What to Pack for a San Blas Day Trip: The Complete Checklist

For a San Blas day trip you need: an original passport or ID, cash for the community tax ($22/$7), a swimsuit, biodegradable sunscreen, a towel, comfortable clothes, a waterproof bag, and motion-sickness pills if you get carsick on winding roads.

Documents: the one true requirement

An original passport (foreigners) or original ID card (Panamanians/residents). Copies or phone photos are not accepted — this is a Guna authority checkpoint, not an operator preference. Without the original document, you cannot enter the comarca.

Cash: how much to bring

There are no ATMs in San Blas. Bring cash for at least the entry tax ($22 foreigners / $7 residents) plus anything extra you want to buy on the islands — drinks, Guna crafts, or molas.

The full checklist

Swimsuit worn under your clothes (saves time).
Sunscreen, ideally reef-safe/biodegradable.
Quick-dry towel.
A change of clothes and a waterproof bag for your phone.
A hat or cap and sunglasses.
A waterproof camera if you have one — the sunken ship at Perro Island is photogenic.
Motion-sickness pills, if that applies to you (the road has curves).

What you don't need to bring

You don't need your own snorkel gear (we provide it), you don't need food (lunch is included), and you don't need to carry much card-based money — most extra spending on the islands is cash-only.