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Archipielago de San Blas Travel Blogs

Background: With US backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903 and promptly signed a treaty with the US allowing for the construction of a canal and US sovereignty over a strip of land on either side of the structure (the Panama Canal Zone). The Panama Canal was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914. On 7 September 1977, an agreement was signed for the complete transfer of the Canal from the US to Panama by the end of 1999. Certain portions of the Zone and increasing responsibility over the Canal were turned over in the intervening years. With US help, dictator Manuel NORIEGA was deposed in 1989. The entire Panama Canal, the area supporting the Canal, and remaining US military bases were turned over to Panama by or on 31 December 1999.

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By carriemcq
October 26th 2009

Sailing to Colombia Central America Caribbean » Panama » Kuna Yala » Archipielago de San Blas

Watching the sunset as we depart

We have been looking forward to this trip for a long time! The plan was to sail through the San Blas Islands for 3 days then on to Colombia through the open sea for 2 more days. The islands are inhabited by the Kuna, an independent, indigenous population living only on these islands. Every Island was owned by a family and some of the smaller ones had just one house on them. Our captain was a crazy-looking old guy from Spain. Our ship was a 50ft older boat and we had 6 other travelling companions, from France, London and the US. [View Full Entry]

By jornkoelma
September 17th 2009

Panama City en Kuna Yala Central America Caribbean » Panama » Kuna Yala » Archipielago de San Blas

Panama Kanaal

Hola todos, Hier eindelijk een berichtje uit Panama (city). Het heeft ff geduurd voordat ik wat kon schrijven maar dat komt omdat ik de afgelopen dagen in de middle of nowhere heb gezeten, volledig afgesloten van alle luxe bij een uiterst primitieve stam de Kuna Yala. Hier straks meer over. Panama city. 8 september ben ik hier aangekomen, en ik werd meteen opgehaald door Rafael een taxichauffeur, die ik van te voren geregeld had via mn hostel. Hij stond me op te wachten bij de uitgang van de aankomsthal ...en hij stond te praten met een vrouw met een flinke siliconen [View Full Entry]

By Slovenian girl
September 1st 2009

One for each day...I think I was lost in the paradise! Central America Caribbean » Panama » Kuna Yala » Archipielago de San Blas

"Our" own island for 1day! paradise!!!

Well... actually I'm pretty sure I was lost in THE paradise : ) Imagine more then 365 tropical fantasy islands - uninhabited islands covered by coconut trees and ringed by white sand beaches with the turquise caribbean water...what more could you possibly want???? I could spend each day on a different island...imagine just jumping from one island to another for a whole year!!!! P A R A D I S E ! The San Blas Islands is a group of islands which are located just off the Caribbean coast of Panama. These unique islands are one of Panama's most interesting attractions, [View Full Entry]

By HenC
July 21st 2009

On a boat from Columbia via the San Blas Islands to Panama Central America Caribbean » Panama » Kuna Yala » Archipielago de San Blas

The catamaran that took me to Panama - "Fritz the Cat"

July 7th 2009 - 10am: Boarding... time to leave Columbia/South America... if I have not been leaving to the Caribbean, I definitely would have decided to stay :) But I am prepared for some nice relaxing days in the Caribbean Sea and so nothing could prevent me from enjoying a nice trip. Just on the open sea for the first two days, surrounded by the about 20m high waves of the blue caribbean waters without seeing any land in this time. Seasickness? Better not think about this, just relax and enjoy... and avoid reading or writing diary - just chillout... On [View Full Entry]

By jazzemmy
July 15th 2009

Panama Hats, Made in Ecuador Central America Caribbean » Panama » Kuna Yala » Archipielago de San Blas

I'm officially two months behind schedule. It's a good thing there are no due dates in this project. Although I'm now home and safe and happily going about my normal student life, it is still important to me to finish off this blog and explain the rest of my trip. I want to complete this little project and round out this record. Staying in real time for a moment longer: today my first travel column was published in my university newspaper. I'll be writing a biweekly column this year called "It's a wild world..." about culture and diversity and travel and [View Full Entry]

By crowman
June 24th 2009

5 days sailing to Panama from Colombia Central America Caribbean » Panama » Kuna Yala » Archipielago de San Blas

Photo 6

Our hostel told us about a boat sailing to Panama a few days past when we had wanted to leave. But, they said it would be a bigger boat, more comfortable, so we thought we would take a look. It had an Austrian Captain. I was wondering what that would be like. I didn't have to wait long to find out. We were not on the dingy more than 30 seconds before his engine died, swiftly eliciting the F bomb. Once he restarted, we made it about 15 more seconds before hitting a mooring line, after which he went off and [View Full Entry]

By nomuchaagua
June 3rd 2009

Comarca de Kuna Yala Central America Caribbean » Panama » Kuna Yala » Archipielago de San Blas

pilot bardziej szalony niz kierowca pksa

Nasza przeprawe z Panamy do Kolumbii rozpoczelismy od godzinnego lotu malym samolotem wypelnionym po brzegi miejscowa ludnoscia Kuna Yala. Nim wyladowalismy w Mulatupu, samolot mial 5 miedzyladowan na pobliskich wyspach. Mielismy nieszczescie siedziec zaraz za kabina pilota, ktory szalal niczym kierowca PKSa po dwoch flaszkach. Gdy wreszcie oglosil miejscowosc, do ktorej sie udawalismy, nie bardzo chcialo nam sie wysiadac. Spodziewalismy sie miasta i jakiejkolwiek oznaki cywilizacji. Co zastalismy, widac na zdjeciach... Ku naszemu szczesciu, na lotnisku zainteresowal sie nami niejaki Afrani [View Full Entry]

By toandrew
April 12th 2009

Paradise In Panama Central America Caribbean » Panama » Kuna Yala » Archipielago de San Blas

Old Panama City

With the South American leg of my trip finished I headed to Panama for a change of scenery and to begin the Central America portion which will eventually lead me back home via Cancun in Mexico. Touch down in Panama City was uneventful and I took a taxi to the hostel, Mamallena ($11/night). Panama city is definitely not a city I would spend much time in. The area the hostel was in was not memorable, fairly run down and was just generally shitty. I took a day to look around the old colonial town which is in the process of being [View Full Entry]

By Bronstein
April 8th 2009

Having a Blast in the San Blas Islands Central America Caribbean » Panama » Kuna Yala » Archipielago de San Blas

Islands like this surrounded us

After our adventures in Tayrona, we made the trip from Taganga all the way back to Cartagena, our last substantial bus journey of this 7 month trip. We had already spent 2 days in Cartagena between Medellin and Ciudad Perdida, and would spend one more day walking around the historic and romantic streets of Cartagena waiting for our final big adventure - sailing across the Caribbean from Colombia to Panama via the San Blas Archipelago. Since we had already taken our photos and explored a satisfactory amount of the city on our first pass, we had nothing on the agenda for [View Full Entry]

Me... Watching Sunset from the open ocean Caribbean

By Viajerong Pinoy
March 19th 2009

PARADISE ARCHIPELAGO OF SAN BLAS Central America Caribbean » Panama » Kuna Yala » Archipielago de San Blas

ISLA ROBINSON, ARCHIPELAGO DE SAN BLAS

On the truck there was a couple from the US, they dont seem to be too friendly.. We stopped at a checkpoint and we have to show our passport and all. Then we stopped for breakfast, i did not have any, the road got rougher going up mountains to get to the Sna Blas archipelago, the American dude got sick and we have to stop for him to throw up. Arriving at the "port" we have to pay $1 to use it! We paid $25 for the truck to get there already, plus $2 to enter the Kuna Yala area,quite annoying, [View Full Entry]

Travel Blog » Central America Caribbean » Panama » Kuna Yala » Archipielago de San Blas