But Wait—There's More
Find other great ideas in these related stories:
- Top Islands in the World ›
- The Best Cruise Ship Cabins ›
- The Last Wild Place ›
- 11 Hard-to-Get-to Hotels ›
- Natural Swimming Holes Around the World ›
- The Best U.S. Beach Resorts ›
- Last-Minute Escapes: Beach Vacations ›
- New Zealand's Otherworldly Landscapes ›
- 12 Hotels with Overwater Bungalows ›
- 29 Restaurants on 11 Caribbean Islands ›
- Ten Island Escapes from the Cold ›
THE GREAT PADDLE
The Sport: Sea kayaking
The Arena: San Blas Islands, Panama
Your Adventure: With rhythmic strokes of a paddle, you're propelling a candy-colored kayak through winking turquoise waters; ahead is an island of palm trees and simple wooden huts. What you don't see: a hotel, casino, or a boom-box beach blowout. This is sea kayaking along Panama's remote San Blas Islands, off the country's Caribbean coast. Panama has been earning its name for great nature-bound adventures, à la Costa Rica, and things are only getting better. Esteemed adventure-trip operator Mountain Travel Sobek has secured the only permits to explore parts of the archipelago, which belongs to the indigenous Kuna people. Paddlers will encounter the authentic villages, wonderful beaches for pitching a tent and snorkeling just offshore, and hundreds of untouched coral reefs. The kayaking is easy: just three to five hours a day, allowing for lots of time to interact with the friendly Kuna. And still not a boom box in sight.
Mountain Travel Sobek
Tel: 888 687 6235
$2,340 per person for nine days, including guides, meals, accommodations, and gear
RSS Feeds