Guna Yala - Stunning Islands and Fascinating People in the San Blas Archipelago, Panama

 

The Guna village of Tupsuit Pipigua, Guna Yala, Panama.

At Shelter Bay Marina, Panama, when seasoned cruisers spoke to us about Guna Yala, they invariably got a distant look in their eyes that made us curious. What, we wondered, could affect such worldly people so fondly? We knew we were in for something special; we just didn’t know what. Guna (alternatively, Kuna) Yala, or “Land of the Gunas” is one of those places on planet Earth that few have heard of, but everyone is glad it exists once they learn of it.

The region is shown on most charts and maps as the San Blas Archipelago. In Panama, its legal designation is called a "comarca" and it is run independently by the indigenous people, the Guna. The governing bodies, the Kuna Congresos, have three chiefs, called Sailas. Here’s how the meetings are described in The Panama Cruising Guide (Bauhaus, pg. 238).

               “Everybody has the opportunity to express complaints or ideas. Discussions can become very long and boring even to Gunas and much more so to foreigners who don’t understand the language. As a consequence, certain people are given the task of letting out ear-piercing shrieks at irregular intervals in order to keep everyone awake.”

If that doesn't make you curious, I don't know what will! We were so excited to cruise this part of the world, known both for its fascinating people as well as its stunningly beautiful landscape. There is a LOT more to see in Guna Yala than what we saw in our month cruising there. We only sailed as far east as Snug Harbor before passage to Cartagena, but many more glorious months could be spent exploring farther east.

We departed Shelter Bay Marina on Mar 9th. We navigated out of the channel between the two massive breakwaters protecting the Panama Canal entrance and sailed to Portobello, where we anchored for a few hours to have a siesta and time our arrival the next day. We weighed anchor in Portobello a little after 5:00 PM, still with some daylight, to begin our overnight passage to Guna Yala.

Our route to and within Guna Yala.

We arrived at our first stop, the tiny islands of Chichime, on the morning of Mar 10^th. They are the most visited islands in Guna Yala, and the area is famous for a large shipwreck on the reef. The story behind the wreck is that it was supposed to be a ferry between Panama and Colombia. The business didn’t work out, and in 2016 the owner tried to use the ferry to tow his other boat off the reef where it had run aground, but ended up running the ferry aground too. The decaying wreck of the ferry adds an unmistakable geographical marker to the stunning backdrop of the reef and islands themselves.

The ferry wreck at Chichime.

When you arrive at a new anchorage in Guna Yala, eventually the locals will paddle out in their dugout canoes, known as ulus, to sell molas, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, or other groceries. As long as you have cash, you can live out in Guna Yala for quite a long time!

Molas are a specialty craft item of the Guna. These detailed, embroidered cloth works are used to make clothes, bags, pillowcases, or almost anything you can imagine. Mola "fever" is a real thing! When they paddle out to show you these unique highly ornamented cloths, or you find them ashore, you can't hardly help but buy at least one...until the boat is overflowing with them. Thankfully they make great gifts!

Jen, at Chichime. One of our first encounters with the splendor of molas.  

Another important aspect of Guna culture for a traveler to be aware of is that each and every coconut tree is owned by someone. The Guna only have a few goods to trade, and coconuts are their major commodity. So, even though you'll come across many "deserted" cays, keep in mind that the coconut palms belong to families and people.

We occupied our time snorkeling the reef and paddleboarding to the islands to visit with the local Guna. On the largest island, the Guna had built a few cabins to host overnighters. Other than a few backpackers staying in the cabins, the local Gunas, and a few other cruising boats, it was just us, so pretty quiet and relaxing.

Relaxed anchorage at Chichime, Guna Yala, Panama.

Palm tree chair in Chichime, Guna Yala.

Jen, leisurely floating along when we "paddle" boarded all the way around the largest island.  It was tough!

Next, we we sailed to the East Hollandes Islands, notably "Bug" Island and the "Swimming Pool". These anchorages, we quickly realized, seemed to be the beating heart of much of the cruising culture in Guna Yala. We ate freshly caught lobster at a Guna-owned restaurant on the beach, and met many other cruisers at the anchorage, some of whom had been cruising Guna Yala every year for over a decade. A group of these old-timers took us out snorkeling several times, showing the paths through the reef where we could pilot our dinghies to optimal snorkeling spots. We saw an octopus, sharks, and many rays among other fabulous wildlife. Cruisers would meet on shore for volleyball and happy hour in the evenings. On St. Patrick's Day, a cruiser potluck party took place on one of the deserted cays. This was some of the most fun cruiser culture we had experienced in our travels!

Brightnest (middle, with burgundy stack pack), at anchor at Bug Island, Guna Yala, Panama.  Our friends on S/V Altimate are nearer to the reef.

Beach at Bug Island, East Hollandes, Guna Yala, Panama.

Fresh lobster and a cold beer!

Jen playing volleyball with fellow cruisers before happy hour at 5:00. 

Cruisers' St. Patrick's Day party and potluck on a deserted cay in East Hollandes, Guna Yala, Panama.

The wind blew fairly consistently at 10-15 knots and the distances between amazing anchorages are short.  All of our boat systems were working, so we had plenty of fresh water from our watermaker, plenty of electricity from the solar panels which, under the Panamanian sun, cranked in enough amps during the day to fully recharge our batteries by sundown, and a couple of months' propane supply kept our galley cooking. Gunas visited us regularly with produce and fresh fish to buy. We sailed along, island hopping, and spent many happy days and nights at Cocos Banderos, Green Island, and East Lemmon Cays.

Brightnest anchored at Cocos Banderos, Guna Yala, Panama.

Brightnest anchored at Cocos Banderos, Guna Yala, Panama.

Jen and I on the beach at Green Island, Guna Yala, Panama.

Great snorkeling at a wreck at East Lemmon Cays, Guna Yala, Panama.

It was while anchored at East Lemmon Cays that an extraordinary adventure began. One day, a solo man in an ulu paddled up.  His sail had been destroyed in the previous night’s winds. Turns out he had sailed and paddled all the way from Islas Robeson, some 10 miles away, in that little ulu! He was happy we spoke Spanish, and after chatting for a while and relating his overnight adventure, he invited us to visit him at his Guna village in Islas Robeson. He told us he could give us a tour up the Mandinga River to visit his friend who was building a traditional ulu upriver in the jungle. We arranged for a date to meet him, and four days later we sailed west and anchored off the tiny traditional village of Tupsuit Pipigua, a collection of thatched-roof huts packed closely together on a cay.

The next morning, we took a dinghy ride up the Rio Mandinga into the Panamanian forest with Justino in search of his friend who was finishing his ulu. Justino told us about the history of the river, the good fishing spots, and other local knowledge as we dinghied past trees that looked like they could get up and walk. We navigated carefully around fallen trees and other obstacles up a tributary, and he guided us through channels where otherwise we would have run the dinghy aground in shallows. We tied up the dinghy next to several ulus on the riverbank. Then we hiked for almost an hour through the forest to come upon his friend César carving a canoe from a log with an axe in a cleared spot where he had felled the mahogany tree. César would need a group of people to help carry the completed ulu to the river and invited me to help if I was available next week. I told him I would try to return if we could. I knew it was unlikely, but the idea captured my imagination.

As we trekked back to the dinghy, I noticed Justino stopped from time to time to pick up small leaves on the forest floor. I asked him if they were medicinal. He said they used them to make the black face paint we’d seen on several Gunas. He was gathering the leaves for a fiesta that weekend for a girl turning twelve (or ten, I didn't quite catch which).

Back at the village, Justino and a troupe of children gave us a tour through the twisted narrow pathways of the close-knit community, introducing us to people along the way. We settled back at Justino's hut, where his wife Renilda tied a traditional Kuna bracelet (“wini”) on Jen while children and puppies watched. Justino showed me the electrical system he had rigged for their home - a small solar panel to charge a car battery, which they then used to charge their phones and power a few small appliances. We dined on a simple meal that everyone contributed to – coconut rice and plantains from Renilda, and canned tuna from our galley. Also there in the village of Tupsuit Pipigua I picked up my most valued cruising item - a hand-carved wooden Guna ulu paddle that I hope to pass down through the ages.  We left Justino with some waxed thread to repair his sail with, and he sent us a video of his progress the next morning as we were underway.

On the Rio Mandinga, Panama, where the trees look like they could get up and walk.

We tied up the dinghy next to these ulus for our trek through the jungle.  Rio Mandinga, Guna Yala, Panama.

An ulu just beginning to be carved from a log.

The completed ulu would have to be carried from where the tree was felled to the river.  This log roll set-up over a creek allowed the Guna to roll the ulu along for a portion of the way.

We came upon César carving his new ulu in the jungle.

César's nearly completed ulu, with Justino in the background.

Renilda ties a traditional "wini" bracelet on Jen.  Note the black face paint on the boy's face to the left.

Justino, Renilda, and I in their village of Tupsuit Pipigua.  Guna Yala, Panama.

*Note that the Guna can be sensitive about having their photo taken, so please always ask before taking someone's picture.  We always made sure to ask and get permission before taking a photo.

Our experience shared with Justino and his family is a memory we will always cherish and might be our favorite experience of our cruising years. It was amazing to see firsthand the Guna striving to preserve their traditions and culture, while also navigating a new world of cellular phone communication and solar panels for electricity. We are so glad we took the time to chat with the man in his ulu with a torn sail!

We departed feeling both happiness and sadness - I had gotten excited about being invited to help carry César's ulu out of the jungle when he finished it in a week. But, alas, as always, the weather drives our schedule. We knew we needed to get positioned farther east to catch a weather window for passage to Cartagena, Colombia. 

Our Guna Yala cruising days were coming to a close, but they weren't over yet.  We worked our way east, to an anchorage called Snug Harbor. There we found one other boat, our friends on S/V Altimate! We met them at the East Hollandes and crossed paths often as both boats had cruised the nearby islands in the last few weeks. It was tranquil to spend our last days in Guna Yala with friends as the only boats in the anchorage. We spent our days going on dinghy rides around the cays, exploring the beaches, snorkeling, chatting with Gunas who paddled over and sold us fresh fish, and talking travels and routes over sundowners in their cockpit or ours. They had been to Cartagena and assured us that we'd love it.  (Spoiler alert - they were right...)

S/V Brightnest and S/V Altimate anchored at Snug Harbor, Guna Yala, Panama.

Jen and I on a cay at Snug Harbor, Guna Yala, Panama.

In the cockpit with our friends Sabina and Norbert from S/V Altimate on our last night in Snug Harbor, Guna Yala, Panama.

A promising weather window approached. Just a couple of days' passage across the Gulf of Darién, and we'd officially be in South America. We were Cartagena bound!