Info on Sailing from Panama to Cartagena, Colombia, and other options
There is no road from Panama to Colombia, so many cyclists choose to find sea transportation, probably out of a purist desire to avoid an airplane. It is nice to have the continuity of traveling on the earth, although not necessarily cheaper or better.
It does turn out that while there are not regularly scheduled services to Cartagena, you can probably get there just fine. Trying to get there for free on a yacht from Colon is probably possible, but won't work for most people. However, there are a number of boats that make the trip, charging US$275 to $350, and there are hostels that arrange the connections. So if you really want to sail, you can probably do it.
Caveats: The trip is rough, and most people are seasick. Some boats do not provide food, so you need to provide your own. Some boats are disreputable or poorly run and you might get a scare or something worse. Some boats charge extra for the immigration paperwork in Colombia. Know what your payment covers.
In Panama City, the hostel that seems to do all the arranging is Zuly´s.
In Cartagena, the hostel doing the arranging is Casa Viena.
The boats seem to spend a day or two just hanging out in the San Blas Islands, and then do the 30-40 hour sailing to Cartagena. We had a nice time except for the seasickness. Neither one of us is terribly prone to seasickness, and the seas could have been much rougher than they were for us, if that gives you anything to judge by.
We took the Stahlratte, a larger ship (theoretically less seasickness?) and it was well-run. We didn´t have any crises of confidence in the captain. You can contact them directly. Like all the boats, though, they don't run on a regular schedule, so you'll get them if you happen to be on their schedule. After they left us in Cartagena they were sailing to Cuba.
Remember that there are other mroe exotic ways to get to or from Colombia. Our friends Dick and Els recommended flying from Panama City to Puerto Obaldia in the Darien near the border (less than US$100) then take a speedboat to the border facilities at Zapzurra, cross the border, and island hop into Colombia. You could get to one of the Colombian ports (Turbo or something else) and then ride on in. This requires a bit more of an adventurous spirit, but with the current (pretty good) security situation in Colombia I´m betting it would work fine.
Thanks rfay for a place to post comments about sailing between Panama and Colombia.
I recently had a VERY NEGATIVE experience as a passenger of Captain Raúl of the SANTA MARIA traveling from the San Blas Islands, Panama, to Cartagena, Colombia. Raúl is incredibly rude, inhospitable, and outright vile. His first words to us were “money and passports” and once he had both he couldn’t be bothered with cooking, cleaning, conversing, or even steering – he made us do all the steering while he napped all day. He considers backpackers to be spoiled children and he treated us as such. His boat is dirty and cluttered and the rigging is poorly maintained. We went the whole way with the motor on because Raúl doesn’t like sailing and the diesel engine overheated at least a half-dozen times during the two-day trip.
Absolutely stay away from Raúl and the Santa María!
Weve just come off the santa maria and we had a great time. were all 21 and we like to get drunk and party so raul was great i can see that if you were really stuck up you might think you were on a fancy cruise ship. he uses the motor becouse its faster, you would want to spend 9 days getting there and he doesnt need to steer because the boat, as most sail boats do, has auto pilot. I would not recomemd this boat if you are a family or some old grumpos but if you like to party its great.
Hi,
I just came back from a sailing trip with the Zao and captain Leonardo.
First the good things: We arrived in Panama on time and San Blas is amazing!
But there are a few things that anybody should know before getting on the Zao. The Zao is not in a good condition. It's dirty and the security items have been checked last time 1998 (You could see that on the label at the EPIRB). We had no autopilot and the GPS wasn't working properly. So we had to make 2h-shifts and navigate with only a compass. We arrived in San Blas, but I don't want would have happened if we there would have been a storm or any other problems. The anchor is also to light for the boat and Leonardo knows that. But he doesn't want to buy a new heavier one. But that is really dangerous because one time we were anchoring but the current drove us into an other ship. We saw it and could prevent any damage, but if that would have happened at night...
Leonardo is also not a good captain. Without GPS he couldn't find the islands we wanted to go (San Blas consist of nearly 400 islands), so that we had to drive around for one hour and he really lost the orientation. And that in an area he says he traveled more than 150 times... He also mixed up the fuel with the water tank and filled water in it. Thanks god that we had good wind conditions and didn't need the engine.
One other thing is that he is a really strange character. If he likes you then you won't probably have any problems, but if not it will be an horror trip for you. I had no problems with him but I saw how he treated a old German couple. He even wanted to kick them out of there room, so that there would have to sleep outside on the deck (both being over 60 years old!). He finally didn't do it, but only because it was starting to rain... He also pointed out that he hates to work with backpackers, but he has to because of the money. Sometimes you feel that this is the only thing he interested in!
We also weren't allowed to take any showers during the five days because we had to safe water. No problem with that, but his "girlfriend" took a shower every day and even he took one. The food was OK, but we had to cook be ourselves. We all paid 350$ for the trip and between 250 and 350 for a motorbike. That's a lot if you think of that one guy even had to sleep on the floor because there was no bed for him. All in all if you compare that to the service of other boats that are sailing between Cartagena and San Blas than its really a bad deal.
So if you have a choice then don't go with Leonardo! If you don't have a choice then try to talk with him about the price...
One ting that also really annoyed me, but that is now my personal opinion and has nothing to do with the trip itself, is his poor "girlfriend". She only 17 and pregnant and Leonardo is 62!!! He was kissing and touching her all the time and everybody could see that she didn't enjoy that at all. She is really a child and Leonardo in my view a sick pervert!...
Cheers,
Mathias
I was in the trip Matthias is speacking about. He is just saying lies and there is a reason. let's see
1. the boat is not painted, that is true, but she is not dearty at all, at least it was not when we left, and has to be said that in the boat everythingh, EVERY works perfectely
2. It is true on the EPIRB there is the old label of 1998 but there is also the new of the 2003 ant it is valid for 10 years, the same for the liferaft.
3. Leonardo choose to have two lighter anchors on the same chain instead of one heavy. the result is exactely the same (perhaps better) but it is much easier and faster to lift it up.
4. Every one knows that when your are anchoring some time the anchor does not get into the mud and you have to anchor again. that happens quite often. What is important is that once finished the procedure of anchoring the boat does not move anymore. It is excatley what happened and the boat never moved after finished the anchoring procedure. In all the anchorages (many) were we have been.
5. The GPS worked perefctely. The GPS is a GPS receiver which send the information to the computer and the data are seen on the computer. The computer was working, some time, on his own batteries so some time he went in sleep mode. Leonardo had to "wake it up" and to establish the comunication with the GPS receiver again. Routine, simply ordinary routine.
6. Yes at a moment he made trhe mistake to poor water in one of the 5 diesel tanks. No one is perfect in the world! any how we had another 4 tanks and we had diesel enough to go and to come back.
7. Every one had to cook in the boat. That had been said from leonardo to everyone before we pay, every one knew and accepted that before going!
7. Every one had a bed ! if some one was sleeping on a matterass on the floor was because leonardo said that this was the best place to fight against the seasickness
8. Every one was allowed to have a shower every two days (in all the sail boat the water is limited). His girl friend the same. as far as I know!
9. His girl friend: Leonardo is not 62 but 52. Minellys, is girls friend is 25. That's true there is a big difference in age, but believe me, Matthias shows just to be a stupid jalous man: it was very evident to every one that the girl was full in love with leonardo. it could look strange but after knowin leonardo you can understand: he is really a special person!
Finally why Matthias write so bad about leonardo? Note that usually the price for the bike, in ALL THE BOAT, is the same as for the person and leonardo took his bike for 100 dolars less because Matthia claimed not to have money. so why to write so bad about him? the reason is simple. Beacuse the old german (as Matthias) couple. They were the worst people I met in my life. They had the best cabin (huge and full of comfort) in the boat in reason of the age. They never helped in any thingh, they never cooked, they never wasched dishes. They never did anythingh in the comunity. but everytime the meal was ready (an italian couple mainly cooked) they were there to get the food. some time they said "thankyou", some time. But never NEVER they helped in any thingh. The maximum was when the man was seasick and had to vomit. All of us we were sick and vomit out of the boat or in the sink: he vomited on the feet of leonardo who was stearing, and just in face of the italian girl who was near by. Umbelivable! and he did not apologize. Leonardo Had to clean his vomit from the floor of the cockpit!
The contract was for 5 days and 4 night. After the 5th day Leonardo asked them to leave the boat and to go sleep in some hostal (it is perfectly normal and obvious after the 5 full days payed) waiting for the day after to download the bike, they said they had no money to pay the hostal (can you believe that?) so leonardo let them to stay one night more in the boat....but with really a bad face: after 5 days of work he wanted back his cabin and he could not just because they did not want to pay an hostal for a night out of our contract!
The German couple were not speaking any english or spanish....just german, so theyr "connational" Matthia toke the charge! poor Matthia !
Hi,
I just wanted to say that there was no Michele Luporini on the boat and that all the writing sounds to me as if it was written by Leonardo himself. I mean he needs the money he gets out of these trips, so I can understand why he is defending himself, but everything I wrote is true. I just want everybody to have a safe and good sailing trip between Cartagena and Panama and there is plenty of choice, so trust me and take a different boat than the Zao...
By the way, the other guys that were on the boat with me wrote also negative reviews about it. You find them on tripadvisor or facebook as far as I know!
Cheers,
Mathias
Hi fellows,
I just had a marvelous trip with my bike from Panama Portobello to Cartagena on the Sail Vessel Zao and his Capt Leonardo. I was not entusiast about taking this boat because some bad stories on internet.....but was the only one at that moment, just 5 days, I tought. So I went. we were 8 people plus Leonardo, but the boat is so roomy that we felt perfectly comfortable (sorry for my english!). I must say that it is true the boat needs some cosmetics and a pair ow windows were liking when raining, yes, but all the important part for sailing are in more then perfect shape. Sail, rigging, engine, rudder etc. I repeat the boat is very comfortable. Leonardo is a special person. Full of knowledge (he was prof of physics at the university of Paris and Rome) and looks to be a very good sailor, he is always sure of what is dooing, and very important is completely sober, no alchool, no drugs, and this is not very usual in this environment. He has a special character, thats true. He is almost so nice with nice people as I think he can bad with people who he does not like. But an excellent sailor, I always felt very safe with him. We paied 375 for person and 375 for the bike, but we had a very nice tour in many (7 or 8) islands, we have been to Sapzurro and then to cartagena, 7 days in total. The food was ok, not luxury but very abundant. Finally, overall I feel right in advising him to all my bikers and backpackers friend traveling beteween cartagena and panama.
saludos
fritz
Hi,
I just came back from a sailing trip with the Zao and captain Leonardo.
First the good things: We arrived in Panama on time and San Blas is amazing!
But there are a few things that anybody should know before getting on the Zao. The Zao is not in a good condition. It's dirty and the security items have been checked last time 1998 (You could see that on the label at the EPIRB). We had no autopilot and the GPS wasn't working properly. So we had to make 2h-shifts and navigate with only a compass. We arrived in San Blas, but I don't want would have happened if we there would have been a storm or any other problems. The anchor is also to light for the boat and Leonardo knows that. But he doesn't want to buy a new heavier one. But that is really dangerous because one time we were anchoring but the current drove us into an other ship. We saw it and could prevent any damage, but if that would have happened at night...
Leonardo is also not a good captain. Without GPS he couldn't find the islands we wanted to go (San Blas consist of nearly 400 islands), so that we had to drive around for one hour and he really lost the orientation. And that in an area he says he traveled more than 150 times... He also mixed up the fuel with the water tank and filled water in it. Thanks god that we had good wind conditions and didn't need the engine.
One other thing is that he is a really strange character. If he likes you then you won't probably have any problems, but if not it will be an horror trip for you. I had no problems with him but I saw how he treated a old German couple. He even wanted to kick them out of there room, so that there would have to sleep outside on the deck (both being over 60 years old!). He finally didn't do it, but only because it was starting to rain... He also pointed out that he hates to work with backpackers, but he has to because of the money. Sometimes you feel that this is the only thing he interested in!
We also weren't allowed to take any showers during the five days because we had to safe water. No problem with that, but his "girlfriend" took a shower every day and even he took one. The food was OK, but we had to cook be ourselves. We all paid 350$ for the trip and between 250 and 350 for a motorbike. That's a lot if you think of that one guy even had to sleep on the floor because there was no bed for him. All in all if you compare that to the service of other boats that are sailing between Cartagena and San Blas than its really a bad deal.
So if you have a choice then don't go with Leonardo! If you don't have a choice then try to talk with him about the price...
One ting that also really annoyed me, but that is now my personal opinion and has nothing to do with the trip itself, is his poor "girlfriend". She only 17 and pregnant and Leonardo is 62!!! He was kissing and touching her all the time and everybody could see that she didn't enjoy that at all. She is really a child and Leonardo in my view a sick pervert!...
Cheers,
Mathias
Just Lies !
By michele luporini (not verified) - Posted on March 3rd, 2010I was in the trip Matthias is speacking about. He is just saying lies and there is a reason. let's see
1. the boat is not painted, that is true, but she is not dearty at all, at least it was not when we left, and has to be said that in the boat everythingh, EVERY works perfectely
2. It is true on the EPIRB there is the old label of 1998 but there is also the new of the 2003 ant it is valid for 10 years, the same for the liferaft.
3. Leonardo choose to have two lighter anchors on the same chain instead of one heavy. the result is exactely the same (perhaps better) but it is much easier and faster to lift it up.
4. Every one knows that when your are anchoring some time the anchor does not get into the mud and you have to anchor again. that happens quite often. What is important is that once finished the procedure of anchoring the boat does not move anymore. It is excatley what happened and the boat never moved after finished the anchoring procedure. In all the anchorages (many) were we have been.
5. The GPS worked perefctely. The GPS is a GPS receiver which send the information to the computer and the data are seen on the computer. The computer was working, some time, on his own batteries so some time he went in sleep mode. Leonardo had to "wake it up" and to establish the comunication with the GPS receiver again. Routine, simply ordinary routine.
6. Yes at a moment he made trhe mistake to poor water in one of the 5 diesel tanks. No one is perfect in the world! any how we had another 4 tanks and we had diesel enough to go and to come back.
7. Every one had to cook in the boat. That had been said from leonardo to everyone before we pay, every one knew and accepted that before going!
7. Every one had a bed ! if some one was sleeping on a matterass on the floor was because leonardo said that this was the best place to fight against the seasickness
8. Every one was allowed to have a shower every two days (in all the sail boat the water is limited). His girl friend the same. as far as I know!
9. His girl friend: Leonardo is not 62 but 52. Minellys, is girls friend is 25. That's true there is a big difference in age, but believe me, Matthias shows just to be a stupid jalous man: it was very evident to every one that the girl was full in love with leonardo. it could look strange but after knowin leonardo you can understand: he is really a special person!
Finally why Matthias write so bad about leonardo? Note that usually the price for the bike, in ALL THE BOAT, is the same as for the person and leonardo took his bike for 100 dolars less because Matthia claimed not to have money. so why to write so bad about him? the reason is simple. Beacuse the old german (as Matthias) couple. They were the worst people I met in my life. They had the best cabin (huge and full of comfort) in the boat in reason of the age. They never helped in any thingh, they never cooked, they never wasched dishes. They never did anythingh in the comunity. but everytime the meal was ready (an italian couple mainly cooked) they were there to get the food. some time they said "thankyou", some time. But never NEVER they helped in any thingh. The maximum was when the man was seasick and had to vomit. All of us we were sick and vomit out of the boat or in the sink: he vomited on the feet of leonardo who was stearing, and just in face of the italian girl who was near by. Umbelivable! and he did not apologize. Leonardo Had to clean his vomit from the floor of the cockpit!
The contract was for 5 days and 4 night. After the 5th day Leonardo asked them to leave the boat and to go sleep in some hostal (it is perfectly normal and obvious after the 5 full days payed) waiting for the day after to download the bike, they said they had no money to pay the hostal (can you believe that?) so leonardo let them to stay one night more in the boat....but with really a bad face: after 5 days of work he wanted back his cabin and he could not just because they did not want to pay an hostal for a night out of our contract!
The German couple were not speaking any english or spanish....just german, so theyr "connational" Matthia toke the charge! poor Matthia !
I was in the trip Matthias is speacking about. He is just saying lies and there is a reason. let's see
1. the boat is not painted, that is true, but she is not dearty at all, at least it was not when we left, and has to be said that in the boat everythingh, EVERY works perfectely
2. It is true on the EPIRB there is the old label of 1998 but there is also the new of the 2003 ant it is valid for 10 years, the same for the liferaft.
3. Leonardo choose to have two lighter anchors on the same chain instead of one heavy. the result is exactely the same (perhaps better) but it is much easier and faster to lift it up.
4. Every one knows that when your are anchoring some time the anchor does not get into the mud and you have to anchor again. that happens quite often. What is important is that once finished the procedure of anchoring the boat does not move anymore. It is excatley what happened and the boat never moved after finished the anchoring procedure. In all the anchorages (many) were we have been.
5. The GPS worked perefctely. The GPS is a GPS receiver which send the information to the computer and the data are seen on the computer. The computer was working, some time, on his own batteries so some time he went in sleep mode. Leonardo had to "wake it up" and to establish the comunication with the GPS receiver again. Routine, simply ordinary routine.
6. Yes at a moment he made trhe mistake to poor water in one of the 5 diesel tanks. No one is perfect in the world! any how we had another 4 tanks and we had diesel enough to go and to come back.
7. Every one had to cook in the boat. That had been said from leonardo to everyone before we pay, every one knew and accepted that before going!
7. Every one had a bed ! if some one was sleeping on a matterass on the floor was because leonardo said that this was the best place to fight against the seasickness
8. Every one was allowed to have a shower every two days (in all the sail boat the water is limited). His girl friend the same. as far as I know!
9. His girl friend: Leonardo is not 62 but 52. Minellys, is girls friend is 25. That's true there is a big difference in age, but believe me, Matthias shows just to be a stupid jalous man: it was very evident to every one that the girl was full in love with leonardo. it could look strange but after knowin leonardo you can understand: he is really a special person!
Finally why Matthias write so bad about leonardo? Note that usually the price for the bike, in ALL THE BOAT, is the same as for the person and leonardo took his bike for 100 dolars less because Matthia claimed not to have money. so why to write so bad about him? the reason is simple. Beacuse the old german (as Matthias) couple. They were the worst people I met in my life. They had the best cabin (huge and full of comfort) in the boat in reason of the age. They never helped in any thingh, they never cooked, they never wasched dishes. They never did anythingh in the comunity. but everytime the meal was ready (an italian couple mainly cooked) they were there to get the food. some time they said "thankyou", some time. But never NEVER they helped in any thingh. The maximum was when the man was seasick and had to vomit. All of us we were sick and vomit out of the boat or in the sink: he vomited on the feet of leonardo who was stearing, and just in face of the italian girl who was near by. Umbelivable! and he did not apologize. Leonardo Had to clean his vomit from the floor of the cockpit!
The contract was for 5 days and 4 night. After the 5th day Leonardo asked them to leave the boat and to go sleep in some hostal (it is perfectly normal and obvious after the 5 full days payed) waiting for the day after to download the bike, they said they had no money to pay the hostal (can you believe that?) so leonardo let them to stay one night more in the boat....but with really a bad face: after 5 days of work he wanted back his cabin and he could not just because they did not want to pay an hostal for a night out of our contract!
The German couple were not speaking any english or spanish....just german, so theyr "connational" Matthia toke the charge! poor Matthia !
Sailing betwen Panama and Colombia across San Blas
Hello
I am Javier Martin, Captain of the sailboat Twyla.
We are browsing through the Caribbean 3 years and the last 2 years we have been sailing between Panama and Colombia, often with passengers.
Initially between Cartagena and Portobelo, now Sapzurro / Capurgana and Miramar Panama.
We will be around another year on this route, then we have plans to make the route between Mexico and Cuba.
Actually we are the ones that we are opening this route. Because until now very little was known of Capurgana and Sapzurro.
Our guests, through distributing information and recommendations have contributed greatly to our best ever go this route.
For those interested in traveling with us, leave it the contac.
To put out to sea
http://toputouttosea.googlepages.com
Hacerse a la mar
Hacersealamar@gmail.com
Greetings.
Hi to everybody,
I am sailing my 50 foot yacht to Cartagena to start taking passengers from Cartagena through the San Blas to Panama or at least to the airstrip at the north of the Sanblas.
Could you please supply as much info as possible as to a route and the papers required.
Thanks
Julian