Panama connects two oceans and two continents. Its northern coast is washed by the Caribbean Sea which is part of the Atlantic Ocean, its southern coast is washed by the Pacific Ocean and the Panama Canal traverses the country to connect the one with the other. The country is essentially a narrow isthmus that connects North America with South America. Colombia is its immediate neighbor to the south. Hundreds of yachts visit each year to enjoy sailing from Panama to Colombia.
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.
A popular departure point is the waters near Colon, the main town at the Caribbean Sea entrance to the Panama Canal. The town sits at the tip of the eastern arm of Limon Bay (also known as the Bahia de Manzanillo), with the canal entrance at the head of that bay, south of the town. Colon operates as a significant commercial port, but it does not have berthing facilities for recreational vessels. As a result, many pleasure yachts arriving from the USA or Europe choose to dock at the Shelter Bay marina, situated three nautical miles west of Colon.
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.
The marina at Shelter Bay is surrounded by extensive natural jungle, being located within the San Lorenzo National Park. The park has wonderful walking trails and is home to an interesting variety of wildlife. There are also several varieties of monkeys. Birds include the large, green Amazon mealy parrot and oropendola.
The marina is on land adjacent to the historic military site of US Fort Sherman, now named Fort San Lorenzo. Large sections of the fort are open as a tourist attraction. Some parts remain in active military service and used by Panamanian special forces.
After leaving Shelter Bay, many yachts head for the beautiful San Blas islands as a stopover. San Blas is a long archipelago of over 300 coral islets lying, for the most part, less than ten nautical miles off the Panama mainland. They extend along a northwest-southeast axis for about 100 nautical miles to almost reach (a point close to) Colombian waters.
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 sailing from Panama to Colombia.
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.
A popular departure point is the waters near Colon, the main town at the Caribbean Sea entrance to the Panama Canal. The town sits at the tip of the eastern arm of Limon Bay (also known as the Bahia de Manzanillo), with the canal entrance at the head of that bay, south of the town. Colon operates as a significant commercial port, but it does not have berthing facilities for recreational vessels. As a result, many pleasure yachts arriving from the USA or Europe choose to dock at the Shelter Bay marina, situated three nautical miles west of Colon.
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.
The marina at Shelter Bay is surrounded by extensive natural jungle, being located within the San Lorenzo National Park. The park has wonderful walking trails and is home to an interesting variety of wildlife. There are also several varieties of monkeys. Birds include the large, green Amazon mealy parrot and oropendola.
The marina is on land adjacent to the historic military site of US Fort Sherman, now named Fort San Lorenzo. Large sections of the fort are open as a tourist attraction. Some parts remain in active military service and used by Panamanian special forces.
After leaving Shelter Bay, many yachts head for the beautiful San Blas islands as a stopover. San Blas is a long archipelago of over 300 coral islets lying, for the most part, less than ten nautical miles off the Panama mainland. They extend along a northwest-southeast axis for about 100 nautical miles to almost reach (a point close to) Colombian waters.
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 sailing from Panama to Colombia.
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