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.
A popular departure point is the waters near Colon, the main town at the Caribbean Sea entrance to the Panama Canal. The town sits at the tip of the eastern arm of Limon Bay (also known as the Bahia de Manzanillo), with the canal entrance at the head of that bay, south of the town. Colon operates as a significant commercial port, but it does not have berthing facilities for recreational vessels. As a result, many pleasure yachts arriving from the USA or Europe choose to dock at the Shelter Bay marina, situated three nautical miles west of Colon.
One cautionary point for yachts visiting Panama is the small number and variable quality of some local marinas. Some are poorly equipped, have limited sea draft, are mainly oriented towards serving sport fishing boats rather than cruising yachts and have fixed docks rather than floating pontoons. Fixed docks complicate berthing, particularly if the tidal range is large, because docking lines must be shortened and lengthened several times each day as the tide changes. None of these drawbacks apply to Shelter Bay.
Vessels that remain at the marina for more than a month receive the benefit of a discounted rate. The berths are designed mainly for monohulls; only a few berths are wide enough to accommodate catamarans. Bicycles are available for hire. There is tight security preventing access to the marina compound, including the docking area, by unauthorized individuals.
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.
A popular departure point is the waters near Colon, the main town at the Caribbean Sea entrance to the Panama Canal. The town sits at the tip of the eastern arm of Limon Bay (also known as the Bahia de Manzanillo), with the canal entrance at the head of that bay, south of the town. Colon operates as a significant commercial port, but it does not have berthing facilities for recreational vessels. As a result, many pleasure yachts arriving from the USA or Europe choose to dock at the Shelter Bay marina, situated three nautical miles west of Colon.
One cautionary point for yachts visiting Panama is the small number and variable quality of some local marinas. Some are poorly equipped, have limited sea draft, are mainly oriented towards serving sport fishing boats rather than cruising yachts and have fixed docks rather than floating pontoons. Fixed docks complicate berthing, particularly if the tidal range is large, because docking lines must be shortened and lengthened several times each day as the tide changes. None of these drawbacks apply to Shelter Bay.
Vessels that remain at the marina for more than a month receive the benefit of a discounted rate. The berths are designed mainly for monohulls; only a few berths are wide enough to accommodate catamarans. Bicycles are available for hire. There is tight security preventing access to the marina compound, including the docking area, by unauthorized individuals.
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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Unknown - Monday, November 11, 2013
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