Just imagine this scene – you are lying in a hammock, a gentle sea breeze in your hair. Your favorite book in your right hand, freshly open coconut in the left one. You turn your gaze to the white-sand beach with beautiful turquoise water. You hear nothing, just some local kids playing in the coconut forest on the other side of the island. The other side of the island is mere 50 meters away. That is right, you're on an island - and one you can stroll leisurely around in about nine minutes! This, you see is one of the islets in Panama's San Blas Archipelago.
Sounds like another super-fancy super-expensive holidays à la Maldives, right? Not necessarily. While many of the resorts here in Guna Yala province sell a stay for hundreds of USD per night, there is still chance to book cheap with a family at San Blas Islands and spend just 35-40 dollars per night - all meals included.
In exchange for that you may enjoy such a peace of mind, difficult to find anywhere else. Why? Because most of San Blas islands still don’t get covered by cell phone signal, which means you finally may get off the grid. Even electricity or hot water are scarce, which really leaves you no option than just to finally relax and "do nothing" in paradisiacal surroundings.
And by doing nothing I mean do all the things you ever wanted. Read books. Sleep a lot. Sunbathe. Collect shells. Exercise. Train yoga. Play volleyball. Think about starting your new business or improving the current one. Learn Spanish. Drink a lot of fresh coconuts. Meet new nationalities. Make new friends. Drink, dance and party. Watch sun set. Build a bonfire. Fall in love. Play card or desk games. Go snorkeling. Discover local culture - especially that of the diminutive Guna (aka Kuna) people who have lived in what is today Guna Yala province for centuries and live in simple communities which enjoy unprecedented autonomy within Panama.
Or explore surrounding islands. There are 378 beautiful islands to be discovered, many of them having excellent beaches or snorkeling opportunities. And since Guna Yala is a coconut country, you might get super cheap coconuts everywhere you go.
Food is excellent here, especially if you love fish. Most of the days you dine on some of the tastiest fishes caught in the Caribbean sea, while time to time you get a chance to eat also something special as an octopus or even a lobster.
You will spend your nights breathing a fresh open-sea air, since the romantic cabañas made of reeds are just a few meters from the beach front. The San Blas islands are one of the most unique places in the world and anyone adventurous should go there fast, before technology arrives and covers this part of the world with cell towers or and power plants.
This hidden paradise won’t stay hidden forever and you have your last chance to see it while still largely intact. Google up San Blas Panama for possible stays on islands or head to www.sanblas-gunayala.com to get the cheapest accommodation we could find.
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