How do you find the location where you can watch the ships pass through the canal? I have Panama Maps in my GPS, so an address would be great! From where do the sail boats depart that carry the motos to Columbia? Not heading further south this trip, but will be in the future. In following CA1 to its end at the Darien Straight, how is the availability of fuel and motels after leaving Panama? :huh Thanks!
You can watch the ships everywhere. But you're looking for the locks with the museum. I'm going to make you go on an explore. There's gas in Torti and Meteti. Get jagua tattoos. Boats usually sail from Porto Bello.
Boats leave out of Portobelo from the Colon side and the road continues on easily to the cargo port of Miramar on that side. The other option is farther down the PanAm toward Yaviza past the international airport at a turnoff to the left near little community of El Llano little ways past Chepo to get out to Carti on the fun up and down Kuna toll road $9us that takes you out to the little airstrip and concrete pier where the Stahlratte usually loads up. A couple of years ago there where 3 hotels in Meteti, I stayed at this one right off the PanAm: Here's a picture from the place looking back at the PanAm: When your in Meteti you can take the road farther down to Puerto Quimba, a port on the river to the Pacific and take a launcha over to La Palma, this is the way if you wanted to go down the Pacific side or go hangout in Indian communities of the Darien. I saw two places in Yaviza to stay but the military didn't really want me to be staying in town and told me to go back to Meteti for the night:huh Here's one of the places in Yaviza:
I went all the way to the end of the road! I was quite surprised! :eek1 I was of the impression from things that I read that it was the outback. Compared to the road to Inuvic, it is down town New York City! There are gas stations and hotels the entire way and more bars/taverns than in the entire state of Mississippi! Other than about a total 10 miles in a few sections the road was very good! The Goldwing crowd could be happy down here. BTW, Panama don't have speed bumps!
Hi Donnie, I stayed at the same hotel in Throttlemeister's post just last month during carnival. My posse keeping guard of my moto which stayed safe all night long.... Typical street action all day long when I was there, water cannon action. Back at the canal, I really enjoyed taking a tour boat part way through the canal. Recommended if you have the opportunity. RJZINC - currently in Maravatio de Ocampo, Michoacán, Mexico
There are are only a couple of sailboats left that are currently taking bikes to and from Colombia. (at time of writing) http://sailcolombiapanama.com/boats/wildcard/ http://sailcolombiapanama.com/boats/independence/} They are both starting and ending trips in Carti at the moment. Carti isn't a port, just an outpost at the end of the road between Panama and mainland Kuna Yala. People shouldn't ride there thinking they will find sailboats and cargo ships to take them to Colombia, they will only be there on departure day to meet expected passengers. The are places to stay in Portobelo including Captain Jack's Hostel Portobelo. www.hostelportobelo.com however, It's fairly rare that you would be able to ride into town and find a boat right away willing to take you and bike. Realistically you need to book in advance. It's still a cool little town and an easy 1 1/2 hr ride from Panama for a visit though. I lived there for a couple of years in total and helped countless people find boats but the sparse amount that take bikes means you might have to wait some time. Most had to ship the bike and fly in the end because of time restraints. I would look to book about a month in advance if wanting a sailboat.
What do you not know about the best boat in in Kuna Yala and you lived there for a couple of years:huh What the hell is up with that. The Stahlratte regularly loads out of Carti at the concrete pier You must have been getting a commission off those other boats If you are wanting to take little lauches and cargo boats I would leave out of Carti or river port of Buskara taking the Kuna toll road to the coast, lot farther down than Portobelo and closer to Colombia. If really wanting a cargo boat on the Colon side I wouldn't hesitate riding down to Miramar farther down than Portobelo on the same road which is another little port worth looking into for local boats.
Stahlratte isn't in San Blas at the moment. (I've just noticed she's on her way back soon though) Stahlratte also pays commission to hostels/agencies just the same as every other boat, Im not sure what your point is? Stahlratte loads and unloads in Carti just like the others yes, however only on departure/arrival days. I'm was trying to help people who might want to ride all the way down there thinking its a bustling port of some sort where they would be able to just turn up and find a sailboat. As for Miramar. The is a large garrison of Panamanian police special forces based there. The last I heard (6 months or so ago) from a traveler coming back after looking was that they had really clamped down on them illegally taking passengers so nobody was willing to take him. Its Panama, things change every day and depending on who you talk to.
My point is a brand new member to a fine motorcycling community aptly named "sail colombia panama" comes onto the site and posts up: and goes on to leave out one of the most notorious and very likely the best reviewed boat in the fleet handling motorbikes to South America just rubs me the wrong way and I'm not even getting a commission Very true and why there are more places to find a ride to Colombia than Portobelo using these hostel commission jockeys running around spamming the place. At least give all the information. I noticed the SteelRat is not on the "list' of boats on your website, wonder if Captain Jacks is getting much commision off the SteelRat. Interested hearing the Wildcard boat is running bikes to Cartagena, Colombia again. Are they going all the way or charging the same money to go to Sapzurro I've only heard of the Independence and Stahlratte where the only two boats still "authorized", using this loosely, to take bikes to Cartagena after Fritz's boat sank.
Yes, it stinks. And yes, there is no reliable info online. If you want to go to Colombia, you have to go find your boat. In general I don't like hostels anyway.
