As my trip progressed, I decided I wanted to take a boat trip as part of my experience. I knew the Galapagos were a good option, but also very pricey. The tradeoff to do a Galapagos Island boat trip properly would be a week there, or another 3 weeks to a month off work. I decided visiting the Galapagos would have to wait. After a quick Google search, I found catamarans that go from Colombia to Panama, and pass through the beautiful San Blas islands. I was sold. I extended my trip, and changed my return flight to leave from Panama City. As an added bonus I would also be able to visit some of Colombia.
Trips are offered on mono-haul sailboats and catamarans. I knew I wanted to get on a catamaran, as they are more spacious, can accommodate a larger group, and their wide haul helps them better handle the waves of open water. I narrowed down my options based on reputation and dates (a lot of research), and landed on the Santana.
I knew this wasn't going to be fancy luxury sailing, but the boat was set up better and nicer than I expected. We had 17 people onboard (they usually only take 16) plus two crew and it was comfortable at most times. The only times it felt somewhat cramped is when it rained (only one night) and we all wanted to be in the inside table area, or when we were eating. There were two cabins in the hulls - one with a twin bed and double bed and another with 3 singles. The. The main living area (between the two hauls) had the dining room table and rows of beds - 3 double beds and bunk beds in the center. In the back of the hulls, there was a kitchen on one side and the bathrooms on the other.
The boat trip is billed as 5 days and 4 nights. But really, we gathered for the boat at 5:30 pm on the first day and were scheduled to leave midday on the 5th day, so it was less (or so I thought….more on that later). However, the planned amount of time is perfect for being on a boat with a large group. You get the full boat experience before you get cabin fever, or really start craving a proper shower and personal space.
Our first night was calm. We had a nice dinner and pulled out of Cartegena with the lights of the city behind us. Everyone was chill and basically waiting to see if they got sea sick. I was exhausted from a late night out the day before, the Dramamine and a stomach bug. I was one of the first to go to bed and had an amazing night sleep. Others stayed up playing cards and chatting.
The next morning I woke up feeling great. The water was clear and crystal blue, even out in such deep water. Right when everyone woke up, there was a huge school of Dolphins playing in the wake of the boat. It was magical! There were so many, so close, and they were jumping out of the water. Two more schools (or the same one, who knows) came by throughout the day.
We also saw flying fish near the boat. It was our day at sea and thankfully the waves weren't bad so we could spend the day napping on the deck, reading, chatting and playing cards. In the evening, we got a huge game of charades going - interesting between people from 8 countries and not all native english speakers. And then we topped off the night with a sing along and guitar performance from an Irish guy.
The second morning we woke up with small palm tree islands around us. It was an awesome surprise! We weren't supposed to arrive at our destination until lunch.
As soon as breakfast was over, we all got in the water, which was super clear. We spent the day snorkeling the surrounding islands and reefs, and kayaking to further ones.
The amount of sea life we saw was amazing. I saw a baby octopus, which after being provoked, squirted iodine at me. I saw two rays, but one was more of a skate. There were tons of bright orange starfish the size of my head. I also saw a few lobsters, and the biggest and most ancient spider crab hidden in the corals. And so many colorful and different fish.
After dinner, the games again commenced with charades and hilariously stupid drinking games where we acted like Vikings (the dutch's game) and had to memorize numbers (no easy feet after a few hours of beers).
After breakfast the third day we headed to another cluster of the islands three hours away. When we arrived, we immediately hopped in for a snorkel - I've never seen the water so clear. There was a wreck reef and the coral was stunning - so many bright colors. So many fish.
Before this boat trip, I had thought I was ready to end traveling and go home, and then we were here in paradise. I wanted to keep being in places like this forever!
We left after lunch to another set of islands. The reef there was amazing! It was like swimming in an underwater coral forest. We saw rays, an eel, and a barracuda.
The food on the boat was amazing! Which I was surprised about since cooking for 19 in a galley kitchen couldn't have been easy. But we were served great meals. And on this last night, we were lucky to have been brought fresh fish from the local people.
We spent the evening swimming in the water and watching the gorgeous sunset. The sky was one of the best I've ever seen.
The two musicians on the boat had been inspired by our trip, and had spent time writing a song. That night, they performed it during a mini concert.
After a morning swim, we headed to immigration. It was on a small island, with two buildings and one official boat. We all swam to it. The ruggedness proved to be a problem. They wouldn't process the Egyptian girl's passport and they didn't have internet or phones to call the mainland to confirm her entrance. We couldn't leave her behind with the police, so we had to sail to another port. We wouldn't arrive in time for immigration that day, so we were aboard for another night.
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| A local woman from the Kuna Tribe |
The bad news was my time in Panama City would be very limited - now just passing through instead of seeing the canal and sights. The bright side was I'd get to see a small fishing town that is off the tourist path - we needed to stop in Portobello for the night.
We had fresh octopus at a local restaurant for dinner. And after breakfast the next morning, we gathered our things, got the boat ready and said our goodbyes to life at sea and the Santana.
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