San Blas Islands Snorkeling Tour: Starfish & Kayak Adventure

Starfish in the shallows, kayak through the islands, lunch from the day's catch

This snorkeling tour departs Panama City at dawn for the San Blas Islands, where you enter the natural swimming pool to spot starfish, then paddle a kayak around Myra Island with an English-speaking local guide. Lunch of fresh-caught fish, soda or water, and all transport are included. The tour returns to your hotel by mid-afternoon.

Step-by-step itinerary

San Blas Islands tour with activities

• Pick up from hotel lobby
• Travel to San Blas Islands port Dibin
• Meet English speaking guide
• Learn about Guna Culture
• Snorkel in Natural Swimming Pool
• Spot starfishes while snorkeling
• Kayak tour around the island
• Relax on the beach
• Enjoy fresh fish lunch with drinks
• Boat back to Panama City
• Transfer to hotel

The experience

The pickup starts at 5:20am from your hotel lobby, then a drive takes you to Dibin port on the mainland. Once there, your guide Ed (who manages Myra Island with his family), meets you and talks through the Guna culture before you head out to the islands. The boat ride itself is part of the day: you're traveling to a place most day-trippers from Panama City never reach, and the islands appear gradually as you approach.

At the natural swimming pool, you put on the snorkel mask and enter shallow water where starfish sit on the bottom. The pool is calm and the visibility is clear enough to spot them without effort. After snorkeling, you have a choice: take a kayak tour with your guide to paddle around the island and watch for small colored fish and rails, or stay on the beach. The kayak lets you move at your own pace through the shallows and see the island from the water.

Lunch is fish (whatever was caught that morning) served with soda, water or beer. You eat on the island, then head back to Dibin around 3:30pm. The driver meets you at the port and takes you back to your Panama City hotel, arriving in the late afternoon. The whole day runs nine hours from pickup to drop-off.

What’s included

• Tour to Island Misdub, Perro chico and the natural swimming pool.
• snorkel mask and kayak.
• lunch with soda, water or beer.
• transport both ways from Panama City.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 05:20

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (8 to 80 years) · Child (5 to 7 years) · Infant (under 5)

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availableNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Panama San Blas Tours

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English and Spanish, so you can follow the commentary about Guna culture and the islands in whichever language works for you. This tour suits anyone comfortable with an early morning departure and a full day away from the city, whether or not you have snorkeled before.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 7 years); Infant (under 5).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What will I actually see when I snorkel in the natural swimming pool?

The natural swimming pool is shallow and calm, and starfish are visible on the bottom. The water is clear enough to spot them without diving deep, and small colored fish move through the area as well.

Do I need snorkeling experience to join this tour?

No experience is required. The guide provides the snorkel mask and the pool is shallow and protected, so you can enter at your own comfort level and stay in the shallows if you prefer.

What happens if I don't want to kayak?

Kayaking is optional. You can stay on the beach and relax on Myra Island while others paddle, and the guide will still be there to talk about the area and the Guna culture.

Is the lunch included, or do I need to bring my own food?

Lunch is included and prepared on the island: fresh-caught fish of the day with soda, water or beer. You eat on Myra Island as part of the tour.

What time do I get back to Panama City?

The boat departs the islands around 3:30pm, and your driver returns you to your hotel in the late afternoon, making the full day approximately nine hours from the initial pickup.