Throughout the years that I have dedicated myself to tourism, the main question that tourists ask me is: what is the best time to visit San Blas?
I do not graduate meteorologist or anything, but to give an answer we must know a little more about the geography of Panama and then give in the most optimal period to visit San Blas.
Panama, is a country located in the American continent, specifically in the block of countries called Central America. Is it located, in relation to the globe, at coordinates 9 ° 0? 0? N, 79 ° 30? 0? W.
It limits to the north with the Caribbean Sea , to the south with the Pacific Ocean, to the east with Colombia and to the West with Costa Rica.
It has a humid tropical climate, therefore it does not count with the 4 seasons of temperate countries such as spring, summer, autumn and winter. In this case, it has two stations: dry season and rainy season. Why I love this exceptional Island? Because In both seasons you can enjoy sailboat trips in san blas islands with immense joy and pleasure.
The dry season, which we commonly call it summer, begins around December 21, at the winter solstice in the north and summer solstice for the south. The nights get longer in the north and shorter in the south.
During this season, the trade winds begin to blow, which are nothing more than winds that come from the Northeast, with sporadic rains and a drop in humidity up to 70%.
The impact of the trade winds in San Blas is that they cause waves between 3 and 5 meters, where the month most affected is in February.
If you plan to visit San Blas during this season, we recommend you do not go with children under 5 years of age, have a change of extra dry clothing and prepare to get wet inside the boat as it will be a lot of jumping.
The rainy season in Panama begins around May Day, in general, it is the wettest month of the year, but in the transition periods from dry to rainy or from rainy to dry season, rainfall can be very aggressive.
During this season, the relative humidity increases rapidly, which can reach 90% to 100% and the trade winds decrease, practically disappearing the waves.
If you plan to visit San Blas during this season, keep in mind that the hurricane season occurs between the beginning of June and ends in November.
Normally when it rains in early morning, it is sunny in the afternoon. The same happens when it rains in the city, in San Blas it is sunny.
If you are camping, go with a waterproof camping tent with double protection. The highest rainfall occurs in the early morning hours.
Within this station, the phenomenon of Veranito de San Juan occurs, the best time to visit San Blas.
It is known as veranito de San Juan, since it is an atypical phenomenon of the rainy season, and Panama does not escape from it.
It takes place around June 24, the date on which the summer solstice occurs in the Northern Hemisphere and the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere and which coincides with the celebration of San Juan Bautista.
With a duration of 2 weeks, it is characterized by momentarily paralyzing the rains, there is no increase in intensity in the trade winds and the days are sunny with clear skies, apart from the fact that waves are not produced so it is the best time to visit San Blas
Angelina is a correspondent at The Independent.