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Getting Around the Darien Gap by Boat - A Complete Guide

Getting Around the Darien Gap by Boat

A Complete Guide

By Cameron Williams

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1        Introduction

Chapter 2        How This Is Written

Chapter 3         Reference Maps and Photos

Chapter 4         Expanding This Guide, Keeping it Accurate, and Contacting Me

Chapter 5         Information Sources

Chapter 6        About Me

Chapter 7        Do I Recommend This Journey, and Does It Feel Safe?

Chapter 8         The Route (North to South)

Chapter 9         What About Going In a South to North Direction?

Chapter 10        Alternative Ways Around the Darien Gap

Chapter 11         Preparing For The Journey

Chapter 12         Getting to Puerto de Carti

Chapter 13         Staying in Puerto de Carti

Chapter 14         Finding a Lancha To Take You To Puerto Obaldía

Chapter 15         Should You Take a Lancha That Takes You Part Way to Puerto Obaldía?

Chapter 16         Preparing Your Bicycle and Bags for the Lanchas

Chapter 17         Average Lancha Prices, and Price Negotiations

Chapter 18         Puerto de Carti, Panama — Puerto Obaldía, Panama

Chapter 19         Puerto Obaldía

Chapter 20         Puerto Obaldía, Panama — Capurganá, Columbia

Chapter 21         Capurganá

Chapter 22         Capurganá, Colombia — Necoclí, Colombia

Chapter 23         Necoclí

Chapter 24         Conclusion

Chapter 1

Introduction

The continents of North America and South America are joined by land, and they are almost joined by road, save for a section of jungle known as the Darien Gap, where the countries of Panama and Colombia meet. Anyone travelling between the Americas without using an aeroplane will come up against the challenge of crossing this area, and will quickly realise that it requires quite a lot of planning.

As I prepared for my journey around the gap, I was surprised by how little comprehensive information I found on the topic, given the number of people I assume do it each year, and the many uncertainties associated with it. So after completing my journey, I set out to write the most comprehensive guide I could imagine. To provide every piece of information that a person making this journey could possibly seek to know, based on my experience, and the experience of others.

That is not to say that you should reference only this document in preparation for your voyage around the Darien Gap. Please do seek information from other sources. It's simply good practice, as everyone’s experience is unique.

Passing the border, where Panama ends and Colombia begins.

Chapter 2

How This Is Written

For any fellow map-nerds, when you see coordinates written in this document, they will be expressed in decimal degrees, although that can easily be converted to DMS if that format is your preference.

Chapter 3

Reference Maps and Photos

Linked below are two additional resources that I have created that can be used alongside reading this document, and aim to assist in your preparation.

  1. A Map

Here, all of the locations that are referenced within this document have been pinned, and brief notes have been written about each location.

To view these notes, you need only click on a pin.

To access this map, click the following link.

Getting Around The Darien Gap by Boat – A Complete Guide – Map

  1. A Photography Album

If you would like to know what the places that I am describing physically look like, then the photos within this folder may help.

Just like the map above, I have written some information about each photo to help contextualise it, and these comments can be made visible by clicking on a photo.

Currently, all photos within this album are my own. However, if anyone who has completed this journey wants to send me photos of their voyage, and is comfortable in having them publicly shared, then I will be happy to add them to the album.

To access this album, click the following link.

Getting Around The Darien Gap by Boat – A Complete Guide – Photos

Chapter 4

Expanding This Guide, Keeping it Accurate, and Contacting Me

If you wish to contact me for any reason, then I totally encourage you to do so!

I can be reached by email at camw26@gmail.com

However, because I would like to maintain this as a living document, which is regularly updated to capture as many people’s experiences as possible, in addition to regular amendments and expansions being made, there are two types of contact that I would especially love to receive.

  1. Expanding This Document

Despite covering as much information as I can in here, both from my own experience and the experiences of others, this document is still heavily weighted in the direction of my own experience.

As such, I have written much on how to catch a small boat between the locations that I did, but much information is missing from other possibilities that I am ignorant of, such as sailing around the Darien Gap, hitching a ride with a Cargo Ship around the Darien Gap, staying on the island of Caledonia, catching a lancha (instead of a ferry) to Necoclí, etc.

So if you or anyone you know has relevant information that can be used to expand this document, then please do reach out. I would so love to hear from you.

Ideally, I would love it if this document came to represent an equal wealth of information for all means of getting around the Darien Gap without catching a commercial flight.

  1. Correcting This Document

If you see anything in this document which is factually wrong, potentially misleading, or would benefit from additional context, then please do reach out to let me know.

It could be from something as simple as a spelling mistake, to something large enough that significant rewrites are needed.

All corrections are welcome.

Again, I can be reached by email at camw26@gmail.com

Version History, and Change Log

Version 1 – Published on July 17th, 2023

Version 2 – Published on July 18th, 2023

Version 3 – Published on July 22nd, 2023 (Current Version)

Chapter 5

Information Sources

The following is a list of all information that I have sourced from in writing this document:

Anyone who contacts me with additional information to add to this document, will be credited in this list.

Chapter 6

About Me

My name is Cameron. I am from Australia, and at the time of writing, I am 30 years old.

I am attempting to travel from the Northern tip of North America (Prudhoe Bay, Alaska) to the Southern Tip of South America (Ushuia, Argentina) on a tandem bicycle, with the rear seat occupied by the people I meet along the way. I am carrying all of the equipment required for 2 people, such as tents, sleeping equipment, cooking equipment, helmets, lights, etc.

This voyage around the Darien Gap, I did on my own, and I had my bicycle and all equipment with me.

If you are curious about me or my journey, you can find me at:

www.therandomtandem.com

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe_TRP9cXfmNg6DIbU99gfw

https://www.instagram.com/therandomtandem/

https://www.facebook.com/therandomtandem.cam

Chapter 7

Do I Recommend This Journey, and Does It Feel Safe?

The short answers are yes, and yes. I wholeheartedly recommend getting around the Darien Gap by boat, and it felt very safe.

Everyone I interacted with on the journey treated me with kindness and compassion, and despite all that you may hear about the exposure or danger associated with the Darien Gap, I felt in safe hands at all times.

It's much more than just a safe journey though, it's also a very special journey. You'll stop at many islands on the way and see indigenous folks living there in very traditional lifestyles.

As part of this, you will see families come running out to the beach in excitement when your boat passes, while one of them paddles out in a canoe carved from a log to receive a package of food from the boat… it was truly beautiful.

Members of an indigenous community on an island that we stopped at to deliver supplies.

Chapter 8

The Route (North to South)

In this chapter, I am defining the 'conventional' route as the most common route which is taken for voyages around the Darien Gap, not including crossings made by aeroplane.

The conventional route for this journey is:

  1. Puerto de Carti, Panama to Puerto Obaldía, Panama

  1. Puerto Obaldía, Panama to Capurganá, Colombia

  1. Capurganá, Colombia to Necoclí, Colombia

This route is one of only a few boat routes that I know of (for more information on alternative routes, see Chapter 10, below), and the main challenge of the route is that for most of the journey, there are no commercial ferry services you can take, resulting in the need to take small local vessels, known as lanchas, between each location.

From here on, I will be exclusively using the term 'lancha' instead of 'boat' where the distinction applies.

The reason that this is the conventional route for journeys around the Darien Gap is:

Chapter 9

What About Going In a North to South Direction?

Generally speaking, this document will also be very applicable to people making the journey in a Northward direction, as a lot of information equally applies to these crossings, but of course, applied in reverse.

Beyond this paragraph, I have largely avoided writing about making the journey in this direction, as I am ignorant to many of the specifics, and would like to avoid speculation wherever possible.

However, if you have input on doing the crossing in a Northbound direction, and you are able to pass it on to me, then I will be happy to incorporate that feedback into this document.

For more information on how to contact me, see Chapter 4, above.

Chapter 10

Alternative Ways Around the Darien Gap:

From Panama City to a location of your choice in Colombia.

This is most often done from Colón, Panama to Cartagena, Colombia. It's desirable in a few ways, in that it will likely be free, it's a single boat trip, and there is a low chance of your bicycle or equipment getting damaged.

Unfortunately, it is very hard to know if/when you will find a boat to take you. There are stories of people waiting in the port of Colón for weeks without finding a ship that will take them, while others get lucky and find one in a day or two. The shipping timetables are not posted online, so if this interests you, you'll really just need to arrive at the port and start asking every official looking person you can find.

There are some great resources online for finding more information about this option if it interests you.

During my crossing, I couldn't stop thinking of how doable this journey would be in the form of sea kayaking/packrafting, due to the abundance of islands and scenic beaches available to stop on the way.

I've seen it done this way by other cycle tourists who have packed their bicycle and bags onto a kayak, canoe, or packraft, or posted their bicycle ahead, before making the trip.

However this option has its own massive set of risks/considerations, and should only be undertaken by people who are thoroughly prepared, and have significant experience with this mode of transport.

Many sailboats operate between Panama and Colombia, taking the forms of charter companies, as well as hobby sailors. Each of these represent a potential option for your crossing.

1: Charter Companies:

There are many sailing trips you can book online that will take you from Panama to Colombia. The ports of departure and arrival may vary based on the service provider, but the most common port of departure is Linton Bay Marina, and the most common port of arrival is Cartagena. These trips will be very comfortable, and the timeframe will be a relaxed 5 – 10 days. Food will likely be provided, along with somewhere to sleep each night. However, these represent a potentially more expensive option, with people reporting having paid from $250 to $2,000 for their ticket, depending on the service provider, and the type of ticket purchased.

The charter company will likely be happy to transport your bicycle during the voyage, however you should confirm this with them prior to booking your ticket.

The names of some companies that offer this sailing service are Blue Sailing, San Blas Adventures, and Wild Card Sailing, among many others.

2: Hobby Sailors:

Many bicycle tourists and backpackers of all kinds attempt to hitch a ride aboard a boat that is travelling between Panama and Colombia. This is likely a more difficult process than booking with a charter company, but it also represents an option which is cheaper, and likely more memorable.

The two best marinas to find hobby sailors travelling from Panama to Colombia are Linton Bay Marina and Shelter Bay Marina.

The contact details for each of these Marina’s are below, however I have heard that they often receive boat hitchhiking requests from backpackers, so while prior contact is beneficial, the most fruitful method of finding a ride may be to simply arrive at the marina, and ask the people that you meet there.

Linton Bay Marina:        (+507) 6493 151 and kenisha@lintonbaymarina.com

        Shelter Bay Marina:        (+507) 6813 5327 and info@shelterbaymarina.com

Under no circumstance should you attempt this without a massive amount of preparation, risk mitigation, and thru hiking experience.

Hiking the Darien Gap is very risky for a multitude of reasons, however I am including it as an option on this list as people do do it, including a lady named Lucy in Costa Rica who had hiked through the Darien Gap with her dog, under an armed escort of 10 Senafront troops (Panama's border protection force), while attempting to be the first woman to walk the length of the Americas. However she was only able to do this due to securing a meeting with the Director General of Senafront.

Hiking the Darien Gap also requires prior permission from both Panamanian and Colombian officials, so it is not as simple as being able to show up and start walking.

Finally, to not only hike through, but to also take a bicycle will likely prove to be very difficult, because while a network of paths do exist through the Darien, many of these paths will be very difficult to cycle upon.

Chapter 11

Preparing For The Journey:

Before departing from Panama City to begin this journey across the Darien Gap, here are some items of preparation that I would recommend considering, as they will likely make the journey easier and/or more pleasurable.

I stayed at Puerto de Carti for 3 nights while waiting for the next departure for Puerto Obaldía, and during this time I got the contact information for two captains who regularly make trips between Puerto de Carti and Puerto Obaldía. Their names are RR and Diego, and I eventually made my trip with RR, who was fantastic.

I would highly recommend contacting these guys before you arrive in Puerto de Carti, and asking them when their next trip from Puerto de Carti to Puerto Obaldía is. They typically plan and locally advertise these trips quite a few days ahead of time, so if you get a concrete departure date/time, you may be able to arrive to Puerto de Carti at the perfect time, and not have to worry about staying for an unknown amount of time while looking for a ride.

Here is their WhatsApp contact information:

RR:                (+507) 6975 0439

Diego:        (+507) 6074 6066

Remember, all communications will need to be in Spanish.

Waiting for a ride in Puerto de Carti was the only part of this journey which I would say that I did not enjoy, so with these phone numbers representing a way to circumvent the wait for the first lancha, contacting them before your arrival could drastically improve your experience. However, no one I have talked to about this journey (which is a lot of people) had done this, so if RR and Diego are unavailable and you plan on showing up to Puerto de Carti and seeing how you go simply finding a lancha upon arrival, then don't worry. It's how almost everyone else (including me) did it, and I'll be talking you through how to do that later in this document.

I've included much more information on money in the chapters below, however I spent a total of $262 during the journey, which took the form of $20 paid at a vehicle control checkpoint in Panama, $222 spent on all lancha trips combined, plus an additional $20 on snacks in some of the tiendas (stores) found along the way.

To account for any unforeseeable’s, make sure to bring a good amount more than you plan to spend (I brought $350).

When you visit the Immigration Office in Puerto Obaldía, Panama, you will need to provide them with a photocopy of your passport. The only page that is required for the photocopy is the 'Bio Data Page', which is the page which features your photo and basic information. The photocopy does not need to be done in colour, so black-and-white is fine.

This is not a big deal if you forget, as they can photocopy it for you there at a cost of 25 cents, however the officer who processed me seemed very happy that I had brought it, and I was processed quickly with minimal questioning. So if you have the ability, I would recommend bringing a photocopy with you.

You may wind up having to stay in some locations on-route for multiple days, due to a lack of departing lanchas, and most locations have very little in the way of food to purchase. I bought 5 days of food with me, and ate most of it.

The lanchas you'll be in will kick up plenty of water, and salt-water and bicycles are not friends. As a cover you could use your tent's ground sheet if you have one and it's big enough, or a tarpaulin bought from a hardware store, or do what I did, which is to buy lots of garbage bags and tape them together to form a large plastic sheet.

This protection may be redundant on some lanchas you take, as many lancha captains will cover the stowed baggage with a plastic sheet of their own, however this will not be the case for all lancha trips that you take on this journey.

This is very optional, as I brought some pillows to use as padding, but never wound up using them. However, with your bicycle spending hours on a bumpy lancha trip, and potentially having other baggage stored on top of it, a bit of padding for protection certainly isn't a bad idea.

You will be spending many hours on multiple boat trips, so if you suspect that sea sickness may be a problem, it will definitely be helpful to have something with you that can help.

For all of my boat trips, the ocean was very calm, but this of course, can change greatly.

The Panamanian coast has lots of mosquitos all year round, and I got hundreds of bites on my legs during my journey.

Me in the undercover area where I had been camping, taping trash bags together to make a plastic sheet to protect my bike from the seawater.

Chapter 12

Getting to Puerto de Carti:

This chapter references locations by giving coordinates in the form of latitude and longitude. However, if you would like to view a map with pins already placed on each of these locations, then please refer to the linked map in Chapter 3, above.

Based on the layout of Panama, you will likely ride from Panama City to Puerto de Carti, which is a 115km (71mi) journey. I expected that I would be able to complete the ride in one big day, with an early departure from Panama City, but this proved impossible. In fact, I required every minute of two days to complete the ride, so unless your fitness level is very high, your bicycle is very light, and you plan on doing one massive day of riding, do not plan on completing this ride in a single day. I do not know of anyone that has gone from Panama City to Puerto de Carti in one day, and many of them were very fast, fit, and light.

The reason for this difficulty is entirely due to the 40 kilometre stretch of road from El Llano to Puerto de Carti. (El Llano is the name of the location where you turn off from the Pan-American Highway, and follow the Carretera Hacia San Blas to Puerto de Carti).

This road is tough! It's filled from start to end with short, sharp bursts of uphill and downhill, the grade of which will likely require you to push your bicycle for multiple kilometres. If you plan on doing Panama City to Puerto de Carti in 2 days, a good place to camp for the night in between may be either:

This petrol station sells many basic food items, such as pasta, rice, sauce, and cereal, in addition to having a cafeteria inside, where you can get a warm meal.

There are lots of very steep uphills in the 5.7km (3.5mi) to get here, so allow yourself 1 – 2 hours to cover this distance if you choose this option.

I talked with a Senafront patrol about where to camp, and they said that they have no problem with people camping in this location.

As you continue on this road to Puerto de Carti, you'll be passed by quite a few 4-wheel-drive trucks, especially in the morning, as they will be transporting the many people who are making their way out to the San Blas Islands. So if the road is proving too difficult and you decide to try to hitch a ride, I don't imagine you'd have trouble finding someone to take you and your bicycle to Puerto de Carti. However, from roughly 10:00am onwards, the number of cars going to Puerto Carti sharply reduces.

19km (12mi) after turning off the Pan-American Highway, you will reach a vehicle control checkpoint staffed by Senafront. This location is listed on mapping services as 'Garita Kuna Yala' [Location: 9.339981, -78.993865]. They require you to pay a $20 entry fee (cash only), unless you are Panamanian, in which case it is $5. This checkpoint is open from 7:00am – 4:00pm each day, and if you arrive outside of these hours, you will not be permitted to enter.

There are many companies that offer shuttle services to Puerto de Carti, almost all of which will depart from Panama City. These company's websites will rarely stipulate if they can take a bicycle and panniers on board, so if you are interested in this option, then your best bet will be to reach out to them individually to ask if that is an option.

Standard tickets for a shuttle from Panama City to Puerto de Carti are typically $20 – $40, however if a company permits you to bring a bicycle, it may incur and additional fee. Most shuttle services from Panama City to Puerto de Carti will depart Panama City at around 5:00am.

Finding these companies is easy with a Google search, but the names of a few that I know offer this service are Panama Travel Unlimited, San Blas Dreams, and Uproute Travel.

I know nothing of these companies beyond their names, so I can not speak to their reputability.

There are also some drivers that privately operate trips from Panama City to Puerto de Carti, at a cost of $25 per person, although it is not known if they will take a bicycle. Their contact numbers are:

Angel:        (+507) 6767 4874

Omar:        (+507) 6775 0398

David:        (+507) 6689 8701

Finally, here is the cheapest option, although you would not be able to take a bicycle.

Catch a very early (approximately 4:00am) public transportation bus from the bus station in Albrook, Panama City [Location8.975462, -79.551773], to El Llano. This is where Carretera Hacia San Blas (the road to Puerto de Carti) intersects with the Pan-American Highway. The price for this bus is $2.50.

Because you arrived early, you will be in El Llano in time to find many cars driving to Puerto de Carti. You can now attempt to hitch a ride with one of those cars.

If you are driving your own car (or a hire car) to Puerto de Carti, the only significant consideration will be whether it can handle the steep gradients that are present on the road to Puerto de Carti. Almost all vehicles that I saw travelling to Puerto de Carti were equipped with 4-wheel-drive, and many of them would stop at the base of steep hills, to first change their transmission into 4-wheel-drive.

The road surface need not be a significant consideration, because although some sections of road feature plenty of loose stones, there are no sections of road where the surface would be described as being gravel.

So can a 2-wheel-drive vehicle safely drive to Puerto de Carti?

Probably.

But I can not say with any certainty, as different cars will handle the hills differently.

I have seen plenty written on this topic through other sources though, such as Tripadvisor.

Me, crossing the road at the intersection between the Pan-American Highway (running left to right) and Carretera Hacia San Blas, which goes to Puerto de Carti.

Chapter 13

Staying in Puerto de Carti:

This chapter references locations by giving coordinates in the form of latitude and longitude. However, if you would like to view a map with pins already placed on each of these locations, then please refer to the linked map in Chapter 3, above.

When you arrive in Puerto de Carti, hopefully you have already contacted a lancha captain and found out when they are departing. If this is the case, then congratulations, you've skipped the most unpleasant part of this whole journey. Now all that's left to do is to go to meet them at the dock, and get on your way.

For more information on contacting a lancha captain before arrival, refer to Chapter 11, above.

Puerto de Carti is a small coastal port, mostly servicing lanchas that take tourists out to the San Blas Islands, but a few people do live there. In my experience, everyone is very friendly, and if you need to stay there for a night (or more), then ask some locals where the best place to camp is, and they will likely be happy to let you camp in an undercover area among the houses.

If for some reason you do not have camping equipment, then I am sure you could find someone who will let you sleep in their hammock, as there are lots scattered around the dock, but be warned, the mosquitos here are intense.

If you have arrived in Puerto de Carti in your own vehicle, then there is plenty of room available to park your vehicle, and even set up a camp surrounding your vehicle if that is what you wish to do. However there are no facilities that you may normally expect when car-camping in other locations, such as power outlets, assigned spaces, or waste dump locations.

Puerto de Carti has two small tiendas (shops). One is located on the water [Location: 9.456686, -78.980366], and another is nearby which is slightly harder to find [Location: 9.456448, -78.980443]. The main tienda (the one on the water) can sell you some basic food, such as rice, sauce, soda, and ice-cream, along with cooked meals for breakfast and lunch. However they do close at around 2:00pm (closing time changes each day), and the price you are charged for any given item may vary depending on who is serving you, and how much of a 'foreigner tax' is added.

For example, I bought a can of Coca-Cola on two occasions. The first time it cost $1, and the second time it cost $2.50.

Water is very expensive if bought from here, however if you ask locals for fresh water, they will be happy to give you plenty for free. The water they give you has been collected from roof rainwater runoff, so it is up to you as to whether you would like to treat it or not. I did not treat it, and drank it without issue.

There is also a restaurant located at the entrance to town. It's one of the first building's you will see upon arrival [Location: 9.455273, -78.978284]. However, I never ate here, so can not comment on their food, prices, or opening hours.

There are two toilet blocks at either end of town, one which charges 25 cents per use [Location: 9.4569, -78.98116], and the other charges 50 cents per use [Location: 9.45528, -78.97899]. These are intended for the tourists who are there for their trip to the San Blas Islands, so if you use the toilet when tourists are not at the dock (early morning, late afternoon, and night), you will likely not have to pay.

If you would like electrical power to charge any devices, there are two places where I found an electrical outlet. One is at the seaside tienda, where they have an extension cable that powers a heated coffee pot, and you can plug into that cable without disconnecting the coffee pot. The second power outlet is in the restaurant at the town entry [Location: 9.455273, -78.978284], next to the wall-mounted television at approximately head-height.

Cellular reception through the provider 'Tigo' is also available in Puerto de Carti, so if you have a Tigo SIM card and data, you can expect it to work fully during the time that you are there.

Puerto de Carti as viewed from above.

The town entrance runs in from the left of frame.

The building in the foreground which is closest to the water is the restaurant.

The building in the foreground which is furthest from the water is where the Inspectors are located.

The buildings in the background are the main part of the port.

Chapter 14

Finding a Lancha To Take You To Puerto Obaldía:

This chapter references locations by giving coordinates in the form of latitude and longitude. However, if you would like to view a map with pins already placed on each of these locations, then please refer to the linked map in Chapter 3, above.

If you arrive in Puerto de Carti without a specific lancha planned for departure (this is what most people do, as finding the lancha captain's phone number beforehand is difficult), then finding a lancha to take you to Puerto Obaldía is not too difficult, provided you can accept that it may take a few days. But if you're willing to wait (it shouldn't take no more than 5 days at the absolute most, but usually much less), then there will eventually be a lancha for you.

For more information on finding a lancha departure time before your arrival in Puerto de Carti, see Chapter 11, above.

There are three groups of people who are best to speak to regarding finding a lancha to take you to Puerto Obaldía. These are:

These are by far the best and most knowledgeable people to ask about finding a lancha to take you to Puerto Obaldía. There are many of them around the dock each day, and they wear navy-blue t-shirts and caps, each with the word 'Inspector' written on them.

The best place to find them is the large building on the left when you first arrive, before the main parking lot [Location: 9.455345, -78.978735]. However if you can't find any there, then simply asking people in the area where you can find an Inspector would also work.

On the far side of town is a large building where people buy tickets for the various lanchas that depart the dock each day [Location: 9.456476, -78.980859]. Here there is a whiteboard with the various lanchas that are scheduled to depart, and you can find a few employees who may be helpful to ask.

Although this may first appear to be the best resource, they often don't have much information on the lanchas that go to Puerto Obaldía, as they specialise in the schedules of the lanchas that go to the San Blas Islands.

Nevertheless, if you were unable to speak to an Inspector (see above for more information on them), then these people would be the next best to speak to.

If each of the above options is not successful, then this leaves the final option of asking lancha captains. There are many of them around the dock each day, and they can most often be found on the pier's next to their lanchas.

The vast majority of them will only be going to the San Blas Islands, but even then, they may be able to point you in the direction of someone that can help. The best time to find lancha captains to take you is from 6:00am to 9:00am each day, on the many pier's around Puerto de Carti. After 9:00am each day, many of the lanchas will have departed for the day, and the dock quietens down until lanchas start returning in the mid-afternoon.

If you have asked all of the above people about lanchas to Puerto Obaldía, and have not found anyone to take you, then keep a look out for newly arriving lanchas, and ask each of their captains as they arrive.

Remember, the best time to go in search of a lancha is 6:00am to 9:00am each day, and if this process is not successful on one day, be sure to repeat the same process on each following day.

On one day, a person may tell you that there is nothing available to take you for the next four days, but then the next day that same person may tell you that there is a lancha available to take you in 30 minutes.

Schedules here will regularly change, and many people are unaware of what lanchas are going where, until the lancha has arrived at dock. So the most effective search will involve taking initiative in talking to as many people as you can, plus repetition on a daily basis.

The view from inside the lancha that took me from Puerto de Carti to Puerto Obaldía.

Chapter 15

Should You Take a Lancha That Takes You Part Way to Puerto Obaldía?:

One possible outcome of your search is that you may find a lancha that is going in your intended direction, without going all the way to Puerto Obaldía. By far the most common example of this is finding one which is going to the island of Caledonia.

Taking a lancha to Caledonia is simultaneously a desirable and undesirable option.

It is desirable because Caledonia is ~80% of the way to Puerto Obaldía, so you'll have made it most of the way there. However it is undesirable because lancha departures from Caledonia to Puerto Obaldía do not occur on a daily basis, so you may have to wait in Caledonia for 1 – 3 days before finding one that can take you the rest of the way. This process for finding a lancha in Caledonia would involve all the same techniques for finding a lancha that I discussed above.

The lancha trip down to Caledonia will last approximately approximately 4 – 6 hours, with the subsequent lancha trip from Caledonia to Puerto Obaldía lasting approximately 1 – 1.5 hours.

For information on the expected price for these lancha trips, as well as the potential negotiation for that price, see Chapter 17, below.

There are rooms you can rent on Caledonia for roughly $8 per night [Location: Unknown], and there are tiendas where you can buy some basic food items.

So with all this in mind, should you take a lancha from Puerto de Carti to Caledonia (or a similar location) if you have the option? Generally speaking, yes. The only situation where I would recommend not taking it, is if you confidently know that a different lancha will soon depart, and take you all the way to Puerto Obaldía. But if you do not know of a lancha that can take you all the way, then taking one to Caledonia will likely be the best option.

The reason for this is that oftentimes lancha trips going all the way from Puerto de Carti to Puerto Obaldía are substituted for lancha trips going to Caledonia. Meaning that if you have found a lancha that can take you to Caledonia, that there may be a reduced chance of finding a lancha that can take you all the way to Puerto Obaldía.

When making the decision of whether to take a lancha to Caledonia, a great question to ask the lancha captain is whether they know of any lanchas that will subsequently run from Caledonia to Puerto Obaldía. The answer will most likely be "no", but it will still be helpful to ask.

Although the lancha that I took for my trip went directly from Puerto de Carti to Puerto Obaldía, I get the impression that most people who make this voyage do so by first taking a lancha to Caledonia, and then taking a subsequent lancha to Puerto Obaldía.

Chapter 16

Preparing Your Bicycle and Bags for the Lanchas:

Once you have found a lancha to take you, be sure to tell the captain that you have a bicycle and bags that you wish to bring, and ask them how you can best assist in preparing the bicycle for the trip. The main question here is whether you will take the wheels off. The captain will likely not care what you do, in which case it's your choice how you would like to prepare the bicycle.

All of your considerations for preparing the bicycle should centre around the question of "what can you do to minimise the risk of damage”, because there are many stories of people's derailleurs, spokes, and other sensitive bicycle parts being damaged on the trip. This could come as the result of being packed beneath heavy objects in a lancha, to being repetitively bounced against the lancha frame during hours on a bumpy ocean voyage, to sea water corrosion, to poor handling during loading and unloading.

Taking the wheels off is a good option in that it makes the bicycle smaller and easier to stow on the lancha, it makes it easier to separately cover the frame and wheels with something that can protect them from the seawater (I wrapped my frame and wheels in trash bags which I had taped together to form a large sheet), and makes it easier to ensure the wheels are stowed without side-loading forces applied to the spokes. However taking the wheels off may leave sensitive items exposed, such as a derailleur, a chain tensioner, brakes, etc. So carefully consider your options, and choose the one that feels best for you.

When it comes time to load the lancha, this will be done by people working on the lancha/dock. It is good to be there during loading, so you can keep an eye out for any loading that could damage your bicycle, but I also found that the loaders were reluctant to reposition an item when asked, so just follow your gut on how best to handle this interaction.

Overall, the main thing here is to minimise the risk of damage before the bicycle and bags are loaded, because once it's time to load, there is no longer much you can do.

My bike, disassembled and wrapped in plastic bags before departure.

Chapter 17

Average Lancha Prices, and Price Negotiations:

In this chapter, I am defining the 'ideal' route as the route which requires the minimum number of lancha trips, however your actual ideal route may of course be different.

While there are no 'standard' prices for each lancha, I have determined average prices based on combining the experiences of multiple people who have made this journey.

You may also notice that locals pay far less than foreigners for these lancha trips. This is simply the way it is, and you should not expect to be able to pay the same amount as locals.

Average prices (for foreigners) for lancha/ferry trips on the ideal route are as follows:

Puerto de Carti — Puerto Obaldía (lancha)

$90 – $110 per person, plus $20 – $50 to take your bicycle and bags.

Puerto Obaldía — Capurganá (lancha)

$20 – $40 per person, bicycle and bags included.

Capurganá — Necoclí (lancha)

$20 – $30 per person, bicycle and bags included.

Capurganá — Necoclí (ferry)

$32 per person (non-negotiable), bicycle and bags included.

Total: $140 – $240

What I actually paid for each trip on my journey is as follows:

Puerto de Carti — Puerto Obaldía

$100 for me, plus $40 for my bicycle and bags.

A fair price, with no negotiation required.

Puerto Obaldía — Capurganá

$50, bicycle and bags included.

My lancha captain first asked for $75, and I negotiated it down to $50.

This is still significantly higher than the average price, but he refused to negotiate any lower, and I couldn’t be bothered waiting for a different lancha to arrive.

Capurganá — Necoclí on a Ferry

$32. Bicycle and bags included.

The price for the ferry is standardised, and non-negotiable.

Although the ferry is slightly more expensive than the lanchas, I bought a ticket right as the ferry was about to depart, so for me it represented the best option.

Total: $222

Average prices (for foreigners) for lancha/ferry trips on other common routes are:

Puerto de Carti — Caledonia

$60 – $80 per person, plus $25 – $30 to take your bicycle and bags.

Caledonia — Puerto Obaldía

$40 – $50 per person, bicycle and bags included.

Capurganá — Turbo on a lancha

$25 – $50 per person, bicycle and bags included.

It will be significantly harder to find a lancha to take you to Turbo, as most lancha captains in the area will travel solely between Capurganá and Necoclí.

The most important thing to do regarding the price for each lancha, is to confirm the price before departure. Almost all lancha captains will want to do this anyway, and will also ask for payment before departure, which is totally fine. However I have heard stories of some tourists not confirming the price until the journey was complete, and then being asked to pay much more than they had expected.

If any lancha captain requests a significantly higher price than is listed here, then you may be in a position to negotiate for a lower price. For example, one bicycle tourist I met on the road had a captain ask him for $500 for the trip from Puerto de Carti to Puerto Obaldía, but that was then negotiated down to $150, so negotiation may definitely be a part of your experience.

However, many captains may quote a fair price which is non-negotiable. This was the case for my first lancha captain (RR).

And the final scenario which you may encounter is being quoted a very high price, which is non-negotiable. In this situation, you can of course choose to wait for a different lancha captain, but if that is not a realistic option, then you may elect to pay the higher price. This is the main reason why you should bring significantly more cash than you expect to (and hope to) spend.

At a point, it will always be better to overpay than to be stranded.

My lancha captain (RR), receiving payment for delivering supplies to an island community.

This is a good picture to include so that you know what RR looks like, in case you ever need to find him in Puerto de Carti.

Chapter 18

Puerto de Carti, Panama — Puerto Obaldía, Panama

This chapter references locations by giving coordinates in the form of latitude and longitude. However, if you would like to view a map with pins already placed on each of these locations, then please refer to the linked map in Chapter 3, above.

For information on the price of the trip from Puerto de Carti to Puerto Obaldía, and the potential negotiation for that price, see Chapter 17, above.

Cellular reception through the provider 'Tigo' is not available for many periods during the lancha trip, however when you pass certain sections of the coast, you will have cellular reception for a few minutes. So if you have a Tigo SIM card and data, you can expect it to work sporadically during the trip.

Make sure you have recently gone to the toilet before boarding the lancha to Puerto Obaldía, as there will not be another opportunity to do so for many hours. Also, put some thought into what items you have packed within the bags that are stowed at the bow (front) of the lancha, versus what to carry on with you, as you will not be able to access the bags that are stowed in the bow until you are dropped off.

The lancha trip from Puerto de Carti to Puerto Obaldía will last approximately 8 – 9 hours. During this time, the lancha will likely stop at many islands and coastal towns along the route, as the captain will often drop off people and supplies, as well as picking up some equipment. Watching this process as an observer on the lancha is a very special experience. You will get a real appreciation of the lifestyle of many people who live down here, and how all transportation is all reliant on the water.

Most of these on-route stops last no more than 5 minutes, however the captain will likely make a longer stop around midday, to allow the passengers to get off, stretch their legs, go to the toilet, and buy a snack from a local tienda.

Although you are headed for Puerto Obaldía on this lancha trip, it is almost impossible for you to proceed further than Puerto Obaldía on this day. This is because the Immigration Office [Location: 8.666140, -77.420519] closes at 4:00pm, and you need to visit them to get the Panama exit stamp in your passport.

Even if you arrive in Puerto Obaldía before 4:00pm, you will first need to answer the military personnel's questions, and have your belongings searched for drugs before you can proceed to the Immigration office, and this questioning and search process will take approximately 45 minutes. So with near 100% certainty, if you are travelling from Puerto de Carti to Puerto Obaldía, you will not get processed by the Immigration Office in Puerto Obaldía on the same day that you depart.

This means that the following situations are possible:

  1. You arrive in Puerto Obaldía and are questioned and searched by military personnel on the same day that you departed Puerto de Carti, you then stay in Puerto Obaldía for the night, and visit the Immigration Office the following morning.

For more information on this possibility, see Chapter 19, below.

Or

  1. Your captain suggests staying at a different location for the night, and completing the remainder of the trip the following day.

This happened on my journey, as I stayed in the small town of Aswemullu, which is where the captain lives. I was offered a place to sleep in the home of a friend of the captain at no extra cost, was shown the location of the town's tienda (to buy basic food supplies), and was told what time to meet the captain on the beach for departure the following morning.

This splitting of the trip into two separate rides did not cost anything more than what I initially paid Puerto de Carti ($140). The experience of staying in Aswemullu was wonderful, and the place is absolutely beautiful. If you wind up being offered an alternative place to stay before completing the remainder of the trip to Puerto Obaldía the following day, it will likely be a much nicer experience than staying in Puerto Obaldía, and it wont delay you for more than a few hours, as either way you will visit the Puerto Obaldía Immigration Office the following morning.

Outside of this possibility, there is another entirely different possibility, which is that your first lancha took you to Caledonia, and your subsequent lancha took you from Caledonia to Puerto Obaldía in time for a morning arrival. If this is the case, then you will be able to visit the Immigration Office on the same day that you arrive, and depending on timing, you may also be able to get to Capurganá, or even all the way to Necoclí on this same day.

Chapter 19

Puerto Obaldía

This chapter references locations by giving coordinates in the form of latitude and longitude. However, if you would like to view a map with pins already placed on each of these locations, then please refer to the linked map in Chapter 3, above.

Cellular reception through the provider 'Tigo' is fully available in Puerto Obaldía. So if you have a Tigo SIM card and data, you can expect it to work whilst you are here.

When you arrive at Puerto Obaldía, you will be dropped off at a beach on the South-West side of town [Location: 8.665180, -77.420337]. Here you will be immediately greeted by military personnel who will ask you questions about your travels, ask you to arrange your bicycle and bags on the ground, to open your bags, and step back. A drug-sniffing dog will then search your bags. This occurs without your belongings being removed from your bags, as all the dog needs is to be able to sniff the top of the open bag. This whole process with the military personnel takes approximately 45 minutes.

Once they have cleared you to leave you can proceed to the Immigration Office (if it is before 4:00pm, so they are still open) [Location: 8.666140, -77.420519] and receive a Panama exit stamp in your passport. As stated in Chapter 11, the Immigration Office will require a photocopy of your passport (either colour or black-and-white is fine), so it is good to have your passport photocopies on hand before you depart Panama City. If you do not have a photocopy of your passport with you, then they will be happy to do it for you at a cost of 25 cents, however I got the feeling that my quick Immigration processing was in part due to me bringing the photocopy with me.

If visiting the Immigration Office upon arrival is not an option because they have closed, then you will be able to stay in Puerto Obaldía by either wild camping, renting a hotel room, or asking to stay with a local.

While I have not wild camped at Puerto Obaldía, I have read accounts from people who have, and they have all said that the locals and the military personnel were all totally happy for them to wild camp in town. There is a large open grass field around the centre of town, and next to that is an undercover public use area. Both of these should be good locations for you to set up your tent.

As for hotels, there are two (that I am aware of) located in Puerto Obaldía. These are Hotel Doña Primitiva [Location: 8.666758, -77.420737], and Hotel Don Chelo [Location: 8.666268, -77.420058]. I have not found accounts from anyone that has stayed at either, and it is difficult to find information about them online, so I can not comment on their condition or price.

At Puerto Obaldía, you will find plenty of tiendas, bars, cafes, and hardware stores. Everyone there is very friendly, and happy to help you out. You may see a few tourists, but the town is mostly inhabited by locals.

When you are ready to depart Puerto Obaldía, you should look for your lancha at a different beach than the one you were dropped off at. Technically, you could find a lancha to take you from the same beach that you were dropped off at, however the vast majority of departures from Puerto Obaldía occur from a different beach on the North side of town. This beach is located at [8.668674, -77.418912], is a 5 minute walk from the beach you were dropped off at, and the best path to get there is to simply walk straight through the middle of town. It is easy to see on Google Maps when in satellite view, and if you need directions to get there, you can simply ask anyone in town "where is the best place to find a lancha", and they will point you in the right direction.

When you arrive at the Northern beach for your departure, you will see many lanchas moored and anchored in the area. To find a lancha captain, take a look in the main building closest to the beach [Location: 8.66865, -77.41876], as this is where various lancha captains will spend their time while waiting for someone to come and request their services.

If you do not find any lancha captains in the main building, you have two remaining options for finding a lancha captain:

  1. Wait near the beach, in plain sight of passers-by.

This will likely work, because there are many people passing by the area through the day, and many of them will stop to talk to you, in which case you can ask them if they know of any lancha captains available to take you to Capurganá. You may even be approached by a lancha captain whilst you are waiting.

There is also quite a bit of activity around the lanchas themself, as there will be lanchas coming and going through the day, as well as people simply tending to their lanchas for maintenance.

All of these represent people that you can ask to take you to Capurganá.

  1. Leave the beach and ask around town for someone that can take you to Capurganá.

This will likely work, because Puerto Obaldía is not road accessible, so most people either operate a lancha themself, or know someone who does.

No matter which option you choose, you shouldn't have any issues finding someone to take you.

Chapter 20

Puerto Obaldía, Panama — Capurganá, Colombia

For information on the price of the trip from Puerto Obaldía to Capurganá, and the potential negotiation for that price, see Chapter 17, above.

Cellular reception through the Panamanian provider 'Tigo' is available in Puerto Obaldía, but is not available in Capurganá. So if you have a Tigo SIM card and data, you can expect it to work whilst you depart Puerto Obaldía, and stop working at some point while you are travelling to Capurganá. Reception on this SIM card will never return, as your 'Tigo' SIM is for use within Panama only.

For more information on which replacement SIM card to buy in Colombia, and how to find one, see Chapter 23, below.

The lancha trip from Puerto Obaldía to Capurganá will last approximately 45 minutes, and will not make any stops on-route.

Unlike the lancha trip from Puerto de Cartí to Puerto Obaldía, which will have had many people on board, this lancha trip will likely be with just you and the lancha captain. The lancha will be much smaller, however there will still be room for you to stow your bicycle and bags. If it is a busy day, there may be another passenger on board, however due to the size of the lancha, there will likely not be capacity for more than 1 – 2 passengers. On my trip, it was just me and the lancha captain.

On this trip, you will pass the border between Panama and Colombia, and the captain may point out where that border is as you pass, however there is nothing visible to indicate that the border is located where it is.

When you arrive in Capurganá, you will most likely be dropped off on the main pier, so take care when passing your bicycle and bags up to the pier, as it will require lifting everything to approximately shoulder height to get it atop the pier, and the lancha can be a little wobbly during this process. It's nothing too extraneous though, and it can be comfortably done by one person, although the lancha captain and people on the pier were quick to offer me help.

Chapter 21

Capurganá

This chapter references locations by giving coordinates in the form of latitude and longitude. However, if you would like to view a map with pins already placed on each of these locations, then please refer to the linked map in Chapter 3, above.

Cellular reception through the Panamanian provider of 'Tigo' is not available in Capurganá. I did not look for a Colombian SIM card in Capurganá, but I feel that there is a high chance that you could find one whilst you are there.

For more information on which replacement SIM card to buy in Colombia, and how to find one, see Chapter 23, below.

Capurganá is a much more touristic place than Puerto Obaldia. While you will see locals there, the vast majority of people you see will be tourists, mostly visiting from 'mainland' Colombia. The atmosphere is also very different to Puerto Obaldía, as Puerto Obaldía feels like much more of a sleepy, coastal town, while Capurganá is a loud, energetic tourist destination.

At Capurganá, you will find a supermarket, tiendas, cafes, a hardware store, and many more stores. There is no bicycle shop in Capurganá, but aside from that, there shouldn't be much that you want but can not find there.

Even though you are now in Colombia, which has its own currency, most stores and lancha captains will be happy to accept US Dollars. Because of this, I will continue to quote monetary figures in US Dollars, as having come from Panama, you will likely still only have US Dollars with you.

Once you have offloaded your bicycle and bags onto the pier, you can visit the Immigration Office [Location: 8.63761, -77.34701], which is a 2 minute walk from the pier. At time of writing, the Immigration Office’s location is not registered on Google Maps.

The process of getting your Colombia entry stamp at the Immigration Office is very easy. There is nothing you need to bring in beyond your passport, and the whole process takes 2 – 3 minutes.

Once you have your Colombia entry stamp, you can now look into taking the final boat trip of the journey, from Capurganá to Necoclí. This boat trip will most likely be on a high powered lancha (faster than the other lanchas you will have been on up to this point), however there are also a few large ferries that depart each day, and will be happy to take you and your equipment too. The reason that it is less likely that you will take a ferry is that only a few depart each day, while the lanchas are departing continuously throughout the day.

The ferry I caught was operated by a company called ‘El Caribe S.A.S.’, and it cost $32. Lanchas also operate throughout the day between Capurganá and Necoclí, and cost $20 – $30.

For more information on the price of the trip from Capurganá to Necoclí, and the potential negotiation for that price, see Chapter 17, above.

Tickets for the ferry can be bought from a large booth operated by El Caribe S.A.S., which is close to the pier [Location: 8.63774, -77.34639], and you can also check the scheduled ferry departure times on their website, at the address:

https://www.maritimaelcaribe.com/

However your arrival time to Capurganá is difficult to predict, so you may arrive at a time where there are no more ferry departures for a long time. Regardless of what is said on the website, I would recommend asking the El Caribe S.A.S. ticket booth when the next departure is, just in case the day’s schedule has changed, and then making your decision based on the information that you are given. This is a commercial ferry too, so the price of $32 is non-negotiable.

If you choose to take a lancha from Capurganá to Necoclí, then the lanchas are most often caught from either of the two main piers, as well as from the beach. To find a lancha to take you to Necoclí, the best method is to stand out on one of the two piers, and either ask any lancha captains that may be standing around if they can take you, or shout directly down to lancha captains that are in their lanchas to ask if they can take you.

The size of the lancha may vary, from a small 2-3 person lancha, like the ones that are often operated between Puerto Obaldía and Capurganá, to a much larger one, like the ones that are often operated between Puerto de Carti and Puerto Obaldía. Either way, the price will be the same ($20 – $30, bicycle and bags included), and the lancha will likely be equipped with high powered engines, so the trip will be fast.

Whether you take the ferry or a lancha, your bicycle and bags will be loaded in a similar manner, from the dock into the boat, with the loading likely being done by the ferry employees/lancha captain.

Chapter 22

Capurganá, Colombia — Necoclí, Colombia

For information on the price of the trip from Capurganá to Necoclí, and the potential negotiation for that price, see Chapter 17, above.

Cellular reception through the Panamanian provider of 'Tigo' is not available during this trip. For more information on which replacement SIM card to buy in Colombia, and how to find one, see Chapter 23, below.

The trip from Capurganá to Necoclí will last approximately 1 hour, regardless of whether you take a lancha or a ferry. It is made in a straight line, and no stops will be made on-route.

If you are taking the ferry, there may be anywhere from a full load of passengers on board, to no other passengers on board. For my journey, I took the ferry and I was the only passenger on board. The ferry has seating for 60+ people, and your bicycle and bags will likely be stowed in the rear of the ferry.

If you are taking a lancha, you may be accompanied by a few other passengers, or may just be with the lancha captain.

Whether you take the ferry or a lancha, you will be dropped off at the main pier on the south side of Necoclí. Unloading your bicycle and bags from the ferry is easy, as the ferry's floor height matches the height of the pier, however if you are unloading from a lancha, then you may need to lift your bicycle and bags to shoulder height to unload them onto the pier. There are a lot of people on the pier throughout the day though, so there will likely be many people offering to help.

I have also heard that some lancha captains will elect to unload you and your equipment directly onto the beach, to avoid having to use the pier.

My bike, loaded on the back of the ferry and headed to Necoclí.

Chapter 23

Necoclí

Necoclí seems to have a bit of a bad reputation in Colombia, as being a place with a lot of crime, but I felt completely safe during my time there.

If you are on a budget, then a great value place to stay in town is the Hostel La Mariápolis, however there are also many nice hotels around town too.

I could not find any bicycle shops while I was there, and there are none listed on Google Maps.

However it is very possible that there is one (or more) small bicycle tiendas whose locations are unlisted. I would certainly be surprised if there wasn't any, given the size of the town. The best way to find these bicycle tiendas will be to walk around town, and to ask locals.

A replacement SIM and the associated data are easy to find in Necoclí, and I have found the best cellular provider in Colombia to be 'Claro'.

The best way to find a new SIM card is to look for tiendas which have signs for various cellular providers posted near their front door. The presence of this sign means that you can buy data packets for use with that cellular provider from that tienda, and it usually means that you can buy a SIM card for use with that cellular provider there as well.

Other places that you will definitely be able to buy a SIM card and the associated data from, are tiendas that sell mobile phones. There are many of these in Necocli, so with many types of tiendas selling SIM cards and data, you should not have a hard time finding one.

Chapter 24

Conclusion

Well, I knew this document would be big when I began to write it, but I did not expect it to be this big.

But these many many hours spent writing will have been well worth it if this proves helpful for just a single person's journey.

If you do reference this for your journey, please do get in touch afterwards, let me know how it went, and if there are any edits that you would recommend that I make. I would so love to know if I have helped someone, and I really do hope to keep this as a living document that is kept up to date, and combines as many people's experiences as possible into one.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and I hope you have a safe and enjoyable voyage.

For me, the experience was magic.