Sailing From Panama To Colombia Allows Yachts To Stopover In The San Blas

Sailing From Panama To Colombia Allows Yachts To Stopover In The San Blas

by Katrina Wheeler

Panama was once part of Colombia. Today, this small independent country is unique in that it joins two continents and two oceans. It joins South America with North America. Through its famous canal, it joins the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Many cruising yachts are attracted by this uniqueness and go sailing from Panama to Colombia each year.

One favorite cruising route starts from the area around the Caribbean end of the canal and then moves south to Cartagena or Barranquilla (or both), and finally on to Santa Marta, three rival port cities in north Colombia. The journey covers 500 nautical miles or so. Because it is long trek that might take four or five days of round-the-clock sailing most yachts stagger the trip with some stops along the way.

One common start point is Colon, the main city at the Atlantic Ocean end of the Panama Canal. The city is located at the mouth of the Bahia de Manzanillo (Limon Bay). Although Colon is a busy commercial port, it does not have marina facilities for recreational craft. Pleasure yachts arriving from Europe or the USA usually berth a few nautical miles west of the city at the marina in Shelter Bay, sitting at the tip of the western arm of Limon Bay.

One cautionary point for yachts visiting Panama is the small number and variable quality of some local marinas. Some are poorly equipped, have limited sea draft, are mainly oriented towards serving sport fishing boats rather than cruising yachts and have fixed docks rather than floating pontoons. Fixed docks complicate berthing, particularly if the tidal range is large, because docking lines must be shortened and lengthened several times each day as the tide changes. None of these drawbacks apply to Shelter Bay.

Vessels that remain at the marina for more than a month receive the benefit of a discounted rate. The berths are designed mainly for monohulls; only a few berths are wide enough to accommodate catamarans. Bicycles are available for hire. There is tight security preventing access to the marina compound, including the docking area, by unauthorized individuals.

The San Lorenzo National Park surrounds the marina. This natural jungle area is home to amazing tropical wildlife including various monkeys and Amazon mealy parrots. Particularly noteworthy are the oropendola; these large passerine birds within the New World blackbird family have pointed bills, long tails and bright yellow coloring. Oropendola are easily spotted because they build amazing nests that hang from trees and resemble (look like) large teardrops.

Upon leaving Shelter Bay, many yachts head south for the gorgeous Archipelago de San Blas, a long stretch of more than 300 small coral isles. Only forty of these islands are inhabited. There are no resorts, restaurants or high-rise developments. Not surprisingly therefore, there are no marina facilities, but this is compensated by many excellent anchorages.

The largely autonomous Kuna indigenous people govern the San Blas islands. This unique ethnic group has its ancestral roots in Colombia. The Kuna have a distinctive language, dress and mythology. They have resisted change and shunned outside influences. Somewhat paradoxically perhaps, they are commercially shrewd and considered the most successful indigenous group in Latin America. A yacht is the best way to travel around within the archipelago since modern transport infrastructure is not available. The chance to cruise within the San Blas archipelago and learn about Kuna culture and traditions is a strong reason attracting yacht owners to go <A href="http://www.bluesailing.net">sailing from Panama to Colombia</A>.



You can visit the website <a href="http://www.bluesailing.net">www.bluesailing.net</a> for more helpful information about Sailing From Panama To Colombia Provides An Opportunity To Visit The Kuna

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