Guna Yala tour from Panama City
The Guna Yala tour is the same trip almost everyone searches for as "San Blas": Guna Yala is the real name of that indigenous comarca on Panama's Caribbean coast. It leaves Panama City around 5:00 a.m., crosses the mountains by 4x4 and continues by boat through the islands. You are back that same evening, and it costs from $114 per person, transfer, boat, lunch and guide included.
Entering the comarca has its own entry fee — $22 for foreigners and $7 for residents — paid on the tour day in cash or by card to the driver, and it belongs to the community. It is not our money.
Guna Yala, San Blas and Kuna Yala: why three names
Guna Yala means "Guna land" and has been the comarca's official name since 1998. San Blas is the colonial name, still used by nearly all tourism and the one most people search for. Both refer to the same place.
Kuna Yala with a K is the old spelling. The Guna people officially asked for the G in 2010, because their language has no equivalent of the hard Spanish K. Guna is the correct form today, and using it is the first sign that someone did their homework.
What the day looks like
- 05:00 Pick-up at your hotel A 4x4 comes to the door. The exact time depends on where you are staying and is confirmed the night before.
- 07:30 The comarca border You cross the mountain range and reach the Guna checkpoint, where you show your ID. The entry fee is paid to the driver, in cash or by card.
- 09:30 Into the water From Cartí port you leave by boat. Twenty to forty minutes later you are standing on white sand.
- 12:30 Island lunch Fresh fish, coconut rice and patacones, at a table set on the sand.
- 14:30 Heading back Back to Cartí and into the 4x4. Around 6:00 p.m. you are at your hotel again.
Book your day in Guna Yala
Pick a date and how many of you are coming, and hold your spot. Free cancellation up to 72 hours before.
Whose land you are standing on
Guna Yala has governed itself since 1925, when the Guna revolution ended attempts to impose another way of life on them. Today it is an autonomous territory within Panama: its own authorities decide who enters, what gets built and how it is visited.
That explains what surprises people on arrival. There are no chain hotels and no buildings above one storey because they are not allowed. The land is collective and is not sold to outsiders. And the fee you pay at the border does not go to the State: it goes to the community.
Our guides are from the comarca. That is not a marketing detail: it is the difference between being shown a pretty island and being told what it means to the people who live there.
Three things they appreciate
Ask before photographing someone
Older women especially. Some ask for a small tip, and that is fair: to them this is not scenery, it is home.
If you buy a mola, do not haggle
A mola is days or weeks of hand stitching. Haggling over one is haggling over wages.
Take your rubbish with you
There is no collection on the islands. What comes in on a boat goes out on a boat.
Questions about the Guna Yala tour
Are Guna Yala and San Blas the same place?
Yes. San Blas is the colonial name and Guna Yala the comarca's own official name. When you search for "San Blas tour" and "Guna Yala tour" you are looking for exactly the same trip.
How much does the Guna Yala tour cost?
From $114 per person, with the door-to-door 4x4 from your hotel in Panama City, the boat between islands, lunch and the guide. The comarca entry fee is separate: $22 for foreigners and $7 for residents, in cash or by card to the driver.
Is it Guna or Kuna?
Guna, with a G. The Guna people officially asked for that change in 2010: their language, dulegaya, has no equivalent of the hard Spanish K. "Kuna Yala" still turns up in older texts and some guidebooks, but it is out of date.
Do I need a special permit to enter?
No separate permit, but you do pay the entry fee at the comarca checkpoint and you need your ID or passport. It is not an international border: Guna Yala is in Panama.
Does the tour visit a Guna community?
It depends which tour you pick. Some include a stop at a community and others stay among the uninhabited cays. If meeting the people matters to you and not just seeing the islands, say so when you book and we will tell you which one fits.
Can I buy molas and crafts?
Yes, and it is the most direct way for your visit to leave money in the comarca. Bring cash in small notes: there are no ATMs or card machines on the islands, and nobody can change a large bill.
How many people live in Guna Yala?
Around 30,000, spread across some 50 inhabited islands and several mainland villages. Most of the cays visited on a day tour are uninhabited.