from the airport how to reach San Blas ?
Panama airport to San Blas
You book a cruise to San Blas but you don’t know from Panama airport how to reach San Blas. How much time does it take, which transport to use? How much does it cost?
In this article you will discover :
How to go
What is the kuna fee
How much money and time you need to go to San Blas
Where and when to take a water taxi
5 travelling tips on the road to San Blas
How to reach San Blas ?
You will need different transports to reach San Blas from the airport, here all the diffrent ways we will explore.
- Collective 4×4 taxis to Guna Yala
- Water taxi
- Plane
You will need to combine diffrent options cause only the plane offer to go directly to San Blas, but it have a significant cost.
During your travel to reach San Blas you will need to stop by the Guna Yala custom and pay the Guna Yala entrance before to reach your cruise.
Guna Yala fee
San Blas or Guna yala is an independent province. So, like every independent place, there is a border, a custom and immigration office.
The Guna Yala entrance fee is 20$ by person.
— where to start from the Panama airport ?
Panama Airport
Welcome in Panama!
If you are not landing in the middle of the night, it will be impossible to reach San Blas the day of your arrival. So, you will have to spend a night in Panama city or in Chepo.
Depending of the experience and the comfort you want to have we suggest 2 different places:
Sercotel Panama Princess Hotel (Panama city)
It’s good choice if you want the A/C, relax on a spa, do a hammam, swim in a pool or ask for some massage. Many options to add and comfortable citizen hotel
Republica Pachamama gipsy lodge (Chepo)
It’s a good choice if you want a trip into the jungle, swim under a waterfall, do gardening, learn about permaculture or feed horses. It s simple huts accommodations but great jungle experience.
— collective 4×4 taxi to San Blas
Panama to San Blas on 4×4 Taxi
How to reach San Blas
It’s 5 o’clock on the morning and you wake up (if you come from europe it will be easy cause of the jet lag)
A 4×4 come to pick you up at your hotel, it s a collective 4×4, and the driver will do the turn of the hotel’s to bring tourists to San Blas. Then, you leave Panama city to reach Carti, your driver will pass by the custom, and you will have to pay the kuna fee (20$) then, you enter into the Guna yala territory. When you arrive in Carti, it’s 7h30am, your taxi drop you to the dock, he will ask you 50$ for the transport. On the dock, you can watch lancha of different companies coming from the sea and bringing back tourists who just finish their cruise. They take your 4×4 taxi and you take their lancha, the water taxi will drop you to your next destination…
Luciano 4×4 taxi WhatsApp phone number : +50769873131
How process?
Reserve your trip in advance and confirm it 2 days before with the name and address of your hotel, The driver will pick you up on the morning, have your passport ready for the custom on the road to San Blas
— water taxi to San Blas
Reach San Blas on a Lancha
What is a lancha ?
A lancha is a small and long boat with a powerful outboard engine, to bring people fast on water. When you leave Carti dock it s around 8h30/9am the lancha will stop by diffrent islands and boats to drop people. It s not the most comfortable way to travel, (it take 30/45min to Chichime) but it’s definitely really fun. The price will depend of how far is the islands where you want to go, for example the water taxi should ask you around 20/25$ to reach Chichime from Carti and can drop you directly on your boat if you ask for it.
You are finally arrive !!!! It’s around 10am, you can relax and have a drink, crew will take everything in charge, you are in San Blas, and your trip can start.
Gustavio water taxi : +50760788937
.
How to process?
Reserve your trip in advance and confirm it 2 days before your arrival. Your water taxi will drop you directly to the boat.
— how to come back ?
San Blas to Panama
Around 7am lanchas will do the turn of the islands and boats to pick up people’s who asked for it. They’ll bring you to the dock where are waiting 4×4 taxis to bring back people to their next destination.
— Travelling tips
Our Top 5 travelling tips on the way to San-Blas
1. Citizen hotel Sercotel Panama Princess Hotel (Panama City)
Hotel full comfort, with swimming pool, hammam, A/C, bar, restaurant and a lot of options to add to your room, based in the center of Panama city, it s the ideal choice if you want to visit the town and need a really comfortable place for your stay. More informations.
2. Jungle eco-lodge
Republica Pachamama (Chepo 11km to San Blas)
There you have no guide (so, dont go too far into the Jungle) but friendly volunteers who are happy to invite you on their paradise into the jungle. No hot water but tiny bedroom built on 32 acres of jungle, 2 waterfalls inside the property, animals everywhere, so, dont be surprise to find dogs, horses and duck on your way to the bathroom. You can reach the waterfalls and swim the natural pool by a nice jungle walk of 30 min where you can see birds & monkeys. The accommodations are huts with a jungle view from the bed, happy ambience and the best price for this kind of eco-lodge. Ideal for nature lovers to discover Panamanian wildlife. More informations
3. Taxi 4×4 to San Blas Luciano
call him to reserve the trip, he will pick you up to your hotel and bring you safely to your next destination. +50769873131
4. Water Taxi to San Blas Gustavio
Try the Gustavio lancha to drop you where you want to go in San Blas. He will bring you from islands to islands safely or will drop you to the boat of your choice to start your cruise in San Blas +50760788937
5. San Blas by plane Private jet
You can reach San Blas by plane from panama airport, you can ask for a private plane or helicopter to bring you to the Porvenir airport. This option have a significant cost, but it’s definitely the fastest way to reach San Blas islands in 30 min. More informations
— our Blog
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