Traveling to the San Blas Islands from Panama

Hi there,

I have a few questions about Panama. I’ve heard that it’s possible to travel from Panama to the San Blas Islands.

1- Does anyone have information about small plane transport to the islands? I understand it’s possible to fly to one of the main islands, but there might also be other drop-off points for visiting more remote islands. We’re traveling with kids and would prefer to avoid a 5 AM wake-up and a mountain car ride if possible.

2- Regarding our route through the country: we’ve noted the issues with renting a car. We’ve seen that a common itinerary is to fly directly to Bocas del Toro afterward, then return in stages by bus or rental car.

We imagine taking the bus would be really long and tiring (especially with a child). If we rent a car all the way to the west of the country, do you have any recommendations? (e.g., options to rent there and drop it off at the airport or in Panama City, names of local agencies?)

Thanks in advance!

Hi there,

By plane, you can fly to El Porvenir and then take a boat to an island. However, considering the wait time at the airport, flight schedule changes, etc., for the price, I’d recommend a private 4x4 vehicle trip instead. Sure, you’ll have to leave early, but you can also ask for a private boat transport to get almost perfect timing and avoid leaving too early. This can be arranged with PanamaBubbeTrips. For Bocas del Toro, I suggest renting a car in Panama City (AVIS) and dropping it off in Changuinola, then taking a boat to Bocas del Toro, and returning with a one-way trip from Bocas del Toro to Panama City.

Cheers.

Thanks so much for these valuable tips!! Yeah, I think we’ll rent a vehicle, but we’ll probably go through a local agency rather than an international chain—we’ve read a lot of bad reviews about them.

While I’m at it, I’m researching the "most beautiful villages in Panama" but not finding much. Do you have any must-recommend places or villages?

Hello,

El Valle, Pedasí, and Boquete, as well as Ocú, have their charm.

Best regards.

yes, thanks! We're actually looking for intermediate stops, given the travel times! We’ll start another thread to find out more.. Thanks! !