If you’ve been an avid reader of this blog, you will know that I will find any and every excuse to be near, on or in the sea. The sailing trip from Colombia to Panama was always at the top of my list for a big, spenny activity that I would do as part of my trip and I can say that this is a core memory for me now.

The day before the trip, we met at the marina for a quick welcome meeting. I met the other people I’d be sharing close quarters with for the following 5 nights, (a Brazilian couple and an Irish guy who had been living in NYC), and handed over the cash dollar for the trip. I was initially a little disappointed as I’d had wanted a party boat but looking back, I’m glad there were fewer of us. It meant more space on the boat, more space in general which is needed as an ambivert and incredible food during the sail. The following night, we headed to the supermarket to stock up on some snacks and bevs. before meeting our crew and having a general briefing. Our captain’s dog, (Arya), got injured and had to be seen by the vet, so we set off in the morning as opposed to that night. I was blissfully unaware of all this as I had taken 2 dramamine and was deadout asleep in my little bed.

The sail started with about 32 hours of open water. It’s very humbling being ‘at sea’. There is nothing but ocean in every direction you look which is equal parts awe-inspiring as it is terrifying. We all spent the time lying out in the sun, reading, snacking, generally getting to know each other better and being in a dramamine haze.

Somewhere on the 2nd day, we reached our first San Blas Island! There are some 365 islands in the San Blas Archipelago – some are inhabited with facilities similar to a small village, (like Chichime), some are home to just one or two families, (like Coco Bandu) and others are uninhabited, plots of sand you can walk the entire way around in less than 10 minutes, (like Coco Bandero).

The 3 days of island hopping were a blur of swimming, snorkeling, paddleboarding, sunbathing, spotting dolphin pods, reading, drinking, frolicking around on deserted islands, dancing on the boat and eating, and listen, we ate well! There were only 4 guests on our boat, 7 people in total including our crew, which meant the food we got was truly sensational. I’m talking homemade pizza, lentil soups, fish dishes, fresh juices. One of our crew was a Parisian pastry chef so we got hot out the oven banana bread with caramel sauce. Our captain was friends with one of the families on the island we visited who fed us freshly grilled Red Snapper, (my fave!). Honestly, I was ready for a diet of crackers and tinned tuna so I was massively surprised by how well fed I was the entire time.

The San Blas Islands are actually called the Guna Yala/Kuna Yala, (you’ll see it written both ways), and the natives who live here are referred to as the ‘Guna/Kuna’ people. Some speak English, most speak Spanish but all speak their local dialect of Dulegaya. They are a resilient peoples as they’ve fought colonialism for centuries and more recent neo-colonialism, in the form of big boy resorts wanting to build on the islands, to maintain and preserve their culture. You’ll see the women in traditional dress which often includes a brightly coloured and patterned ‘mola’ on their torso. These are seen as being for protection as the intricate designs confuse evil spirits. They’re really pretty pieces which are hand stitched and sold on the islands and across Panama too. Another thing you can buy is coconuts! The coconut trade actually makes up a big chunk of the islands economy and with the sheer number of islands covered in coconut trees, it makes total sense. The sail isn’t some weird, ‘come gawk at the natives’ situation which I liked – the onus is on the passenger to do their own research. Our captain and crew were really knowledgeable about the Kuna people so we learnt a lot from them.

This sailing trip was truly what I needed – it was 5 days of my brain being almost 100% switched off. The only thing I had to think about was what bikini I wanted wear that day. I have also never seen a starry night sky as breathtakingly beautiful as I did during the sail. It literally looked AI generated, there were so many twinkling stars on display.

Eventually, our trip came to an end and we had to swap the sea for dry land. We said goodbye to our crew, (Andreas, Robbie and Melody), the dog and the boat that had safely transported us from Colombia in South America to Panama in Central America. I was headed to Panama City…