The Perfect 6-Day San Blas Itinerary (2-Day Trip Isn’t Worth It)

The Most Important Question You’ll Ask. You’re planning your San Blas itinerary. You’ve picked your boat. Now you face the most critical question: “How many days do I need?”

You’ll see many companies offering “2-Day / 1-Night” or “3-Day / 2-Night” packages. As a captain who has sailed this 365-island archipelago for over a decade, I’m here to give you the single most important piece of advice:

A 2-day trip is a 10-hour commute for 24 hours of compromise.

You will spend almost as much time getting to San Blas as you will being there. You’ll be forced to stay in the crowded, inner “Carti Cays” (the “day-trip zone”) because you have no time to sail to the real paradise.

If you just want to see San Blas, book 2 days. If you want to experience it, you need 6. Here is the itinerary that unlocks the dream.

The “2-Day Reality Check”: A Trip of Compromise

Why isn’t 2-3 days enough? Let’s do the math.

• Day 1: The “Arrival” Day. You wake at 5 AM. You travel for 4-5 hours (4×4 + lancha) just to get to the boat. (See our Logistics Guide here). You’ll have a few hours for a quick snorkel in the afternoon before the sun goes down. You must stay near the port.
• Day 2: The “Departure” Day. You wake up… and it’s already time to start thinking about leaving. You’ll have a quick morning swim, and by noon, you’re packing your bags for the 4-5 hour journey back to the city.

The Verdict: You spent 10+ hours in a car and lancha to spend ~24 hours in the busiest, most-crowded part of San Blas. You never escaped.

The “6-Day San Blas Itinerary”: A Sample Nomad Sailors experience

This is where the magic happens. A 6-day private charter gives you the one thing you actually came for: Freedom.

This isn’t a “package.” It’s a journey. Here is just one example of what your week could look like:

Day 1: Arrival & The Great Escape

You arrive (via our “white-glove” 4×4 or private flight). We don’t just “anchor”; we hand you a champagne welcome and immediately set sail. We leave the crowded Carti Cays in our wake and sail 3 hours to the stunning, remote Coco Banderos Cays. Tonight, you anchor in a silent cove, all alone.

Day 2: Total Decompression & Private Beaches

Wake up to the sound of… nothing. Enjoy a gourmet breakfast from your Private Chef. (Internal Link: See Our Culinary Journey). We spend the day here. You’ll take the paddleboard to a one-palm-tree sandbar that is yours. You’ll snorkel a pristine reef with no one else in sight. This is the “decompression” you’ve been craving.

Day 3: The Holandeses Cays

Today, we sail to the “Jewel of San Blas”: the legendary Holandeses Cays. This is the place we talked about in our “Best Islands” guide—the one the “Top 10” lists can’t send you to because it’s too far. It’s a massive, protected “swimming pool” of electric-blue water. We anchor here. You are now officially “off the grid.”

Day 4: An Authentic Guna Yala Connection

We sail to a remote, non-tourist Guna village where Captain Boris has a decade-long relationship with the Sahila (the chief). This isn’t a “tour.” This is a visit. You’ll be respectfully welcomed, you can buy molas directly from the artists, and you’ll see a side of Guna life that 99% of visitors miss. (See our Guna Tour Guide).

Day 5: The “Hunter-Gatherer” Day

Let’s live the sea-to-table life. As we sail to a new anchorage, we’ll troll a fishing line. If you catch a tuna or mackerel, your chef will make you the freshest sashimi of your life 10 minutes later. We’ll dive for fresh lobster (in season). This is the true all-inclusive experience.

Day 6: One Last Sunrise… & Zero Regrets

You wake up in paradise, 100% decompressed. You’re not rushing. You’re not stressed. You’ll have one last swim in that “glass-mirror” morning water, enjoy a final, leisurely breakfast, and we’ll sail slowly back to port. You’ll leave with a lifetime of memories, not a feeling of “what if?”

The Nomad Sailors Difference: A San Blas Itinerary Written in Sand, Not Stone

The 6-day plan above? It’s just a suggestion.

On a competitor’s “package,” you follow their rules. On a Nomad Sailors private charter, you are the boss.

• Love the Holandeses Cays? Let’s stay for 3 days.
• Want to find a new, nameless island? Let’s go exploring.
• Kids want to snorkel all day? We won’t move an inch.

This is the ultimate luxury. It’s your boat, your chef, your captain, and your private paradise. (See Private vs. Shared Charters).

Don’t Rush Paradise. Immerse Yourself.

A 2-day trip is a “glimpse.” A 6-day journey is an “immersion.”

Don’t spend your vacation commuting. Spend it living.