san blas archipelago panama

San Blas  Selected  Album

Panama has many  beach destinations on  both oceans. When it comes to two  of Panama’s AMAZING archipelagos, the San Blas Islands in the Caribbean and the Pearl Islands in the Pacific. We  considered  several  destinations.   1) Bocas Del Toro 2) Contadora ( this is where the Shah of Iran was exiled after the Iranian Revolution) 3) Isla Taboga ( Where Paul Gaugin spent time),  Islands near  Azureo Peninsula  and chiriqui.

 After  researching  several choices, in search more different experience   we picked  San Blas. The main motivation was   seeing indigeous people Kuna  and   remoteness.
The San Blas islands are a group of islands in the archipelago de San Blas, located in the Northwest of Panama facing the Caribbean Sea. There are 378 islands within the archipelago and they are scattered around in an area of about 100 square miles.  . The majority of the 378 islands have no inhabitants (Only 49 islands are  occupieded ), but on the larger ones you will find the gentle native people known as the Kuna’s. . Kuna  People   are  fiercely  independent. So they  mantain  full  autonomy.   They own  and control the  region.  Outsiders or other Panama citizen are  not alloed to  own a place.   We picked Yandup Island  . We flew from Panama city to a very small airstrip at   Playon Chico.
The San Blas Islands are the number #1 vacation destination in Panama and probably in Central America. This is because the Islands are not yet discovered by the massive tourism industry and fully in control of the native Kuna’s. The Kuna’s protect their lands against massive tourism and keep them healthy and beautiful. This makes the San Blas Islands of Panama unique if you are searching for untouched nature and culture. You will sleep in eco-friendly accommodations made by the Kuna’s Indians from natural materials which they found on the Islands and in the jungle.  We  flew from Panama City to the  Playon Chico. This  was a small  six-passenger plane .  Flying through this small tiny plane was  unique  experience   Has  taken  couple of hundreds of  picture from Air  showing the  variety in the landscape of Panama.
The native people living on the Islands of San Blas call themselves Kuna’s  .  The Kuna’s are community of proud people that have their own laws, norms and values that go with their culture, which is by the way totally different than the traditional Panamanian culture. Since the last headcount of all the Kuna Indians an estimated 300.000 live in Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia, only 50.000 live on the San Blas Islands.

Yandup lodge  is  an echo lodge,Yandup is a different experience.  The cost is  close to  five star  resort. However it is  fairly  rustic,  If you are expecting for luxury and comfort, you may want to re-think your concept of luxury and comfort. This is a magnificent place to experience nature and enjoy isolated virgin islands.  The Local Kuna  guide  Vitto and  Bianca were very nice, 
 Each  unit  is a hut above sea  water with has  360 degree  Nice to see   fish swimming from  room,  periodic sounds of big splash of Pelicans  diving to get the  catch, Sunrise , sunset from the room. The place  gives unique sense of privacy , especially  having no other guest.

Here  are some of our photos