Fresh, colorful, full of exotic birds, lush vegetation, and sapphire sea lapping at the white beaches, you’ll fall in love with everything that Panama has to offer, including their San Blas Islands, which are strung out like pearls of a traveler’s paradise along the Caribbean coast. Stretching from the Panamanian coast to almost the Columbian border, the San Blas Islands are as relaxing as they are enticing. With 378 islands to choose from, you’ll be hard pressed to find just one to lounge on.

The islands are only a 20-minute plane ride from Panama and run by the Kuna Indians, who operate largely away from the national government, which allows them to hang onto their own economic system as well as cultural heritage. Visiting here allows you to feel like you’ve stepped into a world from long ago as you experience their distinctive dress, language, music, and more. With so much to do on the San Blas Islands, you won’t know whether to kick back on the beach first or opt for something more adventurous!

Indeed, the San Blas gives visitors plenty of time to enjoy their accommodations or soak up the gorgeous sun with a drink in hand. But you can also enjoy swimming in pools or at the beach, snorkeling to call on the colorful fish living in the coral reefs, or simply walking among the traders as the Kuna people sell their wares of coconuts, fish, and hand-crafted items. The women are best known for their amazing fabrics, fashioned with only the brightest and boldest colors and with designs such as fish, birds, and other animals, as well as geometric patterns.

The most popular islands are Achutupu, Kagantupu, and Coco Blanco. Feel free to visit any one of them; they’re just a plane ride away or, if you feel spontaneous, ask a Kuna merchant ship to take you along as they travel from Colón to find your ideal island. The ideal times to visit the San Blas are between April and June when the temperatures are just right and the sea life is most active, making for a truly rewarding snorkeling or diving excursion.

The San Blas Islands offer visitors a little slice of heaven, full of sun, sweet drinks, amazing wildlife, crystalline waters, soft sand, and friendly people. When it comes to finding the perfect vacation, what more could a person possibly ask for?

Enid Glasgow is a travel writer who loves to travel to Panama and the rest of Central America http://www.bigfive.com/CentralAmerica.