By Ramiro Del Rio · reviewed
What You Eat on a San Blas Day Trip: The Island Lunch
Lunch is included on a San Blas day trip: fish or chicken, rice, patacones and salad, plus one drink, served on one of the islands around midday. Extra drinks and lobster are paid separately, in cash. Breakfast is on you: pickup at your hotel is at 5:00 AM, and lunch is a long way off.
What does the tour lunch include?
It’s home-style island cooking with no menu to choose from, and it almost always follows the same pattern:
- Fish or chicken. Fish is the usual, fried whole; chicken is the alternative.
- Rice. Plain or coconut rice, depending on what the island kitchen is making that day. Coconut rice is the Caribbean Panama classic, but it isn’t a given.
- Patacones. Green plantain, smashed and fried twice — Panama’s everyday side dish.
- A simple salad.
- One drink, included.
Don’t picture a buffet or a restaurant with tablecloths: you eat on the island, in the shade, a few steps from the water.
What time is lunch?
Around midday, on one of the islands on your route. The exact time depends on the route and on the sea, because the captain orders the stops based on how the day looks. Here’s where food fits into the day:
| Time | What happens with food |
|---|---|
| 5:00 AM | Hotel pickup. Breakfast isn’t included, so bring something |
| ~8:30 AM | Boat from Cartí to the first island. Good moment for water and a snack |
| Midday | Included lunch on one of the islands |
| Afternoon | Extra drinks from island stands, where there are any, paid in cash |
| ~3:30 PM | Last swim at the Piscina Natural |
| 6:00–7:30 PM | Back at your hotel: dinner is in the city |
Lobster and seafood: a seasonal extra
Lobster is not part of the included lunch. When it’s available, you order it and pay on the island, directly to whoever is cooking, in cash. Whether there’s any depends on what was caught, and it’s also subject to seasonal restrictions: at certain times of year it can’t be served, and then it simply isn’t there.
If lobster is the thing you’re most excited about, ask for it when you reach the island instead of counting on it. Other seafood works the same way: it depends on that day’s sea, not on a menu.
Water, drinks and snacks for the road
Roughly seven hours pass between pickup and lunch, with 2 h 30 of winding mountain road to Cartí in between. Plan for it:
- Eat something before you leave, or bring a sandwich, fruit or snack bars for the 4x4. If you get carsick, keep it light.
- Bring water — one large, reusable bottle. It’s hot, the Caribbean sun dehydrates you faster than you’d think, and only one drink comes with lunch.
- Extra drinks are bought on the island, at basic stands, where there are any. Don’t expect a full selection.
- Pay in cash, in small bills. There are no ATMs on the islands and mobile signal comes and goes; more in money, signal and wifi in San Blas.
- Factor in the comarca tax as well. It isn’t included in the tour price and is paid separately the same day, in cash or by card to the driver.
Vegetarian, allergies or other diets?
Tell us when you book, not on the day. Food is organized on the mainland before departure, and on an island with no shops nobody can improvise a different dish at noon. With notice we try to adapt your lunch — for example, no fish — but we don’t promise a specific menu: what can be prepared depends on what reaches the island that day.
Which tour if food matters to you?
Every day route includes the same typical lunch; what changes is the pace of the day:
- Relaxing Day Trip to Isla Aroma: three quiet islands and an unhurried lunch, between hammock and beach.
- VIP Package | 4 Islands + Guna Community: lunch on the island, then an afternoon visit to a Guna community and its daily life.
- If you want Guna culture to be the heart of the day, see the Guna Yala day trip.
If you stay overnight on an island the meals are different, but that’s another kind of trip and this guide doesn’t cover it.
For everything else in your bag, the full list is in what to bring to San Blas.
Frequently asked questions
Is lunch included on a San Blas day trip? Yes. Every day route includes a typical lunch on one of the islands — fish or chicken, rice, patacones and salad — plus one drink. Extra drinks and lobster are paid separately, in cash.
What time is lunch in San Blas? Around midday, on one of the islands on your route. Since hotel pickup is at 5:00 AM, it’s worth eating something before you leave or bringing a snack for the road.
Can I eat lobster on a day trip? Sometimes. It’s an extra you order and pay for on the island, and only when it’s available: it depends on the catch and is subject to seasonal restrictions, so at certain times of year it isn’t served.
Is there a vegetarian or allergy-friendly option? Tell us when you book and we’ll see how to adapt your lunch. We can’t promise a specific menu, because the island cooks with what arrives; if your allergy is severe, bring your own snacks and medication.
Are there restaurants or shops on the San Blas islands? No. At most there are basic stands selling drinks. There are no ATMs either, so bring cash in small bills for extras; the comarca tax can be paid by card to the driver.