The isthmus of Panama links two continents and two oceans. The country connects North and South America. Colombia is its immediate southern neighbor. Similarly, Panama lies between the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean and its Panama Canal connects the two. Scores of cruising yachts from all over the world visit every year to go sailing from Panama to Colombia.
One of the most popular routes for this journey is from the north coast of Panama through the Caribbean to Cartagena, Barranquilla or Santa Marta, three large port cities in northern Colombia. The passage represents a total distance of some 400 to 500 nautical miles, depending on the precise departure and destination points. Because this journey takes three to five days of continuous sailing to complete, many skippers break the journey with a stopover.
One common start point is Colon, the main city at the Atlantic Ocean end of the Panama Canal. The city is located at the mouth of the Bahia de Manzanillo (Limon Bay). Although Colon is a busy commercial port, it does not have marina facilities for recreational craft. Pleasure yachts arriving from Europe or the USA usually berth a few nautical miles west of the city at the marina in Shelter Bay, sitting at the tip of the western arm of Limon Bay.
The marina at Shelter Bay has modern marine equipment and fine recreational facilities including a bar, restaurant, pool, TV room, gym and showers and rest rooms. Wifi Internet connectivity is excellent and extends throughout the marina, including docked yachts. There is tight security preventing access to the marina compound, including the docking area, by unauthorized individuals.
The marina at Shelter Bay is surrounded by extensive natural jungle, being located within the San Lorenzo National Park. The park has wonderful walking trails and is home to an interesting variety of wildlife. There are also several varieties of monkeys. Birds include the large, green Amazon mealy parrot and oropendola.
The San Lorenzo National Park surrounds the marina. This natural jungle area is home to amazing tropical wildlife including various monkeys and Amazon mealy parrots. Particularly noteworthy are the oropendola; these large passerine birds within the New World blackbird family have pointed bills, long tails and bright yellow coloring. Oropendola are easily spotted because they build amazing nests that hang from trees and resemble (look like) large teardrops.
After Shelter Bay, many yachts journey about 80 nautical miles to spend some time exploring the sublime Archipelago de San Blas. San Blas is a long stretch of over 300 coral isles. The precise count varies among sources. Some say 322, others 365 and some put the figure closer to 400. Most islands within the archipelago lie just a few nautical miles off the Panamanian coast.
The San Blas is home for the Kuna (or Guna) Indians, a distinctive cultural group with its own language. Their history dates back over 500 years to the days before the arrival of Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer after whom Colombia was named. The Kuna have proudly defended their heritage. They are fiercely independent and refused to allow outsiders to study their culture until the 1940s. The opportunity to spend time with these fascinating people is a major reason why many cruisers choose to go sailing from Panama to Colombia.
One of the most popular routes for this journey is from the north coast of Panama through the Caribbean to Cartagena, Barranquilla or Santa Marta, three large port cities in northern Colombia. The passage represents a total distance of some 400 to 500 nautical miles, depending on the precise departure and destination points. Because this journey takes three to five days of continuous sailing to complete, many skippers break the journey with a stopover.
One common start point is Colon, the main city at the Atlantic Ocean end of the Panama Canal. The city is located at the mouth of the Bahia de Manzanillo (Limon Bay). Although Colon is a busy commercial port, it does not have marina facilities for recreational craft. Pleasure yachts arriving from Europe or the USA usually berth a few nautical miles west of the city at the marina in Shelter Bay, sitting at the tip of the western arm of Limon Bay.
The marina at Shelter Bay has modern marine equipment and fine recreational facilities including a bar, restaurant, pool, TV room, gym and showers and rest rooms. Wifi Internet connectivity is excellent and extends throughout the marina, including docked yachts. There is tight security preventing access to the marina compound, including the docking area, by unauthorized individuals.
The marina at Shelter Bay is surrounded by extensive natural jungle, being located within the San Lorenzo National Park. The park has wonderful walking trails and is home to an interesting variety of wildlife. There are also several varieties of monkeys. Birds include the large, green Amazon mealy parrot and oropendola.
The San Lorenzo National Park surrounds the marina. This natural jungle area is home to amazing tropical wildlife including various monkeys and Amazon mealy parrots. Particularly noteworthy are the oropendola; these large passerine birds within the New World blackbird family have pointed bills, long tails and bright yellow coloring. Oropendola are easily spotted because they build amazing nests that hang from trees and resemble (look like) large teardrops.
After Shelter Bay, many yachts journey about 80 nautical miles to spend some time exploring the sublime Archipelago de San Blas. San Blas is a long stretch of over 300 coral isles. The precise count varies among sources. Some say 322, others 365 and some put the figure closer to 400. Most islands within the archipelago lie just a few nautical miles off the Panamanian coast.
The San Blas is home for the Kuna (or Guna) Indians, a distinctive cultural group with its own language. Their history dates back over 500 years to the days before the arrival of Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer after whom Colombia was named. The Kuna have proudly defended their heritage. They are fiercely independent and refused to allow outsiders to study their culture until the 1940s. The opportunity to spend time with these fascinating people is a major reason why many cruisers choose to go sailing from Panama to Colombia.
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