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Isla Perro Chico · Isla Diablo · Isla Pelícano · Isla Aguja
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Day Tour to Cayos Holandeses
The most remote and crystal-clear keys of San Blas, far away from everything.
$135 /person 🐷 Today you only pay a deposit—the rest is due on the day of the tour + regional tax (payable on site)
Description 
The Cayos Holandeses are the hidden jewel of San Blas: the chain furthest from the coast, where the water reaches a clarity that is hard to believe. You visit Isla Tortuga, Banedup and Isla Estrella — near-untouched cays with living reef, among the best snorkelling anywhere in the comarca.
Getting that far has a price in hours: it sails farther than anything else we run, so the day stretches longer than on the nearer cays. The crossing is long and in open water, and that is exactly what keeps these cays so empty. You're in the water around 8:30 and return via the Natural Pool at 15:30.
Includes door-to-door 4x4 transport, boat with life jackets, a typical lunch and a local guide; the comarca fee is paid on the day, in cash or by card to the driver. This route usually needs a minimum number of travellers to run — we confirm that when you book.
Great if snorkelling is your thing and you would take healthy reef and few people over comfort.
Maybe not your tour if you get seasick on open water: this is the longest and most exposed boat crossing we run.
3Islands that day
05:00Hotel pickup
~12 hDoor to door
$135Per person
Islands You Visit
Isla TortugaBanedupIsla Estrella🌊 Piscina Natural
⚠️ About Today's Route: The route and islands listed are the planned itinerary: on the day of the tour, they may vary due to weather, sea conditions, tides, or regulations set by the Guna Yala region. The captain and the boat guide have the final say, always prioritizing your safety—if an island cannot be visited, it will be replaced by another equally beautiful one. →
Today's Itinerary
05:00
Pickup at your hotel
4x4 trip from Panama City to Guna Yala.
08:30
Boat to Cayos Holandeses
The longest trip (worth every minute) to the remote keys.
09:30
3 crystal-clear cays
Tortuga, Banedup, and Estrella, with snorkeling and lunch on the island.
15:30
Piscina Natural and Return Trip
Final stop at the sandbar, then back to the city.
What's Included
- ✅ Round-trip 4x4 transportation from your hotel in Panama City (door-to-door).
- ✅ High-speed boat between islands with life jackets (required and included).
- ✅ Typical lunch included (+1 drink): fresh fish, coconut rice and patacones.
- ✅ Bilingual guide to the local Guna community.
- ✅ Visit to 3 idyllic islands and the famous Natural Pool.
- ✅ Snorkel gear, kayaks and paddle boards available on the islands.
- ✅ Restrooms and showers on the islands.
Does not include
- 🎟️ Entrance fee to the Guna Yala region ($22 foreigners / $7 nationals and residents). Paid on the day of the tour, in cash or by card to the driver.
- 🍹 Alcoholic beverages and personal expenses.
What to put in your bag
You leave before dawn and there is nowhere to buy anything all day. The full packing list, and what happens if you forget each thing →
If you need to cancel
With 72 hours or more of notice you get 100 % of the deposit back, or you change the date at no cost. Inside those 72 hours the deposit is no longer refundable, because by then your seat in the 4x4 and the boat is held and nobody else can use it; even so, if you tell us, we try to reschedule. And if we are the ones who cancel, which only happens for real sea safety, you choose between another date at no cost or 100 % of what you paid.
Questions about this tour
How much does Day Tour to Cayos Holandeses cost?
$135 per person, with the door-to-door 4x4, the boat, lunch and the guide included. The comarca entrance fee is paid separately, once: $22 for foreigners and $7 for residents, in cash or by card to the driver.
Which islands does it visit?
3: Isla Tortuga, Banedup, Isla Estrella. The order is set by the tide and the sea that day, not by a fixed schedule.
What time is pickup and when do I get back?
Pickup at your Panama City hotel is around 5:00 am, and you are back in the city late in the afternoon. The early start is set by the mountain crossing and the tide, not by preference.
Why is the crossing to Cayos Holandeses longer?
Because these are the cays farthest from Cartí. Pickup is at the same time as every other route, around 5:00 AM, but the boat spends longer on open water — and that distance is exactly what keeps these cays so empty.
Is the longer crossing worth it?
If snorkelling is your reason for coming, yes: these are living reefs with very few people over them, and that clarity exists precisely because they are so far out. If open water makes you sick, no.
What does not depend on this tour — your ID, the comarca fee, route changes forced by the sea — is answered in one place instead of on every tour page. See all the frequently asked questions →
Gallery
Read before this tour
- What Is the Route Like from Panama City to San Blas?
5:00 AM hotel pickup, about 2.5 hours by 4x4 over winding mountain roads to Cartí, the comarca checkpoint, then a boat to your first island by 8:30.
- Best Day of the Week for a San Blas Day Trip
The day trip runs daily. Weekends and Panamanian holidays bring more local visitors to the nearest islands; weekdays are usually quieter. How to choose.
