Girls LOVE Travel is honored to invite you to join us in Panama to celebrate the 100TH ANNIVERSARY of independence of the Guna people! The Guna people, also known as Kuna, are an indigenous group primarily residing in the Guna Yala (also referred to as San Blas) region of Panama and in some communities in Colombia. They are one of the very few indigenous groups in the world who claim full autonomy of their territory.

The islands showcase pristine white sand beaches, surrounded by turquoise water, coral reefs beaming with sea life, and 95% of their rainforest are still untouched. These islands have been kept in pristine condition since only the Guna people are allowed to live on them. Guests will sail to 3 of the 365 islands and will have the opportunity to meet local Guna families and learn about their culture and traditions. Since we are traveling during their Independence Day, the islands will be full of festivities and celebration. 

As we gather to commemorate this significant occasion, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Guna people for graciously welcoming us onto their ancestral lands. 

 
Trip Dates: Friday Feb 21-27, 2025

As much as we want for this trip to go exactly as planned, we can not plan for complications that arise especially due to inclement weather or closures due to extenuating circumstances like COVID-19.  

While we hope that attendees are vaccinated, we are not asking for proof of vaccination in order to attend the trip. However, to ensure safety of all attendees and staff, we will require a provide a negative COVID test prior to the trip.  Home tests are accepted. You can email it to glttrips@gmail.com. 

Girls LOVE Travel will not be giving any refunds for those who test positive and are not able to join the trip. We highly encourage travel insurance to cover instances like this. 

We will be following all COVID protocols to ensure the safety of everyone on the trip.  Please be prepared to bring a mask to wear on transport and indoors, if it is required by the business.

Additionally, the tour is listed as a package, and no price adjustments will be given if someone wants to "opt-out" of an included activity. 

Your spot will be secured when we receive a deposit of $700.  Upon receipt, the deposit paid is nonrefundable and non-transferable. 

Below is the payment schedule: 

The remaining balance is due by 60 days before trip start date. 

In the event that you need to cancel your trip, these fees will be applied:

• Between Now-60 days from trip start date GLT retains only nonrefundable deposit ($700) 

• Between 59-31 days from trip date, GLT retains 50% of the tour price.

• Between 30 days or less, GLT retains 100% of the entire tour price.

ADD ONS - you can choose to add these up until 30 days before the trip. After that time, these are non-refundable. 

In order to not miss any part of the trip - here is our recommended flight times to arrive and depart by: 

ARRIVAL

In order to make the Welcome Meet and Greet at 5:00pm, we recommend arriving to Panama City (PTY - Tocumen) airport no later than 3:00pm to allow for transfer and check in. 

DEPARTURE

We recommend planning your departure to be in the afternoon (no earlier than 12 pm) so you have time to enjoy breakfast at the hotel before you depart. 

Welcome to Panama! Celebration is underway!

Once you land in Panama City (PTY), make your way to the hotel to meet the rest of the GLTers! 

Once everyone is checked in and settled, we will have a welcome meet and greet (complimentary drink and light snacks provided) to get to know everyone and kick off this awesome trip! We'll be painting our own Panama hats to take on our adventure! 

If you're interested in the nightlife scene, we'll head over to a local rooftop restaurant and bar after our meet and greet to wind down and welcome in the weekend!

Meals Included: Light snacks provided at Meet & Greet

After breakfast, you have a free morning to explore on your own to get a feel of the land. Casco Viejo is the oldest part of Panama City, founded in 1673 after the original city was destroyed by pirates. It's a cultural hub with art galleries, museums, and theaters showcasing Panama's history and contemporary art scene 

We will get together for lunch at a local Panamanian restaurant. 

In the late afternoon, we'll go on a guided sunset bike ride with a local and learn about the rich history of Panama! They'll also be giving you some recommends on where to eat when you're on your own and keep an eye on stores you may want to purchase gifts and souvenirs since we'll be back to this area after our boat adventure!

Dinner will be on your own, but don't stay up too late. We have a very early morning the next day!

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

We'll hit the road early morning to the Port of Carti where we'll board our vessels and heard to our first San Blas island, Salardup Island.

Our I Travel By Boat guides will greet us with breakfast and go over the logistics of our trip. Afterwards, you'll have free time to relax, swim, snorkel, paddleboard or grab a nap. 

A delicious lunch will be cooked up by our boat staff and we'll get to spend some time getting to know our shipmates. In the late afternoon, a guided snorkeling tour will commence for those interested in learning more about the sealife surrounding these islands. 

On shore, we'll meet with our local Guna guides to learn about Guna history to help us prepare for the upcoming celebrations. 

We'll head back to our boat for dinner and lights out! 

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We will begin our morning sailing to our first island of the day, Coco Blanco. Once we arrive, you'll have time to swim and lounge around. It's a cute little small island that you can circle in about 10 minutes. 

After lunch, we will head to Isle Tigre to do a guided walking tour of a traditional Guna village. Because we are coming during their celebration week, we will have the opportunity to see a traditional dance take place in the main town square!

Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

We'll head into the village after breakfast to watch the villagers, from youth to adults, reenact the battle between the Isla Tigre villagers and the Panamanian police 100 years ago. Translation will be provided by a local guide. You're welcome to watch the whole reenactment or walk around the village if you prefer to explore. 

Lunch will be served on board and then we sail to Waisailadub, which has one of the best snorkeling spots in all of San Blas. There's a forest literally underwater with what look like full grown trees you can swim among and discover.  You can again join a guided snorkeling trip in the afternoon or rest up for the evening since we are invited to join in the festivities on the island! This will be our last night on the boat!

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We'll start our 1 hour sail to Nargana bright and early to arrive at the plane landing strip where we'll have breakfast. Say goodbye to your lovely I Travel by Boat staff as we board our flight back to Panama City. 

Once we land, we will head back to Central Hotel to drop off our luggage and grab a quick bite to eat. Remember those recommendations from our bike tour on day 2!

Next we'll head over to one of the most iconic destinations that one needs to see when they think of Panama - the Panama Canal, specifically the Miraflores Locks. Our tour guide will talk to us about its history and importance to global maritime transportation. From this visitors center, we will be able to see the locks in action when a vessel passes through. 

Back at the hotel, you will have some downtime to relax and decompress after an early morning and packed afternoon. 

Then we'll head out together to have our farewell dinner! 

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

As with all good things, this too must come to an end. But don't worry, we'll have our memories and new friendships to remember this experience by! 

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before we go our separate ways. 

Can't wait to see you on the next trip! 

Meals included: Breakfast