Isla Perro
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles238 reviews
Excellent
177
Very good
39
Average
14
Poor
4
Terrible
4

Bosnian1956
Chicago, IL32 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2019 • Couples
We are staying in Panama (Cerro Azul) for a month. A friend recommended we visit San Blas and arranged the trip for us to stay overnight on Perro island. Cost of the trip, boat ride, lodging, food was $105/person. We are renting an SUV (not 4WD) and we were not sure if we would be allowed in Guna territory but had no problems getting in. Passport is required and checked at the border. We payed $20/person plus $5 for the car. We did have Spanish speaking person with us and I think that helped. Road is challenging. Roller coaster with a lot of potholes.
Boat ride was a little rough and Certi port is not the cleanest place (especially the toilet if you need to use it).
Arrived to Perro Island, took off our flip flops, put the bathing suits on and that is really all we needed during our stay. Water is wonderfully clear and warm. Snorkeling is OK. We snorkeled in Maldives and Tahiti and this is not at that level but it was nice. We had little wooden cabin that was sufficient and clean. Communal bathroom was rather old but clean. The whole island is kept clean. Food leaves a lot to be desired. We made a mistake and ordered mixed seafood the first day and that was a gray mush, barely eatable. After that we had fish, fried of course as that is the only way they prepare it.
During the day island can get a little crowded because of the daily tours but after 4pm there were only about 10 people on the island. It was wonderfully quiet, soft breeze, sound of the ocean waves.... Wonderful!
Island has generator so we could charge our phones and tablets. And we had light at night. Water in the showers is cold but that was ok. Bring snacks and drinks if you want anything except beer, soda or water.
Our trip also included a trip to sunken island with star fish, and Fregata island where locals sell their hand made souvenirs.
We debated if we should stay another night and we were told that price would be $50/ person but w/o food. I think it would be nice to stay one more night but we needed to get back.
Written February 15, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stefan
Vienna, Austria51 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2018 • Couples
We just had a short stop for snorkeling here. It's generally great in that area. Island Perro had a sunken ship that can be discovered.

There are a lot of tourists, I believe everyone who stays in one of the islands of the area once goes to Isla Perro.

In short: great wonderful island, a lot of tourists. Anyhow I would recommend to visit it for a few hours.
Written March 15, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LuckyPty
Seoul, South Korea232 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2017 • Friends
I did a 1 day tour to San Blas island. For $110 it included EVERYTHING except drinks (so take a cooler) They picked me up at 4:30am at my address, drove 2 hours there, (stopped at EL Rey supermarket to buy drinks), and arrived at Carti by 7.30am. From there a boat trip of about 40 minutes to Isla Perro (Dog Island), it has a small restaurant, some infrastructure, but very rudimentary and I loved it that way. It has a sunken ship that has already developed coral life with many fishes: so take snorkeling equipment. Then to another island to have lunch (great lobster, super fresh) then a small patch on the ocean with no more than 1.5 meter deep and many starfishes. Great day! By 4pm you are already back to the Carti Port and then take the 4x4 back to the city and they take you back to the hotel. Great 1 day tour. great weather. Take repellent as some island have mosquitoes, but not many, your own tower and sunblock. The sun is BRUTAL STRONG!.
Written January 2, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

difelidi
Panama City, Panama1,034 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2015 • Family
We arranged a trip to the San Blas Islands with a Captain. First of all, you need to drive through the mountains. Leave at 6. It's only 70km from Panama City, but the last 30km take 1.5 hours; it's a rollercoaster through the mountains. Don't eat breakfast! You can only get into Guna Yala country with a 4x4 - and you need it. Guna Yala tax is 5$/resident or 25$/visitor, plus 5$ for the car. (Border does not open before 7!)
The harbour is called Niga Kantule. To park here costs again: 2$/person, 3$/car.
Then you need to find your captain (best to call him upfront). We paid 35$/person which included lunch on Cook Island (fish or lobster/languste) with rice or patacones. Arrange that the crew stays with you all day, just in case...
The crew will help to load the car, and then you ask for the island or their recommendation. Sometimes the islands are full or at least very crowded, then they bring you to another one.
We chose perro Grande. There are toilets (some do not have toilets), a little Guna store and some tables with benches. It was amazing to snorkel around the island. There were some palm trees that would give us shade. The sand is white, the water shallow, many fish swimming around and accompanying the snorkeler. Never snorkeled before but that wasn't a problem. We could find really big shells here. But beware: Unfortunately, in the shallow water there are some sharp pieces of glass and can pieces hidden in the sand and inbetween the shells and corals. It is unfortunate how visitors (and locals as well) treat nature in Panama, especially how they use the ocean as a trash bin.
Bring snorkel gear, sun cream, water and drinks, probably some shade giving device as an umbrella or similar. As well as some food, or book a visit to Cook Island with your captain. And just relax. All day guests need to leave the islands by 4pm. You can book cabanas, but they are really bad, in dark sheds, with spotty mattresses, or even tents. There are also 2 resorts on some islands. Friends told me that the $400+ are not worth it. Therefore, we only go for day trips. Ask your crew to bring you to the starfish sand bank before you go back to shore. That's the downside of a San Blas Day Trip - you need to drive back on the rollercoaster again!
Written February 14, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Maxbirsa
Panama City, Panama113 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2019 • Couples
I have been to this wonderful place two times, being the last one just few days ago.
This place has one of the most amazing snorkeling spots in the archipelago, without going to far. It is highly recommended that you bring with you your own snorkeling equipment and my recommendation is to be extremely careful in not damaging the fragile corals (some species are extremely delicate!!) and avoid touching anything underwater, unfortunately you can already see a lot of broken corals all around. If you see any shells or starfish, try not to touch them. More and more tourist are visiting this spots, let's make an effort to keep them pristine for future generations. It is also fundamental not to spread around any trash (bottles, plastic, etc.). Kuna people also need to be educated as they tend to drink and throw cans into the sea, which is really painful to see. I made a short video available on YouTube, just search there for "San Blas Panama 18 05 2019", it is the first result you will get, I hope you will enjoy it.
Written May 20, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jay p
Panama City, Panama5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2015 • Family
My third visit to San Blas and I decided camping at isla perro for 2 nights .first the beach and snorkeling at isla perro were absolutely the best .2nd the people who manage the island were great they helped us in any way possible including calling and having delivered ice and dippers for my 1 1/2 year old when we decided to stay extra day .the food they served was awesome .i would say if planing a trip to San Blas Isla Perro is a must
Written May 14, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

OldPee
Boston, MA81 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2021
Our group of 3 families, 11 people, spent 1 night on Isla Perro. We tried to research an overnight trip to San Blas prior to our trip, but it was hard to find reliable information and we were pretty anxious about what we'd find. I'm pleased to report it all panned out. Spending the night here is a once in a lifetime experience. If you're waffling about going to San Blas, stop waffling and go! There are huge hassles but it's worth it. We booked through a tour company, both the transportation to San Blas and the overnight stay. My strong recommendation is to pay the $50/person to have them drive you rather than try to do it yourself. The road is theoretically paved but full of potholes and steep inclines and you'll be on the potholed part for at least an hour and you'll wreck your rental car if it isn't 4-wheel drive or high clearance ... beautiful scenery though. The "port" of carti is a dirty chaotic mess and we appreciated the tour company shepherding us from the car to the awaiting boat. The boat ride takes 45mins and can be a bit of a roller coaster but we didn't get as much sea-spray as we anticipated. There are dozens of small islands and we visited only 2 and stayed on 1, so I can only comment about Isla Perro. The island itself is maybe 5 acres, covered in palm trees and sand. The beach is classic powdery soft "caribbean" sand, with crystal clear water throughout. Lots of other islands around so views are scenic. Palm trees go right to the edge of the water so plenty of shade. There's a cool sunken boat for snorkeling and some coral and fish surrounding the island, but I wouldn't come here expecting fantastic snorkeling. There were only 3 thatch roof huts on the island and a couple camping tents, so maybe 15 people staying overnight. The huts are right next to the beach and have spectacular views, particularly during sunset/sunrise. The beds were surprisingly clean and comfortable. They have a generator on the island for lights/fans and they jerry-rigged running water for each of the bathrooms in the huts. Very rustic but comfortable. There's a large thatch roof open air dining/communal area which was lovely. Meals/drinks are included in the price and were "ok". We had lobster for dinner and half of us loved the lobster and half didn't. If you opt for fish or chicken, it's fried. You can also get plantains or rice, both of which were good. Drinks outside of meals were available for only $2 each. Don't day trip here. There were a few dozen day trippers until about 3pm and the island was significantly more chaotic and the staff seemed overwhelmed. But once they left, the 15 of us had the island to ourselves and it was amazing. The guna staff were very friendly however many didn't speak english and they weren't in a rush to get things done. For example, if they said "dinner is at 7", we'd all show up at 7 and sit for 20 minutes in the dining hall waiting for someone to start serving and it wasn't until we tracked down one of the staff that they'd even start cooking. Same goes for tours to other islands, where we'd show up at the appointed time and wait and wait and eventually track down someone in charge. So don't expect a traditional hotel experience at all. This is an "adventure" and we were all so blown away by the scenery and uniqueness of the experience that we gladly tolerated the inconveniences. We could have stopped at a guna village for a short stop on the way back to Carti but opted to skip it because we had to get back to Panama City by 6pm, so I can't comment on that.
Written January 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jf&ep
Cupertino, CA97 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2019 • Family
Highly recommended to visit for a day trip or overnight camping.

There are dozens of islands as part of San Blas. I think the island we visited was call "little dog island".

The beaches were pristine. The water was warm and clear. The island is privately owned and the owner takes care of it. They have fresh water sinks and regular bathrooms.

Great value too. The boat ride plus lobster lunch was $55/person. We also had to pay $110 road/province fee for our car and six people.

The only challenge is that it takes two hours to drive to the dock from Panama City. The island is about 45 minutes by boat ride. Make sure you bring your passports.
Written April 28, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

berni507
Panama City, Panama121 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2019 • Couples
we were sailing from remote acnchorage with teh SanBlasSailing catamaran skipped with captain Nino and we stopped at isal perro (achutupu in Guna) : nice spot but lots of backpackers and huts even tants ... and the guy is looking just for money. we did find a nice and quet anchorage a bit south and did enjoy the aera : Nino is really great and chareting a boat is really a privilege!
Written January 20, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tualie
Varese, Italy1,586 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2017 • Family
Thanks to a dear local friend (who arranged this tour for us) we were able to visit a couple of islands of this 365 archipelago (one for each day a year!).

Tours to these islands cost about $150.00 or more for a foreigner just a day-tour and obviously more if planning to overnight… if plan to overnight forget about a/c and other modern facilities, these islands are owned and managed by different indigenous (Guna) families and the idea is to experience their way of living.

The day-tour includes:
Transport roundtrip from Panama City. Self driving is not recommendable because is necessary a special permit to enter their territory (because politically autonomous, they check documents like inmigration and customs!) and because is not an easy drive (only suv’s). It will be very early in the morning (4-5) Is possible to arrive to these islands by air, those are other tours.
Sailboat between islands. Is up to three, they are similar.
Lunch. Chicken or fish. We chose fish ☺ we noticed their relatives fish days before in order to serve to their clients. We were not lucky to have lobster, because was not available.
Free swimming time. Snorkeling by the sunken ship or just explore and relax.

Recommendations:
Bring some own drinks. In the island they sell drinks too, most beers, so better carry small banknotes rather than large ones. Don’t forget snorkeling equipment, repellent, hat and sunblock. A tip, there is a nice submerged sandbank called la “piscina” (the pool) ask for it.

Don’t worry if you don’t make to this specific island, all of them are pretty much the same just owned and managed by different families.

P.S. Don’t take the starfishes out of the water!
Written July 7, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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