Panamanian Tourist Board CATA©

Panama Portobelo and San Blas Islands

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Tailor-made holidays

Flexible, custom-made holidays to Latin America created to match your exact requirements: our tailor-made itineraries are as unique as the clients for whom they are designed.

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Panamanian Tourist Board CATA©

When To Go

Situated within the tropics, San Blas has a balmy climate with high temperatures (25-30°C) all year round. Although there is plenty of sun, the archipelago receives some rainfall throughout the year; the drier months tend to be Dec-Apr. The region lies outside the main hurricane belt.

For more detailed information visit our When To Go section.

Language

The Kuna Yala language (dulegaya); Spanish.

Getting Local Currency

Balboa. The national currency is at parity with the US dollar, and only US banknotes are used. (There are some local coins equivalent to US cents). You are best advised to acquire dollar bills before travelling to the province. Panamanians are sometimes reluctant to accept US dollar notes of higher denominations.

Time Difference

GMT -5 hrs.

Combines With

A few days discovering Panama’s Spanish colonial history in the capital; exploring the rainforest of Panama’s natural landscapes at Gamboa.

Getting There

It’s a 30-60min flight from Panama City to San Blas.

Key Events

Anniversary of the Tula Revolution, Playa Chico, Tupile, Alligandi and Ustupu; Feb. Kuna dancing, feasts and speeches.
There are sporadic festivals on other individual islands throughout the year

If you still have questions, please contact us and one of our Travel Experts will be happy to help.

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    A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.

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    Anglo-Peruvian Chris grew up in Lima and spent much of his adult life in between London and Cusco as a tour leader, before settling permanently in our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours sales team.

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    Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert

    After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!

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