Can We Combine San Blas With Bocas del Toro or a Panama Canal Tour?

How to Pair Panama’s Most Iconic Destinations With a Catamaran Experience

Travelers often wonder whether they can combine San Blas with Bocas del Toro, Panama City, or a Panama Canal tour. The answer is a confident yes — and it works beautifully. Panama is compact, well connected, and offers three of the most visited experiences in the country: San Blas, Bocas del Toro, and Panama City (with the famous Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal). Together, they create a diverse, enriching itinerary that blends culture, nature, and adventure.

The unique beauty of San Blas — a destination that pairs perfectly with any Panama journey.

This guide walks you through how to combine all three destinations, sample itineraries, logistics, and what makes each stop worth your time.

How to Combine the Three: San Blas, Bocas del Toro & Panama Canal Tour

Panama City - Bocas del Toro - San Blas - Panama City

Perfect for ending your trip with nature, sailing, and total relaxation

Arrive in Panama City (PTY): Spend one night in the capital to rest and adjust, explore Casco Viejo, and visit the Panama Canal.

Fly from PAC (Albrook Airport) to Bocas del Toro: Stay 2–3 nights to enjoy the food scene, eco-lodges, surf culture, and nightlife.

Fly back to PAC. Connect to your San Blas flight: Continue your trip with 4–5 nights in the San Blas Islands aboard an all-inclusive catamaran.

Return from San Blas to Panama City: fly home from Tocumen (PTY), and, depending on your departure time, enjoy a few extra hours exploring the city.

You can always choose to fly straight from Panama City to San Blas on your first day and enjoy the city at the end of your trip instead.

Both options give you Panama’s full spectrum — vibrant city, an energetic island province, and a pristine archipelago — all in one perfectly paced journey.

Destination Breakdown: What to See in Each Place

1. Panama City

Recommended: 1 night or full day (more if you enjoy urban culture and gastronomy)

Panama City is a cosmopolitan gateway where ultramodern skyscrapers, pre-Columbian history, and global trade converge.

Key experiences:

• Panama Canal – Miraflores Locks: Essential and fascinating

• Casco Antiguo: UNESCO-listed old quarter with plazas, restaurants, galleries

• Cinta Costera: Waterfront promenade for biking and sunset views

• Amador Causeway: Marinas, museums, and oceanfront dining

• Biomuseo by Frank Gehry

• Metropolitan Natural Park (a jungle hike within city limits)

Panama City offers all comforts of a modern capital and is the logistical hub for reaching both Bocas del Toro and San Blas.

Panama City’s iconic skyline — a cosmopolitan blend of skyscrapers, history, and waterfront views that serves as the cultural and logistical gateway to both San Blas and Bocas del Toro.

2. Bocas del Toro

A lively Caribbean province known for culture, surf, and social energy — less for beaches.

Bocas del Toro offers a completely different rhythm from the rest of Panama:

• A mix of high-end jungle lodges (especially on Isla Bastimentos) and backpacker hostels

• Popular surf points and a young, multicultural nightlife scene

• Over-the-water villas, beach bars, cafés, and live music

• Easy access to diving, mangroves, and protected marine parks

Surfing the vibrant waves of Bocas del Toro.

It’s important to note what Bocas is and is not:

• It is not known for pristine beaches.

• It sees large crowds, seasonal over-tourism, and rain throughout the year.

Bocas del Toro.

If you want convenience, you can also rent a studio near the main road in Isla Colón for quick access to the water taxis that connect the islands.

3. San Blas Islands (Guna Yala)

The perfect finale — one of the Caribbean’s last truly pristine archipelagos.

After Bocas and Panama City, entering San Blas feels like arriving at a different world:

• Over 365 uninhabited white-sand islands

• Clear turquoise water

• Coral reefs preserved

• Activities for all ages: World-class snorkeling, paddleboarding, kayaking and island-hopping

• Peace, privacy, and zero mass tourism

• Authentic Caribbean heritage at its purest: the ancestral Guna people

• An unparalleled sailing experience through calm, protected waters and untouched beauty

San Blas: Where the Caribbean’s true essence still lives.

There are no large hotels, no modern resort infrastructure, and limited services — which is precisely why the ideal way to explore San Blas is on an all-inclusive catamaran charter with curated itineraries. Your floating home gives you comfort, personalized meals, unmatched privacy, and access to remote islands unreachable by land. From budget-friendly to luxury, fully equipped catamarans, we have the perfect vessel for your San Blas adventure.

San Blas is incomparable: protected, serene, and one of the most unspoiled corners of the Caribbean. It’s like we always say:“Bocas del Toro would be great if the San Blas Islands did not exist.”

Logistics: How to Move Between Panama City, Bocas & San Blas

1.Primary Airport for Bocas and San Blas: Albrook International Airport (PAC)

For domestic flights to both Bocas del Toro and San Blas, you will depart from the same airport — Albrook (PAC). This makes connections extremely easy and efficient.

Flow example:

• Fly into Panama City (PTY)

• Transfer to Albrook (PAC)

• Fly to Bocas del Toro

• Return to Albrook (PAC)

• Fly to San Blas

• Fly back to Albrook (PAC) after your charter

• Continue to Tocumen International Airport (PTY) for your flight back home.

2.Typical Prices

• Flights: ~$150 per person per way (Bocas or San Blas)

• Road transfer to San Blas: ~$75 per person per way

• Road transfer to Bocas (to reach the ferry in Almirante): ~$50 per person per way

3.Tocumen International Airport (PTY) Option

You can fly directly from Tocumen (PTY) to both destinations:

• Bocas del Toro: 45-minute flight to Bocas Town

• San Blas: 40–45-minute private flight to Corazón de Jesús. This option is more expensive but may suit some travelers. For international visitors, we can also arrange private flights for one or both legs of your trip.

For more details and comparison tables: Visit our sections Flights to San Blas and How to Reach San Blas, or read our post on "Direct flights from Tocumen International to San Blas".

4.Important Notes

• Avoid the Bus/Ferry Route to Bocas

  Skip the 10-hour bus ride from Panama City to Almirante + 1.5-hour ferry to Isla Colón. It is slow, unpleasant, and unnecessary given the reliable flights. (If needed, check schedules at airpanama.com.)

  
  

• Why You Should Travel Between Bocas & San Blas via Panama City

  Direct flights between the two archipelagos are private only and cost around $4,500 per plane (up to 9 passengers).

The smart approach is:

• Fly private to your first destination

• Return to Albrook

• Take a second private or commercial flight to your next stop

This keeps logistics smooth and costs reasonable.

Why Leave San Blas for Last?

San Blas is the ultimate finale to any Panama itinerary — a rare escape where remoteness, serenity, and exclusivity create an experience unlike any other Caribbean sailing destination.

Here’s what sets it apart:

• Exclusive seclusion: Unlike busier hotspots such as the BVI or Croatian islands, San Blas offers peaceful disconnection, allowing travelers to immerse themselves in a world free from crowds, noise, and modern hustle.

• Pristine, untouched nature: Over 365 islands remain wild and largely uninhabited, offering a sense of secluded paradise that developed luxury destinations simply cannot replicate.

• All-inclusive comfort in a natural setting: Luxury crewed catamaran charters combine refined amenities with the raw beauty of the islands, blending comfort with authentic wilderness.

• Perfect sailing conditions year-round: Shielded by outer reefs and located outside the hurricane zone, San Blas offers calm waters, gentle winds, and an ideal environment for families, couples, or adventurous travelers.

In short, while other luxury destinations provide infrastructure and bustling social scenes, San Blas delivers a serene, untouched, and refined escape — the perfect way to end your journey through Panama.

San Blas is not just another stop — it’s a destination that elevates the entire journey.

Conclusion: The Ideal Panama Itinerary

Pairing Panama City, Bocas del Toro, and San Blas is not only possible — it’s a rewarding way to experience the country.

Each destination contributes a unique dimension:

• Panama City brings culture, cuisine, and the Canal.

• Bocas del Toro adds color, nightlife, and a lively Caribbean vibe.

• San Blas offers pure nature, privacy, serenity, and an unmatched sailing experience.

And when you combine them thoughtfully — ending with the calm rhythm of the San Blas islands — the result is a trip with contrast, meaning, and memorable beauty.