Pickup: early, but worth it
We pick you up at your hotel, hostel, or Airbnb in Panama City between 5:00 and 5:45 AM. Yes, it's early — but it's necessary to reach the port, cross by boat, and have full sunlight hours on the islands before heading back.
The 4x4 stretch
The drive takes 2.5 to 3 hours by 4x4 vehicle, crossing the San Blas mountain range. The first part is regular highway; the last half hour is a winding mountain road descending toward the coast. If you get carsick easily, this is the part to plan around.
The boat crossing
On arrival at the port (Carti), the group switches to a speedboat with mandatory life jackets for the crossing to the islands — a short trip, usually 20 to 40 minutes depending on the day's destination island.
The way back
The return follows the same route in reverse: boat, then 4x4, typically arriving back in Panama City between 6:00 and 7:00 PM, completing a roughly 14-hour door-to-door day.