What Happens If It Rains on Your Day Trip?

It is the question that arrives most often in the days before a tour, and the short answer is that in the rain the tour runs anyway. What suspends a day in San Blas is not the water falling from the sky, it is the sea.

The difference is worth understanding, because it changes what you can expect and what you can claim.

Rain in the Panamanian Caribbean works differently

Anyone coming from a temperate climate pictures a whole grey day. Here it is almost never like that. What is normal is a heavy downpour of twenty or thirty minutes, often in the mid-afternoon, and then the sky opens. You can have sun in the morning, a shower while you eat and sun again for the last swim.

The sea is at bath temperature all year, so the rain does not chill you in the water. In fact some people enjoy it: the boat stops, it rains on top of you, and you are in the sea anyway.

The rainiest season runs from May to November, with October and November as the heaviest months. We break it down month by month in when to do the San Blas day trip.

What does cancel a day: the sea, not the sky

The boats cross open sea between the port and the islands. When there is genuine swell, that stretch stops being safe, and there is no discussion and no “let’s give it a go”. The decision is not made by the customer or by whoever sold the tour: it is made by the conditions and by the authorities of the comarca.

Our policy says it plainly: tours are only cancelled for genuine safety reasons —exceptional sea or weather conditions, or instructions from the Guna authorities—. And when we are the ones cancelling, you choose: reschedule at no cost or get 100% of what you paid back.

That is a different matter from rain. If it rains and the sea is fine, the tour goes.

How the day changes when it rains

The road. The mountain track to the port gets slippery and the 4x4 goes slower. You may arrive fifteen or twenty minutes later than planned.

The boat ride. With rain and some swell the boat bounces more. If you get seasick easily, that is when you notice it, and it is worth being prepared: there is concrete advice in do you get seasick? tips for the road to San Blas.

The stops. If a heavy shower falls while you are on an island, you look for shade or you wait in the water, which is where you notice it least. The small islands have little to shelter under; the ones with trees, like Isla Perro Grande, handle it better.

The photos. Here you do lose something real. The turquoise of San Blas needs sun to look like it does in the photos: under overcast sky the water looks greenish grey and no filter fixes it. If you were coming mainly for the image, a cloudy day is a worse day.

Snorkelling. The rain itself does not cloud the water, but a storm lasting days does stir up sediment and lower visibility. A single downpour does not change much.

What to bring if the forecast looks bad

A dry bag or simply a large ziplock for your phone and money, because in the boat you get wet either way. A long-sleeved quick-dry shirt, which keeps you warmer than a wet towel. And a dry change of clothes for the way back, left in the 4x4.

What is no use at all is an umbrella. In a boat it is impossible and on the island the wind destroys it. The full list is in what to pack in your backpack.

If you want to change the date

You can, and it is free if you give notice in time: free cancellation up to 72 hours before, with a 100% refund of the deposit or a date change at no cost. Within those 72 hours the deposit is no longer refundable, because by then your seat in the 4x4 and in the boat is set aside and nobody else can use it. Even so, if you let us know, we try to reschedule subject to availability.

Our practical advice: do not cancel because of the forecast. Forecasts more than two days out in the Caribbean are often wrong, and a day of announced rain frequently ends up being a sunny day with a shower inside it. If the sea does not allow it, we will be the ones telling you.

Frequently asked questions

Is the tour cancelled if it rains? No. It is cancelled if the state of the sea makes the boat crossing unsafe, or if the Guna authorities decide so. Rain alone does not suspend the day.

If you cancel, what do I get back? 100% of what you paid, or you change the date at no cost. You choose.

And if I cancel because the forecast says rain? With 72 hours’ notice or more, the deposit is refunded in full or applied to another date. Within 72 hours the deposit is not refundable, although we try to reschedule.

Is the rainy season worth it? For many people, yes: there are fewer people on the islands and the price does not go up. What you accept is a higher chance of a grey day.

How do I know if my tour is going ahead? We write to you on WhatsApp if anything changes. If you hear nothing, the tour departs at the scheduled time.

Can I swim while it rains? Yes, and it is what almost everybody does. The water is warm and in the rain you are better off in it than out of it.