The Beaches of San Blas (Part History of San Blass and other Island)

Have you ever picked up anything related to San Blas, like a post card, magazine ad, anything? If you have you would have heard about its beautiful beaches and people. There’s nothing better than enjoying the gorgeous crystal clear Caribbean sea and golden soft sand. Panamanians are extremely fortunate to have so many great beaches within driving distance, but San Blas really tops them all. The beaches are truly amazing. The autonomous region of Kuna Yala covers 2,341 square km on the shores of the Caribbean. San Blas is on the northeastern part of Panama. The strip is 373 km long and has 365 islands, many with lodging options and great service.

The Kunas have always respected nature and taken good care of their lands and beaches. These people have zero tolerance for disgusting people who don’t care for nature. If you’re bringing the family over to the beach and have a lot of food with you, make sure you bring a garbage bag. Most of the locals are always aware of people who do not respect their islands.

Something I’m never going to forget San Blas, is the sky during nightfall. I’ve never seen so many beautiful stars in my life. It was just stunning. Looking at the stars and listening to the gentle sounds of the ocean made a perfect mix. If you’re a beach bum like myself, San Blas is a must go. This has to be the best beach in the country.

The Kuna Way of Life (Part History of San Blass and other Island)

Returning tourists are lured to San Blas By the genuine hospitality the Kunas offer their visitors. The people of San Blas have always been great hosts and welcome more visitors to learn about their traditions and art. The Kunas recognize that tourism is beneficial to both their traditions and their lifestyle. as well as to their visitors. The Kunas are fishing experts and great farmers, but it is the influx of tourists and their money that has allowed the Kunas to not only continue their art, but to create new concepts and art for the world to enjoy.

Tourism has helped the Kunas prosper as a society without losing their roots and beliefs. Panamanians and Kunas may have had a dark past, but the Kunas have done a marvelous job setting that aside and embracing a new era for their people. A era that includes, better education, a growing economy and preservation of their native traditions.

If you visit San Blas, you will surely enjoy the hospitality of the Kunas. You will also come to appreciate the arts and traditions of the Kuna people. Your visit to San Blas will be memorable.

How a Mola is Made (Part History of San Blass and other Island)

In Dulegaya, the Kuna’s native language, “mola” means “shirt” or “clothing”. The mola originated with the tradition of Kuna women painting their bodies with geometrical designs, using available natural colors. In later years, these same designs were woven in cotton. Later still, designs were sewn into cloth bought from the European settlers of Panama.

The artistry of a mola reflects a synthesis of traditional Kuna culture with the influences of the modern world. Mola art developed when Kuna women had access to store-bought yard goods.

Geometric molas are the most traditional. They were developed from ancient body painting designs. Many hours of careful sewing are required to create a fine mola. The ability to make an outstanding mola is a source of status among Kuna women.

The quality of a mola is determined by factors as number of layers, the fineness of stitch, evenness and width of cutouts, addition of details such as zigzag borders, lattice-work or embroidery, and the general artistic merit of the design and color combination.

When Kuna women get tired of a particular blouse, they disassemble it and sell the molas to collectors. Since mola panels have been worn as part of the traditional dress of a Kuna woman, they often show signs of wear such as fading and stitch marks along the edges of the panels. These “imperfections” indicate that the mola is authentic and not made solely to be sold to tourists.

Mola panels have many uses. They can be framed as art or made into pillows, place mats or wall hangings. Some people even make them into bedspreads or incorporate them into quilting projects.

The Kuna Indians in the Past Century (Part History of San Blass and other Island)

The Kuna have had a long and varied history of contact with Europeans, beginning in the early 1500s with the arrival of the Spanish. Research would seem to indicate that they lived along inland waterways and had a mixed subsistence society based on farming, hunting, fishing, and collecting. The aboriginal social structure is thought to have been one of highly stratified villages, each with its own chief, nobles, commoners, and slaves. Warfare was probably common, especially against the neighboring Choco and Catio people.

Many Kuna Indians were killed in warfare or by European diseases; the Spanish used harsh measures to extract tribute and labor from the indigenous populations.

Often the Kuna allied themselves with the British against the Spanish. This pattern of hostility toward Spanish-speakers, contrasted with amicable relations with English-speakers, has continued in modern times. After independence from Spain, the Kuna eventually aligned themselves with Panama rather than Colombia. In 1925 they staged a rebellion, which resulted in the San Blas area becoming the largest autonomous Kuna Reserve within the Republic of Panama, a political status it still holds today.

The Kuna, in the twenty-first century, are undergoing a population increase. Although remaining somewhat outside the mainstream of Panamanian society, they are increasingly influenced by Western culture.

Romantic Sunset in San Blas

A romantic video for couples in love. The beauty and tranquility of San Blas at sunset.

Deserted beaches, palm trees, the sound of the sea and the view of other islands forming the archipelago add to this magical combination.

Danca Kuna en San Blas, Panama

Delight in this dance by the Kuna Indians of San Blas Kuna. This town has a simple life and have a very organized society.

These Indians have not only inherited their language, customs and culture of their ancestors but have also adopted its economic system to show how independent they are.

San Blas

San Blas, Panama

Panama travel destination

The islands of the San Blas Archipelago are strung out along the Caribbean coast of Panama from the Golfo de San Blas nearly all the way to the Colombian border. San Blas is a series of 378 islands of which only 49 are inhabited by the fiercely independent Kuna Indians. Although only a 20-minute plane ride away from Panama City, a trip to the San Blas islands will transport you 20 centuries into the past. The Kuna Indians, who run all the islands as an autonomous province with minimal interference from the national government, have maintained their own economic system, language, customs and culture, with distinctive dress, legends, music and dance and thus have avoided traditional tourism development. The economy of the islands is based on coconut sales, fishing and tourism, and they offer travelers good snorkeling and swimming. Facilities are few and simple, as is the food. The area is surrounded by reefs, some of the oldest in the world, and offer wonderful snorkeling opportunities, the best of which are between the months of April and June.

The most interesting islands are Achutupu, Kagantupu, Yandup and Coco Blanco. There are flights to several of the islands from Panama City or you can catch a ride with Kuna merchant ships from Colón, who will find the perfect island for your sunbathing and snorkeling pleasure. Travelers are invited to stay in San Blas hotels and based on our recent visits, we recommend staying at the Yandup Lodge or the Sapibenega Lodge which are both accessible via Playon Chico airstrip. It is possible to visit the villages of the Kuna Indians, or to take a guided snorkeling tour. Both hotels will provide you with guides for activities like this. Snorkling is absolutely fantastic with many corals and lots of fish. It is recommend to bring your own gear. Diving is not allowed in San Blas.
San Blas is famous for one of its arts and crafts, the mola. Kuna women make rainbow colored fabrics, emblazoned with fish, birds, jungle animals and geometric designs that would impress Picasso himself. The men still fish from canoes as they did before Columbus came. They still run up to the corner coconut palm trees for something fresh and cool to drink each morning, just as they have for untold centuries. When you take pictures of the Kuna Indians they will expect a tip!.