Panama to Colombia by Boat

Posted by Megan Lyles Jun 9, 2008

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article called Sailing from Panama to Colombia about… well, sailing from Panama to Colombia. (Let me take a moment to pat myself on the back for such an accurate and descriptive title.)

Anyway, I described the trip and discussed how one would go about finding a sailboat, but I did not mention any of the drawbacks. While this is an amazing experience and the San Blas Islands are of course fantastic – I wish I was in San Blas right now – this is a sailboat trip! Nature is in charge. You may experience discomfort or seasickness.

In my own travelogue, I have a more detailed account of the trip as I personally experienced it, from the meanie at Voyager Hostel in Panama City to the initial mixed feelings about making the trip with our captain (we later grew to love him), to the fact that we hit a reef or something and feared for our lives, and then the long day of seasickness en route to Colombia. It’s not all fun and games, kids.

BUT. Would I do it again? Oh, yes I would, without a doubt. That sailboat trip from Portobelo to Cartagena was one of the highlights of my life, seasickness and all. And your boat probably will not hit a reef. (There have been plane, train, and car crashes, but that wouldn’t stop you from getting into a plane, train, or car ever again, right?)

So I thought I’d just point out that there might be some less than perfect aspects of sailing the Caribbean. But if you bring your anti-seasickness pills and find out where the life-jackets are ahead of time, you’ll no doubt have as amazing a time as I did.