Why Go?Imagine a turquoise tropical archipelago with an island for every day of the year. With white sand and waving palms, these Caribbean islands cheat no one’s version of paradise. The Comarca is home to the Kuna, the first group in Latin America to gain indigenous autonomy. Though they have had contact with Europeans since Columbus sailed these waters in 1502, clan identity is paramount, and many Kuna make tenacious efforts to preserve a traditional way of life.

In 2009 the road to Cartí was completed, making the re-gion far more accessible than it has ever been. Still off the beaten track, this narrow, 226km-long strip on the Carib-bean coast stretches from the Golfo de San Blás to the Co-lombian border.

Community islands are acre-sized cays packed with bam-boo huts, livestock and people. Visitors often prefer the more remote outer islands with few inhabitants. Most areas require landing fees.

When to Go¨¨ Dec–Apr During trade-wind season there’s little rain. It

can get hot in the thatched huts, but conditions are ideal for sailing with winds from the north and northeast.

¨¨Oct Isla Tigre celebrates traditional dance at the Nogagope, which brings communities together for a week of dancing as well as canoe races and an art fair.

¨¨May–Aug Good visibility for snorkeling, though rainstorms are around and so are annoying chitras (sand flies). Thunderstorms mean it’s not a preferable time to sail.

Best Off-the-Beaten-Path Spots¨¨ Cayos Holandeses (p232)

¨¨ East Lemons (p230)

¨¨ Cayos Los Grullos (p232)

¨¨ Beyond Achutupu (p234)

Best Places to Stay¨¨ Dolphin Lodge (p234)

¨¨ Cabañas Kuanidup (p231)

¨¨ Cabañas Tigre (p233)

¨¨ Sapibenega (p234)

¨¨ Yandup Lodge (p233)

the.Kuna.................... 223Cartí,.El.Porvenir.&.Around........................228East.lemons...............230Río.Sidra.&.Nearby.islands.........................231Corazón.de.Jesús.&.Nearby.islands........... 232Playón.Chico.&..Nearby.islands........... 233Achutupu.&.Nearby.islands........................234Beyond.Achutupu......234

Comarca de Kuna YalaPOP 33,100 / ELEV SEA LEVEL TO 748M / AREA 2360 SQ KM

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

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