Comarca de Kuna Yala Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Land

Car

The rugged El Llano–Cartí road is the only road that leads into the district. It connects the town of El Llano, on the Carretera Interamericana 70km east of Panama City, to the San Blás coastal hamlet of Cartí. The road begins near El Llano at the turnoff for Nusagandi, though even a German assault tank would have difficulty traversing this rugged terrain. To reach Cartí, you will need a 4WD with a powerful engine, a winch, good tires, lots of patience and a little luck.

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Air

Both Air Panama (316 9000; www.flyairpanama.com/tickets) and Aeroperlas (315 7500; www.aeroperlas.com) fly to the Archipiélago de San Blás. Air Panama has one flight per day to Achutupu, Cartí, Corazón de Jesús, El Porvenir, Playón Chico and Río Sidra. Aeroperlas has three flights per day to all of these destinations, except Achutupu.

Book as far in advance as possible as demand far exceeds supply. Note that planes may stop at other islands in the archipelago, loading and unloading passengers or cargo before continuing on.

Flights depart from Albrook Airport in Panama City and arrive at their destinations in about 30 minutes to an hour. A one-way flight ticket to each destination is typically US$35 to US$50; prices vary according to season and availability.

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