Expert: MRZ - 7/22/2008

Question
My wife and I will be travelling to Panama City in November.  We'd like to cross the border into Colombia for a day trip.  Is this possible?  Are there interesting sites/activities on the Colombian side of the border that you would recommend?

Answer
Hello,
Once in Panama, there are different ways to travel to Colombia, nevertheless you should know that there is no way to go there by land as the two countries are not connected by a road. The Panamerican Highway ends right after Yaviza in the Darien Province and from there the so called road is reduced to a small path which makes it impossible to use cars.
You can catch a boat (relatively scheduled services for about $40 per person) for one hour from Puerto Obaldia in Panama to Capurgana in Colombia. From Puerto Obaldia there are flights to Panama City with Aeroperlas for about $90 per person including taxes.
Capurgana is on the Caribbean coast near Cape Tiburon bordering Panama. Capurgana has marvelous jungle and sea landscapes, where on the sea there are rocky cliffs and the beaches are made of white coral sands. Capurgana is on the border between the jungle and the sea in the Colombian Caribbean. A must in Colombia!
There is several boats doing the trip Panama-Cartagena. All of them charge between US $300 and US $400 depending on size of the boat and on-board services offered!!! The trip takes usually between 4 and 5 days and includes a 2-3 day stopover in the San Blas Islands, immigration fees and on most boats 3 meals a day. There is no fix timetable, so be prepared to be flexible and DO NOT EXPECT to arrive in Panama, go to the pier, by a ticket and board the boat. San Blas Islands are a must in Panama.
If you need help arranging any part of your travel in Colombia or Panama we can assist you. You can email us at info@colombianpossibilities.com or call us at 703-652-3850.
Thanks and good travel!
Marta