Cartagena to San Blas

[oos_ya_daddy]

Hi.

We will be in Cartagena from mid March 2013 and Sailing up to transit the canal by the 20th April. I am hoping to have my in-laws out to stay with us for a week during this period. Can anyone recommend the best place for us to meet with them.

They are not sailors and will not be up for a long sea passage to get anywhere. They are also quite nervous travellers and have already messed up my first plan of getting them out to the San Blas via Panama / colon. They were fed stories of armed robberies and the San Blas inhabitant being unfriendly to cruisers.

Anyone got any better ideas ?

[sy_gilana]

Fly into Panama City, then across town in a taxi to the domestic airport, then fly in to Nargana. Pick up and sail to Green Island, then Coco Banderos Cays.

[Jane.Joy]

I am in Cartagena now - my 83 year old mother has joined us for Christmas and we put her up in a great little apartment in the walled city - VERY safe here. When my mom told her friends she was traveling to Colombia, she got a lot of gasps and "is it safe there?" comments. From Cartagena you could take your in-laws out for a day sail to the Islas del Rosario.

[oos_ya_daddy]

Cool. Islas del Rosario looks awesome on Google Images ! Any other advice on places to visit ? Are there any good pilot books or cruising guides that cover the area ?

Thanks again.

[Jane.Joy]

No published cruising guide yet for this area, but a few cruisers have shared a lot of good info - look for their reports on noonsite.com. We haven't been to Rosario yet - there is also a bay that some of the cruiser reports mention, Cholon, that we've heard might also be good stop.

[Navarca]

I am in Cartagena, It is very safe to cruise around here. Rosario Island, San Fernando Island, and Cholón are the best cruising ground around. Colombian government just published a good cruising guide you can get once you arrive.
See some good logs on cruising Colombia at.
*Logs on S/V Valentina*************

For entering Cartagena you may see:
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/tash..._24jan2012.pdf
http://www.manzanillomarinaclub.com/mapamanzanillo.pdf

There is a wide sailing community that will give you all kind of information. Just come; sure you will enjoy.

If you need any help just let me know what I can do for you.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Navarca.