Sailing through San Blas to Colombia

CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA – When we first began research on how to continue our travels from Central America on to South America we were astounded at how few options we really had transportation-wise. This problem is mostly due to the savage, expansive stretch of land known as the Darién Gap which bridges Panama and Colombia. Characterized by untouched tropical forest, indigenous tribes and many swamps, it is also home to dangerous guerillas and drug traffickers. For many political and geographical reasons, many say that it is unlikely that there will ever be a road that traverses the Darién and connects these two countries. For us, this means we have two travel options: fly over it or sail around it.

We had read of many horror stories written by travelers who sailed between the two countries, siting intoxicated captains, annoying fellow travelers, overpacked sailboats and terrible weather causing everyone on board to be seasick the entire trip. After reading about these stories we had resigned ourselves to flying and began researching tickets from Panama City to pretty much any one of the northern countries of South America. And then we discovered Edoardo and his catamaran, the Buon Vento.

After reading a handful of great reviews of his sailing trips, we jumped at the chance to travel from Puerto Lindo, a tiny town on Panama’s Caribbean coast, through the San Blas Islands and down to Colombia on this gorgeous catamaran usually reserved for private charters. All that was left for us to do was to arrive in Puerto Lindo and wait to set sail on our five-day journey to Colombia.

Though the name translates to “Lovely Harbor,” the actual town of Puerto Lindo isn’t that lovely at all with its dilapidated buildings all around, trash everywhere you look, only a few lodging options and even less restaurants. However, the real beauty of this town is the expanse of ocean to the north and the rolling hills of the Chagres National Park that surround the village. The sight of the Caribbean Sea for the first time made us excited for the days of sailing that laid before us.

The evening before we set sail we met our crewmates for the first time: three Irish guys who quit their jobs to travel around the world for 9 months, one Canadian boutique ski lodge owner, one Russian/German divemaster and a Brit who just graduated university. We also met our captain, Edoardo, a Milanese with over 25-years professional sailing experience and the remarkable ability to make jokes that only an Italian man of his age can get away with and still be endearing.

In the morning we saw the Buon Vento for the first time. Just like the photos depicted this 5-year old, 44′ jewel is in immaculate condition. We had been on a similar catamaran in Mexico before and loved the style of this type of boat, with its four large cabins and spacious dining and living quarters.

The first three days of our trip we followed the coast from Puerto Lindo through a portion of the 378 islands of San Blas. The first evening, after dropping anchor, we all jumped in for a swim. Brilliant, sparkling, white-blue flashes ignited and swirled around us as we disturbed the bioluminescent plankton-filled water. With the sky full of stars above us and lighting flashing in the distance, it was a really magical first evening.

San Blas is a semi-autonomous region of Panama, home to the Kuna Yala, an indigenous tribe that was never colonized by the Spanish. The Kuna people’s main source of income is tourism, as many visitors come to San Blas to enjoy the natural splendor of the islands. The Kuna travel around the waters of the area in dug-out canoes and sell fresh fish and lobster as well as their wares that range from jewelry to the colorful hand-sewn molas.

We continued our voyage, snorkeling each day in warm waters full of brain corals, fans, starfish, cuddlefish, stingrays, moray eels, parrotfish, lionfish and barracuda. Cayo Holandes, a chain of islands within San Blas, were our absolute favorites that we had the privilege to explore. The two of us looked at each other more than once and stated how happy we were to have chosen to sail through these incredible islands to Colombia rather than fly.

Luckily for us, Edoardo and Elisa’s talents were also present in the kitchen; we dined on lobster which we bought from the Kuna fisherman, fresh fish and delicious pasta daily. When it came to our culinary experience aboard the Buon Vento, two thumbs up were given after each amazing meal.

During our open sea crossing and each transit between islands we always had a line out in the water in the hopes that we may catch a bit of our own fresh fish for dinner. Luck was on our side, as Dustin and Edoardo reeled in a beautiful 70-pound tuna that we feasted on for days, as well as two other smaller fish, a bonito and a kingfish.

The last leg of our journey was a nearly 30-hour open sea crossing from the San Blas Islands to Cartagena, our destination on the Colombian coast. Our only sightings during this final crossing were one cargo ship, one sailboat and twenty or so dolphins that joined us for an incredible show.

A few hours after sunset we navigated our way into Cartagena Bay and docked at Club Nautico, a marina with a perfect view of the city skyline. Here we had our last group meal on the boat, a feast of fresh tuna. It was a pleasure to get to know the other guests, as well as Edoardo and Elisa. We couldn’t have asked for a more friendly, happy bunch to share five days with on the sea.

Edoardo had asked Theresa to translate a 12-page document from Italian to English and so in exchange he offered us lodging on his boat until his next trip. So, for the first week in Colombia we had a private, air conditioned yacht to ourselves. We cooked meals and had cocktails each evening on the flybridge as we watched the sun set over the skyline.

We have been very impressed with our first glimpse of Colombia. Cartagena, or Cartagena de Indias, is a walled colonial city of just around one million inhabitants. The city played a key role in the development of this area of the country during the Spanish colonization and Cartagena was a center of both political and economic activity and housed Spanish royalty and wealthy viceroys.

Today the main attractions of the city are mostly located in the centro historico, where one can walk cobblestone streets, see a mix of colonial, Italian and republican architecture and visit amazing cathedrals. After dark, locals and tourists alike gather in the streets, enjoy candlelit carriage rides and relish the beautiful city with its cooler evening temperatures.

Just outside of the walled historic area is the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, a towering fortress that was built in 1536. It has a triangular design and was strategically positioned at the top of a hill to protect the city from both land and sea attacks. Both British and French forces took the castle during different times in Cartagena’s history.

Until 1984, when UNESCO designated both the historic center and the castle protected World Heritage Sites, the fortress had been completely abandoned and was covered in vines while it’s tunnels were filled with dirt.

The heat of Cartagena is one quality that we didn’t expect and definitely were not prepared for. And to think we felt that it had been hot in Santa Catalina! Here, the daily high temperatures have floated around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but feel a bit more like 110 degrees. Multiple times we have attempted to walk around during the day, only to resort to escaping to swimming pools, cafes or movie theatres just to avoid heat exhaustion. Luck was better had exploring in the evenings, when the temperatures drop to the low 80s.

While we definitely enjoyed our long stay in Panama, already Colombia seems to be a much more cleaner and friendly country with a fascinating history. From here we will move inwards from the coast to Medellín with its higher elevations and more comfortable climate.

A special thanks to our sailing buddy, Ivan, for sharing several of his excellent photos with us.

Time Escapes Us in Santa Catalina

SANTA CATALINA, VERAGUAS, PANAMÁ – We definitely didn’t anticipate staying in Santa Catalina for so long. We came to this tiny village with the intention of helping the owners of one local dive shop for a few weeks and instead found ourselves here for almost three months, assisting several local businesses, making lots of new friends and really loving this little isolated corner of Panama.

When researching options for where to first visit in Panama Read the rest of this entry »

A Captivating Tour of Costa Rica

JACÓ, PUNTARENAS, COSTA RICA – Unlike other countries on our trip, such as México, Guatemala and Nicaragua, we hadn’t pre-planned any specific stops in Costa Rica. We had heard it was a magnificent country with a beautiful and diverse landscape, but we also knew that it was the most expensive Central American country and possessed a pretty healthy tourism industry that would make it difficult to get off the beaten path. Our first plan, then, was to make just a couple of brief stops on our way to Panama, but not to spend a significant amount of time in the country. Luckily, our plans changed after receiving a message from Dustin’s mother, Marless, asking if we would be able to meet her on the western coast of Costa Rica in Jacó the first week in February. Of course, we jumped at the opportunity to see her, as well as Dustin’s stepfather, aunt and uncle, and at the ability to spend time in a part of the country we wouldn’t have otherwise visited. With a couple weeks to explore before they would arrive, we would wind our way southwest between the border town of Los Chiles, where we had entered from Nicaragua, to the Pacific coast town of Jacó, allowing us to experience a good cross section of the many alluring facets of Costa Rica.

After two days in the very small community of Los Chiles spent relaxing, chatting with the locals about their country, and catching up on Read the rest of this entry »

Life on the Rio San Juan

MONTE CRISTO RIVER LODGE, RIO SAN JUAN, NICARAGUA – Over two weeks ago, and after three full days traveling through four different countries, we were more than excited to arrive at the Monte Cristo River Lodge along the Rio San Juan, deep within the Nicaraguan rainforest. A fishing lodge and eco-tourism hotel less than ten miles north of the Costa Rican border, Monte Cristo is the home and business of Nicaraguan/American owner, Alfonso Agustin Llanes. On a small portion of his land, Alfonso built twelve cabins and over the years has created an extraordinary staff of employees to tend the grounds and take care of the many guests who come to visit Nicaragua at it’s finest.

Getting to the Rio San Juan from Guatemala City was slightly complex, consisting of almost thirty hours of actual travel time, by way of two taxis, three buses and one boat. Our first leg of the voyage fortunately allowed us almost an entire day in Read the rest of this entry »

“Guate” and Antigua; The New and Old of Guatemala

GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA, GUATEMALA – Since our departure from life on the lake, we’ve spent another five very relaxing days getting to know Guatemala City and Antigua. On Wednesday we arrived in Guatemala City via Chicken Bus, our new favorite mode of transportation here in Central America. For fewer than six dollars apiece we rode from Panajachel, on the most north-eastern shore of Lake Atitlán, to Guatemala City, or “Guate”, as it is known across the country.

Even though there are only 40 miles as the crow flies between the lake and the city it takes nearly four hours to gradually wind your way Read the rest of this entry »

Serenity in Lago de Atitlán

LAKE ATITLÁN, SOLOLÁ, GUATEMALA – Forty miles west of Guatemala City, nestled between steep mountains and three giant, sleeping volcanoes lies Lago de Atitlán, an incredibly serene and profound lake, the deepest in Central America.

Dotting the shores across its vast perimeter are several lake-towns of which all but a handful of the inhabitants are of Maya heritage. A gravel road snakes its way through the mountains, connecting each of Read the rest of this entry »