala' Actually Mean?
One place, three names from three eras: San Blas, Kuna Yala and Gunayala. What the Guna name means word by word, why the K became a G, and which name to use on your trip.
May 3, 2026
Isla Perro, Perro Chico or Perro Grande? How to Tell Them Apart
Isla Perro is a group, not an island. Perro Chico has the shipwreck, Perro Grande has the space and the cabins, and two more islands share the name's neighbourhood. Here is the map in words.
April 29, 2026
Do You Need Cash in San Blas? Money for Day Trips, Stays and Sailing
There are no ATMs anywhere in Guna Yala and no card terminals on the islands. What you pay in cash on a day trip, an island stay or a sailing trip, and where to get it.
April 25, 2026
Can You Scuba Dive in San Blas? The Honest Answer
No, and it is not a gap in the market. Guna Yala restricts scuba diving for outsiders. Why the rule exists, what you can do in the water instead, and where in Panama to take your tanks.
April 21, 2026
Is San Blas Part of the Darién Gap? Where Guna Yala Really Sits on the Map
No. The San Blas islands are on Panama's Caribbean coast, about 200 km from Yaviza, where the road ends and the Darién Gap begins. Here is how the two regions relate, and the one border area that does call for care.
April 17, 2026
San Blas vs Bocas del Toro: How Panama's Two Caribbean Archipelagos Really Differ
One is a self-governed Guna territory with no towns; the other is an island province with an airport, surf and bars. Access, lodging, culture, cost and time needed, compared honestly.
April 13, 2026
15 Fun and Surprising Facts About San Blas
A revolution over a blouse, a lobster closed season older than Panama's, an island its people had to leave and a Money Heist shoot — 15 facts about San Blas, each one with its source.
April 9, 2026
What You Eat in San Blas: Guna Food Culture Explained
Plantains from mainland plots, fish from the morning's catch, coconuts from family groves and rice off the trade boats. What the Guna eat, what reaches a visitor's plate on each kind of trip, and the lobster rules that change the menu.
April 5, 2026
Molas Explained: How Guna Women Make Them, What They Mean and How to Buy One
A mola is not a souvenir design: it is the front or back panel of a Guna woman's blouse, cut and hand-stitched in layers. How the technique works, why it became political in 1925, and how to buy one well.
April 1, 2026
How Many Islands Does San Blas Actually Have?
365 is the figure everyone repeats, the Guna General Congress speaks of more than 400 islands and islets, and about 50 are inhabited. What each number counts, and how many you will actually see.