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Panama City Snorkeling

Our most recommended Panama City Snorkeling

Panama City: Money Heist and San Blas Islands Day Trip

1. Panama City: Money Heist and San Blas Islands Day Trip

Be collected from your accommodation in Panama City to start the day trip. Drive 2.5 hours to San Blas Port, Carti, and then take a local Panga boat to the first of the San Blas islands. First arrive at Pelicano Island, made famous by the Netflix series Money Heist. Enjoy a light breakfast of fresh fruit and coffee and take some time to sunbathe with hammocks. Towels will be provided. Then take the paddleboards and your snorkel gear and go paddle to Ucubusi Island where you will find one of the best reefs to snorkel in San Blas. Discover a variety of colorful fish species. Afterward, enjoy a lunch of fresh fish, rice, and salad. After lunch, head to the natural swimming pool. Chill out on a bank of sand in the middle of the ocean where you can walk or swim around to find your starfish. Finally, visit a local community where you will see how the locals live. You can try the coconut bread made on the island, and see how molas are made by the grandmas on the island. Sail back towards the port and return to Panama City in the evening. 

Panama City/Portobelo: Catamaran Trip w/Snorkeling and Lunch

2. Panama City/Portobelo: Catamaran Trip w/Snorkeling and Lunch

Explore the beauty of the Blues Veins lagoon and the white sands of Playa Drake Beach on this tour from Panama City or Portobelo. Sit down for a delicious lunch on a catamaran.  Choose to be picked up from the comfort of your accommodations in Panama City or to make your own way to Portobelo. Hop aboard a speedboat that will connect you to the catamaran. Feel the wind in your hair as you soak up some sun on the way to your first stop at Blues Veins. Make your way to the interior lagoon aboard a dinghy. Disembark at a secluded beach where you can take a walk or snorkel through the coral in the crystal-clear waters.  Head back to the boat to eat a lunch of local products with a variety of dietary options. Continue to Playa Drake Beach where you can make the most of the sea by swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, and paddle boarding.  Return to you Portobelo where, depending on the option you select, you can be dropped-off at your accommodation in Panama City, or you can drive back to your accommodation. 

Panama City: 1-Night San Blas Islands in Sea Huts

3. Panama City: 1-Night San Blas Islands in Sea Huts

Spend a full day and night on the San Blas Islands: swim, kayak, and paddle out on the water and overnight in a bungalow on the beach. San Blas is an indigenous zone, so prepare for a rustic time. There’s no hot water, Wi-Fi, electricity, or other amenities, so you’ll spend 2 days experiencing what life is like for the Gunas. On the morning of Day 1, you’ll be picked up at 5:20 AM from the lobby of your Panama City hotel and taken on a 2.5-hour trip by 4WD over the San Blas hills up to Port Tupile. From there, take a typical Guna boat on a 30-minute ride to paradise over turquoise waters. Arrive on the white sand beach where you’ll spend 2 days and 1 night in a bungalow right on the beach. The Yani Lodge bungalows are rustic with shared bathrooms, and the island is very calm. On the island, taste the catch of the day around mid-day and then take a tour with a guide to Perro Chico, where you can snorkel in a sunken boat full of colorful fish. Then, visit a natural swimming pool and spot starfish and other marine wildlife. Spend the rest of the time kayaking, paddle-boarding, or just relaxing on the beach.   On Day 2, enjoy breakfast and spend your free day to explore the island, and relaxing! Transportation back to Panama City around 3:00 PM, arriving around 6:00 PM to your hotel.

Panama City: San Blas Islands 2-Night Sailboat Tour w/ Meals

4. Panama City: San Blas Islands 2-Night Sailboat Tour w/ Meals

Explore the San Blas archipelago on this two day and two night trip from Panama City. Savor fresh locally sourced seafood meals onboard with drinks. Try to catch a fish with the fishing equipment or uncover the secrets of the underwater world with the snorkeling gear. Day 1: Be picked up from the comfort of your hotel in Panama City at 5 AM. Sit back and enjoy the scenic 3-hour drive to port Carti. Take a speedboat to the boat where you can settle in and relax. Sail to the turquoise waters of the Cayos Limones islands where you can snorkel and soak up some sun on the white sand beach. Have the chance to meet indigenous Kuna people and learn about their culture and way of life. Spend some free time looking at local handcraft shops or purchasing a fresh seafood lunch at a restaurant. Head back to the boat to rest for the evening. Day 2: Enjoy fishing in the sea as you cruise to the island of Cayos Nasargandub. Once at the island, chillout in a hammock in the shade of palm trees on the beach or go for a swim through the crystal clear waters. Rest in the boat in the evening. Day 3: After a delicious breakfast, catch the speedboat back to the port and transfer back to your accommodation in Panama City.

Caribbean Adventure: Snorkel & Zip Line Tour in Panama

5. Caribbean Adventure: Snorkel & Zip Line Tour in Panama

This is a full day of adventure! Leave early and enjoy a fresh breakfast at the Caribbean sea side near Portobelo. Gear up and cross the bay for some of the best snorkeling in Panama. Head to a beach for the first snorkel site and later a reef wall for the second site. Enjoy the warm and clear ocean water and catch some sun! Return to the main land for lunch and an hour long historic tour of Portobelo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From here it's about a half-hour drive into the jungle for our zip line/canopy tour! You might even have some time to swim in the river and try out the rope swing before we head back to the city. This is an exhilarating full-day tour, and one of the best you'll find in Panama!

From Panama City: Portobelo Guided Kayak Tour

6. From Panama City: Portobelo Guided Kayak Tour

Portobelo Bay provides a Panama kayak adventure second to none. On it you will cover all main things to do in Portobelo. Portobelo was discovered in 1502, and it was named by Christopher Columbus when his vessels sought shelter in the "beautiful port" from a storm. In 1596, even before it was officially founded, Portobelo suffered its first attack at the hands of Sir Frances Drake. Drake died of fever before he could capture Portobelo. He was secretly buried at sea off the entrance to the harbor. The town was officially founded in 1597 and was given the name of San Felipe de Portobelo in honor of King Philip II of Spain. During the late l6th and early l7th century Portobelo was the principal Spanish trade port on the Atlantic for all of South America. The exchange of merchandise took place annually at the Portobelo trade fair which lasted from 30 to 60 days. During this time, Portobelo was a beehive of activity. In 1668 Henry Morgan attacked the town from the land and launched a surprise attack on Fort Santiago, one of the town's fortresses. The city was at the mercy of Morgan's men who launched an orgy of looting, debauchery and torture-a reign of terror. The town was attacked by other buccaneers and pirates such as Englishmen William Parker in 1601 and Edward Vernon in 1739. As a result of the repeated pirate attacks Portobelo's annual trade fairs were forced stop. Spain abandoned the Isthmian route for the longer but more secure one around Cape Horn. The golden age of Portobelo ceased. ITINERARY Tour begins by picking up guests in Panama City at 7:00 a.m., to them travel to Portobelo by road. We will visit Santiago Fort, Portobelo (Geronimo Fort and Customs House), and around 11:00 a.m., the tour proceeds paddling across the bay, for about 30 minutes, to the other cannon battery built by the conquistadores to protect the bay, San Fernando. We will walk and learn about the ruins history. Then we proceed kayaking along the coast up to a hidden beach, perfect to relax and do some snorkeling. At approximately 1:00 a.m., we will start an exciting one hour sea kayak tour back Portobelo. Afterwards we have a lunch (coconut rice with octopus is a favorite dish). We should arrive to the original pick up place at the city by 5:00 p.m. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS WHAT DOES IT INCLUDE ? All mentioned transportation, expedition kayaks and snorkel gear, guides, and meals. Our guides are trained in kayak navigation skills, first-aid and CPR. WHO CAN GO ? Any person from twelve to seventy years old, in good health. Minors must travel with a responsible adult. WHAT SHOULD YOU TAKE ALONG ? A pair of shorts for navigating, sneakers or strapped sandals, a cap, sun-block, a light jacket or windbreaker (in case of rain), a towel and a dry set of clothes for the trip back. WHAT SHOULD NOT BE BROUGHT ? Any object than can be deteriorated by water or valuables like jewels, cash, credit cards, etc.

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What people are saying about Panama City

Overall rating

4.9 / 5

based on 8 reviews

The water was somewhat cloudy when snorkeling but tour providers cannot control those conditions. We saw a large variety of fish and lots of large brain coral. There were some areas of dead coral, especially close to shore. The cafe at the launch site accepts only cash; we were lucky to have enough with us to cover our lunch order. The zip line was amazing. They have 5 runs, the longest is 800 meters over water! The road to get there is rough,. but worth the trip. Excellent guides on the zip lines. This tour was the highlight of the trip for me.

I Absolutely LOVED this day!!! Highly recommend for sure. Communication was excellent throughout - everything very well organized - and the day was relaxed pace and gorgeous. Lunch was delicious and it was also nice to have a cooler with ice to use for our beverages. Thank you to Jenny and Crew for making this an awesome experience. From pick up to completion... it felt like a mini vacation!!! GRACIAS!

It was good!

Everything was amazing! The beach, the experience, the food, the organization. Be aware guys, to take a medicine for not feeling sick before getting the transfer from Panama City, the road and the boat might be a bit rough, but it worths every minute and money spent

A very complete tour, with services that meet expectations. Definitely recommendable to get to know the archipelago, although the length of stay could be longer. Thanks to Jorge, transportation became more enjoyable.

WONDERFUL experience. The water is beautiful and it’s a perfect day do fun and lounging. The add says 2.5 hours but it took us at least 3.5 to get there (so be ready!) long but good day!