San Blas on Sailboats — Local services in Guna Yala

We probably would not have dreamed beforehand how wonderful and crazy this trip would be. We actually made the decision to explore San Blas by sailboat only three or four days beforehand, and we didn't necessarily prepare for it much longer. Since sailing is generally a rather expensive hobby, the idea did not convince us at first. However, on closer inspection and in retrospect, it was completely worth it. The consultations during the booking of our four days in San Blas via an agency were slow, additional costs for each trip added up, and we could not decide which island should be our accommodating one. And out of this overall situation, we booked with Ocean Nomads. And everything went so quickly and easily, super friendly and welcoming. It felt right right away. The pick up and drop off with car and boat went great and very professional. And as we boarded the boat Thyra and got to know Guadalupe and Albin, we could feel that we would be sailing away from the daily grind for the next few days. Every morning we crossed to another uninhabited island and - surrounded by curious birds - practiced yoga together. Then we went snorkeling and either swam back to the boat or kayaked. Then we had Guadalupe's great breakfast. Each meal was prepared with so much love and time. No plastic wrapped food, just made with our own natural produce. Vegan, vegetarian, and sometimes with fresh fish caught by themselves or bought from the Kuna Yala. Soulfood. Peacefood. Exactly our thing! Albin, our captain, who is Kuna Yala himself, drove us to the most remote places and reefs, far from the usual tourist attractions in San Blas. I have never seen such beautiful corals (and I travel a lot myself as a dive instructor)! You can feel how the protection of the Kuna Yala ruled region benefits the underwater life. Virtually no boat traffic, no commercial fishing, no resort tourism, no scuba diving. In fact, there were only four of us including our hosts and we were able to use everything on board: The dinghy, the kayak, snorkeling equipment, yoga mats, hammocks even fishing and spearfishing equipment was available. And Albin and Guadi always felt like doing something with us or suggested something for the two of us. We visited Kuna Yala on their islands several times or they visited us on the boat. We also learned a lot about living on this boat, food and water acquisition, using resources consciously and living in the rhythm of day and night. Without wifi! Albin and Guadi are two wonderful, inspiring and warm people that we would like to see again. But then also...

My two daughters and I sailed with Guadalupe (Lupe) for 9 glorious days! We will remember and cherish this amazing trip forever. This was my first time on a sailboat, but I felt at ease the whole time, likely because “Lupe” proved to be a very good and safety conscientious captain, with excellent cooking skills and fun disposition. She is very respectful of the kuna culture and their laws, and committed to preserving the beautiful islands of Guna Yala. We loved her values.

We were fortunate to have wonderful weather, we enjoyed sailing, swimming early mornings, evenings and anytime in between, even swimming with nurse sharks!, snorkeling coral reefs in remote pristine areas, island hopping, and talking to the natives.

We learned some history of kuna people and their customs on a day tour to one of the kuna communities. There is a lot we can learn from their way of living.

I think that Lupe must be the absolute best guide in the San Blas, she knows the locals, she knows the islands and the people of the islands, she knows the island where they make the local bread with a hint of coconut, she also knows which kunas make the prettiest Molas and, she knows the local fisherman that come in their boats to our sailboat to sell fresh fish or fresh fruits. And to top it all with all the fresh seafood , vegetables and other wholesome ingredients she was able to cook some amazing dinners!

I highly recommend San Blas...

We don’t believe there is a better way to explore the paradise of san blas/ kuna yala than aboard Guadalupe’s sailboat Thyra. And genuinely speaking Guadalupe, Giacomo and Emiliano are the reason we had one of the most memorable experiences in all our travels. From the moment we set foot aboard Thyra we felt like we were visiting old friends with long conversations and so many interesting things to learn. They are highly knowledgeable about the area and of the local culture and were able to share interesting insights which made us appreciate the place and it people even more. We played beach volleyball, snorkled some incredible reefs, and even learnt a couple of salsa steps on the beach at sunset! They know how to make you have a good time. They were also so caring towards our 4 year old son, he had such a great time!! The food was amazing, fresh and healthy. They were also so respectful for our dietary restrictions and were so mindful about the food needs of our son. Our short time in San blas has proved to life changing in many ways! Highly highly recommend!...