The San Blas Archipelago

There are nearly 400 islets here, of which only about sixty are inhabited by the Kuna Indians. The Kuna people are descendants of the Maya, who mixed with the Amazon Indians. They used to live in the mountains on the mainland, before gradually leaving the coast of the mainland and fleeing to the islands after the Spanish in-vasion in the 16th century. The Kunas’ language and culture have been preserved - an excit-ing discovery fostered by the relatively relaxed contact with them during sailors’ stopovers.

ANCHORAGES / COORDINATES

This is what it’s all about: those secret spots, the quiet corners and the tranquil anchorages. That’ s what we came to look for! To tell the truth, there is something for everyone; estuaries, beaches lined with forest, beaches fringed with coconut palms, deserted islands, villages. Take all of this and scatter it over a wide area. There are dozens of anchorages... despite it being such a small area. It’s just wonderful! Here are some not-to-be missed anchorages.

Holandes Cays 9˚35.845’ N 78˚46.513’ W
There’s a crocodile that lurks in this anchorage. Would you risk enticing him out?

Coco Bandero Cays 9˚31.174’ N 78˚38.993’ W
A succession of extraordinary islands.

Rio Azucar 9˚25.261’ N 78˚37.151’ W
Away from the area where the islands are located, this spot is hardly ever visited. It is a perfect place to launch the dinghy into the river and observe the incredible wildlife that lives here.

WEATHER CHECK

The first thing to know about the San Blas is that they are protected from hurricanes. However, as with most of the inter-tropical zone, the year is divided into two distinct seasons. The first season, and the most interesting for sailing, is from December to April with winds that fluctuate from North to East, mostly at around force 5 on the Beaufort scale, and there is very little rain. The rest of the year, the winds are weaker and more unpredictable, but it is also the low season and there are fewer people and more rain. Beware of «swinging»: do not anchor too close to the shore and the coral!

It is said that the water is much clearer during the rainy season. This needs to be verified, because even from December ...