Latin America

Visiting The San Blas Islands as a Day Trip from Panama City, Panama

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Are you considering visiting Panama’s San Blas Islands, possibly as a day trip from Panama City?  This article explains the details of a day vist to the San Blas Islands, provides tips for visiting the San Blas Islands, and why I probably wouldn’t do it again, ha. And, by way of background, Dan and I visited the San Blas Islands as a day trip from our nearly week-long stay in Panama City, Panama in early April. I selected the San Blas Islands over other popular island destinations, such as Bocas del Toro due to the fact that you can drive from Panama City.

A Panama beer at the San Blas Islands.

The San Blas Islands

And what are the San Blas Islands you may ask? The San Blas Islands are a group of approximately 300 autonomous Panamanian islands off the northern coast of Panama in the Caribbean Sea.  Panama’s indigenous Guna (a/k/a Kuna) population reside in the San Blas Islands, which are famous for their Mola fabrics. Today, the Guna people earn nearly all of their money from tourism and selling handicrafts.

The San Blas Islands undoubtedly have some beautiful areas.

The San Blas Islands are currently popular with tourists for their crystal clear blue waters, as well as ecotourism. We found the San Blas Islands to be quite pretty, but pretty rustic and not easy to navigate for a typical tourist without some sort of guide. Indeed, you can’t even access them without taking a boat from the mainland. The Guna people have their own language and heritage, which is really interesting if you have time to read up on them. There is also a (free!) Mola Museum in Panama City that provides a solid background before visiting.

Mola fabric from the Mola Museum in Panama City.

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5 Days in Panama City, Panama – An Itinerary

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This year’s spring vacation took us to Panama for a week, spending the majority of our time in the capital, Panama City, with a day trip to the San Blas Islands, and a few days in Buenaventura on the Pacific Coast. Panama was beautiful and we had a relaxing time, but Panama was more expensive and more Americanized than other Central American countries that we have visited. We definitely need to return and spend time in other parts of Panama to get a better feel for it. Panama City, however, makes a wonderful winter/early spring getaway for those coming from the NYC area and looking for something different yet not too “foreign.”  This post details what we did during our time in Panama City over 5 days and how you can recreate this trip for yourself!

Panama City at sunset. The rooftop sunsets were fantastic.

OUR 5-DAY ITINERARY IN PANAMA CITY

DAY 1: THE PANAMA CANAL & A DELICIOUS MEAL IN CASCO VIEJO

United flies direct from Newark to Panama City overnight, so we took that flight, leaving around midnight NYC time and arriving around 4:00 AM the following morning in Panama. We booked our hotel, the JW Marriott Panama City, for the night prior, so we were able to checkin immediately on arrival despite the early hour (you should absolutely do this if you can swing it; well worth the money). We slept for a couple hours before having breakfast in the JW Marriott’s Lounge and using its stunning pool area (featuring TWO infinity pools and a separate heated pool – it is rumored to be one of the nicest in the area!).

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Where To Find The Best Cocktails in Antigua, Guatemala.

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I did quite a bit of research on where to find the best cocktails and drinks in Antigua, Guatemala before our visit last summer. My research paid off. This post shares great cocktail spots in Antigua, Guatemala.

Cute Antigua, Guatemala.

Nahuales Mixology & Mayan Cocktails, a Fuente Mall and Foodcourt, 4a Calle Ote. n° 14, open daily 6 PM – 11 PM.

By far, our favorite cocktails in Antigua, Guatemala were at Nahuales Mixology & Mayan Cocktails. Named for the Mayan concept of the “nahaul”, or the cultural concept that everyone’s birthdate shapes ones personality and energy and based on birthdate, everyone is assigned a “nahaul”. As best I can describe it, a nahual is a Mayan sign that includes a related spirit animal, stone, metal, number, color and other unique information.  We learned a lot about nahauls in Guatemala, and I never really understood it totally…but its important. Nahuales bar has the book of all nahauls onsite and can help you find your own nahaul.

This is an explanation of nahuales from the Museo Mira Flores in Guatemala City.

In any case, Nahuales Mixology & Mayan Cocktails is located in central Antigua inside an Antiguan strip mall of sorts. While small, the bar is very cool featuring an interesting menu and often a live DJ. Many of the cocktails on the menu are named for specific nahuales.  We tried two cocktails each here, and they were very well made. Honestly, the best we had in Guatemala (except maybe tied with Cocktail Lobby in Guatemala City). The mixologist was also really great and even let us sample Guatemalan moonshine (which I didn’t even know existed). We highly recommend Nahuales for a true local cocktail bar in Antigua. Go to Nahuales Mixology & Mayan Cocktails for Mayan cultural information, excellent cocktails and a fun vibe.

The entrance to Nahuales.

Nahuales bar.

The interior.

The menus.

Guatemalan moonshine. Also, look at that perfect ice sphere.

One of the Nahuales cocktails.

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An Afternoon Eating Real Guatemalan Street Food In Antigua.

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Of course we took a food tour when we visited Antigua, Guatemala earlier this year. The tour was exclusively street food focused, which Dan loved. You can easily recreate the tour yourself if you are a bit adventrous and speak a little Spanish. Otherwise, I will link the tour below.

Antigua, Guatemala.

Our first stop was at a real Antiguan bakery that has been around since 1940 (and opens daily at 5:00 AM). And, it was delicious. The name of the bakery is San Antonio Panaderia Lo de Cuchi Cuchi. It is famous for its homemade bread, and its take away only. Located right in the center of Antigua, San Antonio is super popular with both locals and tourists. If you are visiting, bring cash and know a little bit of Spanish.

The entrance to San Antonio.

San Antonio’s sweet counter.

We tried two dishes at San Antonio. The first “bite” of our tour was something that a tourist can pretty easily find all over Antigua, particularly in restaurants and shops offering traditional Guatemalan food (such as Rincon Tipico),Colochos de Guayaba.  Colochos for short are gummy-like circles made from guava fruit and topped with powdered sugar. These were midly sweet and very tasty. They were also super cheap. A definite must try in Antigua.

A Colochos de Guayaba from San Antonio.

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Hotel Review: Casa Prana, Lake Atitlán

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Casa Prana is one of several luxury hotels located on Guatemala’s Lake Atitlán. Dan and I spent 4 nights and four days here in June and July 2024. This post reviews our stay at Casa Prana in detail. In sum, Casa Prana is a beautiful hotel and we totally enjoyed our time, with the highs and lows being:

PROS: Gorgeous setting, stunning views around every corner, private, good food, excellent service.

CONS: Remote, pricey, very limited nightlife, same menu every day.

Keep reading if you are considering a stay at Casa Prana!

Sunrise view of Volcano Atitlán from our window at Casa Prana.

CASA PRANA – THE HOTEL

Casa Prana is set on 9 uphill acres on the side (literally, the banks) of Lake Atitlán. There is no car access and the only way to reach the hotel is via boat, helicopter or foot (10 minutes from Santa Cruz La Laguna along a kind of marked trail). The hotel only has eight rooms, called suites, and each is unique, and you will likely feel like the only person at the property. We certainly felt that way (for better or worse, lol).

Casa Prana. Our room is the top one with the balcony on the left hand wide with all the greenery!

Walking around Casa Prana.

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