San Blas Islands

Picture a chain of more than 370 paradise atolls cast off the north coast of Panama. This autonomous archipelago is also known as Guna Yala, meaning “land of Kuna”, the indigenous community driven out of mainland Panama by Spanish invaders in the 1500s and today the archipelago’s only inhabitants. They host visitors seduced by the clear, calm Caribbean waters, soft white sands and swaying palms, where we might meet the Kuna people and buy molas or coconuts, kayak the shoreline or enjoy a bonfire on the beach. Here we slow the pace and swim, snorkel, and repeat.