Sea Kayaking in Panama

Panama
By Vanya Akraboff

Panama is one of the most exciting new adventure destinations in Central America, and one of the best ways to get your feet wet in this beautiful country is by sea kayaking. Not only was Panama recently ranked as one of the safest destinations in the world, as relative newcomers to the tourist game, Panama has all the natural features of a Caribbean paradise without all the tourists (think Costa Rica a few decades ago). The country is friendly and cheap, and is increasingly well-equipped for adventure travel and eco-tourism.

As far as sea kayaking goes, where else can you kayak two tropical oceans in one day (well, it’s all really one ocean, but who’s counting?). With miles upon miles of untouched coastline and remote rainforests, sea kayaking is a great way to explore parts of Panama that otherwise wouldn’t be accessible. Panama also has the best conserved marine environment in the northwest Atlantic, and 25% of the country is part of a national park or nature preserve. Sea kayaking, as a very low-impact tourist activity, is one of most ethical and least disruptive ways to experience Panama’s astoundingly diverse ecology and cerulean blue waters. Experienced kayakers are free to explore the hundreds of uninhabited Caribbean islands around Panama without having to compete with other tourists or worry about contributing to often detrimental tourist overflow. And for those new to the sport, not to worry – in comparison to river kayaking, sea kayaking is easy to pick up, and can be done by people with no experience. In fact, many of the adventure tour outfitters in Panama tailor trips to guests with little kayaking experience.

Kayakers ready to strike out on their own must be fairly self-sufficient, as trips longer than a few hours will most likely involve passing through remote and unpopulated areas (which is precisely the reason many kayakers head to Panama in the first place). There are, however, many adventure companies that offer kayak tours that range from bare-bones to luxury style vacations. Ancon expeditions is widely recognized as the top adventure outfitter in Panama, and though they don’t offer trips catering exclusively to sea-kayakers, many of their multi-sport trips head to top kayaking destinations and they also offer help with custom trip planning. Top-rated Expediciones Tropicales is an adventure outfitter focused on sustainable tourism who offers several sea-kayaking adventures-you’ll need to contact their company for prices and dates. Similarly, GAP adventures is a grassroots adventure company focused on small groups – they offer an inclusive eight day sea/river kayak trip for just under $1000. Due to Panama’s still developing tourist infrastructure, rentals are not widely available – one exception is in Bocas del Toro, a primary kayaking destination where shops rent by the day or week.

Although both of Panama’s coastlines offer much for the sea-kayaker, if you only head to one place, make it the Archipelago de San Blas. Most of the tour operators focus their trips around the San Blas, made up of a group of more than 360 islands off Panama’s northeastern Caribbean coast. This area features a beautiful coral reef, enough uninhabited islands to go around and then some, and the Kuna. The Kuna people are one of Central America’s most vibrant and independent indigenous cultures. They operate as a nation within a nation, with their own language and self-government, and their staunch desire and willingness to maintain their traditional way of life makes their villages more than worth a visit. The intrepid kayaker can expect to pay $3-5 for each Kuna-inhabited island he visits; accommodation largely consists of simple thatched huts.

The second major kayaking destination is Bocas del Toro. The town, in western Panama (again on the Caribbean side), has a laid-back eco-tourist atmosphere while the surrounding area offers protected bays, open ocean, miles of untouched beaches and rainforests, and many indigenous villages for those who decide to do some trekking. This area is perfect for self-designed independent sea kayaking trips – the Bastimentos and Solarte islands are highlights for longer adventures.

The dry season is from January to April, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best time for your sea kayaking trip -some say light rains calm the restless sea. Flights arrive in Panama City, and the easiest way of getting around is by bus or short flights. More information about planning a trip to Panama in general, as well as sea kayaking links, can be found on the explorepanama website, and for you Spanish speakers, the Panama tourism website is an excellent resource.