All you need to know about taking a boat from Colombia to Panama
Colombia and Panama are neighbouring countries. Therefore, you’d think it’d be easy to get from one to the other – they have a land border, after all!
However, the Darien Gap makes moving between the two countries more difficult. The Darien Gap’s known for its thick jungle and drug trafficking. It’s a very dangerous place and absolutely no one should attempt to cross it by foot. Therefore, to travel between them, you have to go by air or by sea.
I sailed from Colombia to Panama in April 2023, and really enjoyed it – certainly more than the alternative, which would have been to fly!
In this article, I’m going to give you more information about how boats between the two countries work and how to arrange your own trip, plus give you tips on how to carry it out.
Why take a boat from Colombia to Panama (or vice versa)?
In my opinion, there’s a lot of reasons why you should take a boat for the journey. These include:
- Turn a border crossing into an experience. You get to live on a boat, or islands, for 4 or 5 nights. What more could you want?
- You get to visit the San Blas islands. These beautiful islands off the coast of Panama are well worth visiting in their own right and are often quoted as being the top place to visit in the region.
- Wildlife spotting opportunities. Many boats come with snorkelling, fishing and/or kayaking equipment, so you can explore the surrounding reefs. You might see dolphins in the crossing; and you might also see manta rays or turtles around the island.
- Make new friends. Hopefully, you’ll have a great group on the boat with you which makes the experience even more fun.
Why not take a boat from Colombia to Panama (or vice versa)?
Of course, there are some reasons why you might prefer to fly between Colombia and Panama. These include:
- Taking a boat is expensive. You’re looking at around $550 to $780 (£430 to £600) per person, minimum, for a 5 night sailing, or $495 (£380) per person for a 3 night speedboat trip – and this normally excludes transfers from the port to Panama City, which could add another $60 (£45) to the experience. Compare this to around $130 to $200 (£100 to £160) for a flight from the main Colombian cities to Panama City.
- 4-6 days are required. If you’re on a tight schedule, you might not have time for a lengthy ocean crossing and time in the San Blas.
- Seasickness can be an issue. The open ocean in this area can get quite windy and choppy, so if you get seasick easily, sailing might not be the best option for you.
Sail or take a speedboat? The two options
If you’re looking to take a boat between Colombia and Panama, you have two primary options.
The first is to sail. These trips involve staying on a sailboat or catamaran for around 5 nights. The first two days are normally spent on the open ocean crossing, then there are three days spent in the San Blas islands.
The second is to take a speedboat. These trips involve around 3 nights of travelling, with around 8 hours of time in the boat over 4 days, as well as a couple of days of travel to reach the port in Colombia. Passengers spend the majority of their time on the San Blas islands and sleep on them as well.
Here’s a comparison table to help you decide between them:
| Info | Sailboat | Speedboat |
|---|---|---|
| Typical duration | 5 nights / 6 days | 3 nights / 4 days |
| Time spent on San Blas islands | 3 days | 4 days (inc. travel time) |
| Cost* | $550 to $780 (£430 to £600) | $495 (£380) |
| Start point in Colombia | Cartagena | Sapzurro |
| Start point in Panama | Puerto Lindo / El Porvenir / Portobelo | Carti |
| Where do you sleep? | On the boat | On the islands |
| Who to book with | Blue Sailing / Ave Maria Sailing | San Blas Adventures |
*Excluding transfers, taxes etc. (these can significantly increase the price of the trip!)
Option 1: sailing between Cartagena and Panama
The first option, and the one I chose for myself, is to sail from Cartagena.
Most trips by sailboat set off from Cartagena if they are going from Colombia to Panama, and leave you at various points on the east coast of Panama: Puerto Lindo, El Porvenir and Portobelo are all possible options. It’s worth looking closely at the location in Panama as this will affect how close the port is to Panama City – transfers aren’t normally included which can add hefty fees to your trip.
Trips are normally 5 nights long. If you depart from Cartagena, you’ll spend the first 24-28 hours making the open ocean crossing, then will spend a final 3 days in the San Blas islands. For trips departing from Panama, you’ll spend 3 days in the San Blas before making the crossing to Colombia.
I chose to cross by sailboat from Colombia to Panama in April 2023. I had a great time!
Option 2: speedboat between Sapzurro and Panama
Your second boat option is to take a speedboat between Colombia and Panama.
The speedboat trip normally takes 3 nights and 4 days. They set off from Sapzurro in Colombia – this town is about as close as you can get to the Panamanian border! From Panama, they depart from Carti.
As you set off from Sapzurro, the line of the coast can be followed and you don’t need to make an open ocean crossing. There’s normally 4 days of exploring the San Blas islands with 8 hours of speedboat time along the way.
One of the best things about taking the speedboat is that you get to sleep on the islands themselves. Expect to be sleeping in a hammock each night. Whilst this isn’t massively comfortable, it’s a trade-off for being able to spend the night on a gorgeous, tranquil tropical island!
However, you should consider the additional time and expense of reaching Sapzurro, which is a bit out of the way for the ordinary traveller. San Blas Adventures puts the price of travelling from Cartagena to Sapzurro at $80 to $90 (£60 to £70), and the journey takes around 2 days. Therefore, although the trip itself is shorter than a sailing trip, it makes up for it in travel arrangements in Colombia at the start or end.
Heading onwards to Panama? Check out how to visit Santa Catalina (a surfing town on its Pacific coast)
Alternative options
If you don’t want to take part in an organised tour but still want to cross the Darien Gap by boat, you have two other options:
- Fly from Panama City to Puerto Obaldia (a town close to the Colombian border), then take a boat over to Sapzurro in Colombia
- Find a cargo ship heading from Carti or Puerto Lindo into Colombia
I can’t pretend to have any experience with either of these options. Big World Small Pockets is a great source for more information about these!
Others may also want to take a separate boat trip to the San Blas islands, beginning and ending in Panama City. Some of the islands have shacks on them which you can stay in overnight, and sailboat trips where you sleep on the boat are also available. Depending on the trip chosen, these can work out a lot cheaper than sailing through to Colombia afterwards, even when flight costs are taken into account.
Our experience: the Ti Vaou
In our case, Lou and I chose to take a sailboat from Cartagena to Panama. We chose to take Ti Vaou, a catamaran, which we booked with Blue Sailing.
We loved our five night sailing so much! The food was great, the islands (as expected) were gorgeous and we were so happy to have chosen this option. The other passengers on the boat were so lovely and we made a lot of friends.
How much do the boat trips cost?
So, how much does it cost to take a boat trip between Colombia and Panama?
The base price for your trip normally includes the boat ride, accommodation and meals for the duration. However, you’ll also need to pay for:
- Guna Yala entrance tax: $20 (£16)
- Transfers between the port and Panama City. This is likely to be $35 to $60 (£25 to £45) depending on the port, which will include a 4×4 ride from the mainland port to Panama City, plus a speedboat transfer if necessary.
- Transfers between the port and Cartagena. For a sailboat ride this is just the cost of a taxi to your accommodation; for a speedboat ride from Sazpurro, this could add up to $80 to $90 (£60 to £70).
- Any drinks and snacks you want to bring on the trip
To give you an idea on pricing, our trip cost $680 (£530) per person for a 5 night sailing. When adding on the entrance tax and transfer (which cost $60 / £45) the cost of the trip was $740 (£575) per person, as well as two taxis to the port and the drinks we also bought when visiting.
To give you an idea on pricing in the San Blas, a coconut at a bar cost $2 (£1.60). You could also buy beautiful tapestries and bracelets made by the families living on the islands. Whilst the Kuna style is available throughout Panama, Guna Yala is the perfect place to buy them as they are traditional to the communities there!
Is it better to fly from Colombia to Panama?
I wholeheartedly enjoyed taking the sailboat from Colombia to Panama and think it was much better than flying. Visiting the San Blas islands was an experience and I loved my first time making an open ocean crossing on a boat – it added to the adventure!
However, if you aren’t interested in visiting the San Blas, it may make sense just to fly. The flights really aren’t too expensive, and the sailboats and speedboats are pricey. And if you are interested, from Panama City it’s possible to visit the San Blas islands on an organised tour at a much lower price – we saw 1 night tours advertised for less than $200 (£160) including transfers!
I think it just depends on what exactly you want your experience of the area to be.
Heading onward to Colombia? Check out how to visit Ciudad Perdida (another great experience on Colombia’s Caribbean coast!)
How to book your boat trip
If you want to book a boat crossing between Colombia and Panama, you can do this in a couple of ways.
There are a variety of sailboats making the crossing from Cartagena. For many of these you can book directly; however, I’d suggest booking with Blue Sailing. They’re a reputable agency which you can go through to make the booking.
Make sure you book with a reputable company in any case. We met a fellow backpacker whose sail trip turned back after an hour due to the “weather” with no refund offered. Booking with Blue Sailing is a good way to prevent this from happening to you.
Just to note, check out carefully what boat you pick if you do go with Blue Sailing. We’ve heard accounts of issues like bed bugs occurring on the boats themselves, so check the reviews of the boat on Tripadvisor before you sign on. The boats aren’t operated by Blue Sailing themselves so unfortunately it appears that their tick of approval just isn’t enough!
Your other option which I’ve heard a few people taking is Ave Maria Sailing. Their boat is operated independently of Blue Sailing. It looks pretty nice too!
With regards to the speedboat, the most popular option to travel between Colombia and Panama is with San Blas Adventures. All the booking details are on their website!
Tips
If you’re looking to take a trip, here are my top tips to make your trip even better:
- Wrap up all your belongings in plastic bags. If you’re doing any travel by speedboat, your bags are at serious risk of being soaked by splashes. Even if you aren’t, your rucksacks may be stored separately in the boat, and you can’t guarantee their safety! Just stick all your stuff in bin liners or rubble bags for maximum protection.
- Bring enough cash. You might not have to pay the entrance tax or transfer costs until you leave the boat. Make sure you have enough to cover this or you may be left stranded at the port…
- Carefully research the boat. Do you want a boat full of couples, solo travellers, partiers or groups? Do you want your own room / bed or are you happy to share? What equipment, e.g. snorkelling gear, do you desire? Who’s the most likely captain? It’s worth making sure the boat you’re interested in aligns with what you want to get most out of your trip!
Conclusion
In my opinion, taking a boat to make the crossing between Colombia and Panama is the best way to travel between the two countries. Not only is travelling by boat fun, you’ll most likely make new friends and visit the beautiful San Blas islands.
However, as always flying remains an option for those on a tight budget or timeframe, who suffer from seasickness or aren’t interested in visiting the San Blas.
Do you have any questions about sailing between Colombia and Panama? Let me know in the comments!
Other sources of information
- As We Saw It’s article on how to cross the Darien Gap is an interesting read, for those who’d like to visit the national park in Panama!
- Big World Small Pockets does a great job of summarising the different routes to cross the border, including some that I don’t know much about. It’s well worth a read, particularly for the more adventurous of you!
- Check out Torn Tackie’s article on crossing from Colombia to Panama. They focus on the speedboat option if you’re more interested in this.
- For another backpacker’s experience, head to the Indie Traveller.
