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We went from Panama City to Cartagena in Colombia using public transport along the Caribbean coast (the Puerto Obaldia route), in January 2008. We are two women and we speak enough Spanish to get by, but are far from being fluent.
From Panama City we flew to Puerto Obaldia with Aeroperlas (65US$ incl.taxes per person). There are 4 flights a week (while the website only mentioned two), but nevertheless we had to wait one week in Panama City since the earlier flights were booked. The Internet booking form never worked when we tried but we could book tickets via telephone and credit card.
There was a brief immigration check at the domestic airport in Panama City. In Puerto Obaldia, a very tiny hamlet of just one street, immigration procedures and transport were fairly institutionalised. Nearly half of the 20 passengers on our plane were going to Colombia. We were guided to the Colombian consulate (they asked for proof of onward travel, which we had), Panama immigration office, Colombian consulate again, and military police for visa checks and stamps. The whole procedure took about 1 hour and nobody searched our luggage. Then everyone, including some locals, went to the open boat going to Capurgana in Columbia. The sea is quite rough (but life vests were provided), so it is better to bring some plastic bags to wrap luggage. Plastic bags may be available in the shop in Puerto Obaldia; we brought some from Panama City. The boat cost 10 US$ per person and took about one hour.
Capurgana is a very pleasant beach resort village, with many small hotels and restaurants. It is quite easy to find a place to stay for the night. In Capurgana we had to go to the Colombian immigration for a proper immigration stamp (locals showed us the way). There is no bank and the exchange rate is quite bad, so change Colombian pesos in Panama City in one of the exchange offices in the city centre (the rate there is not good either, but better than in Capurgana). If you are looking for a few days of beach and sun, Capurgana might be the place for you. In January there were a lot of Colombian tourists there and diving and snorkelling tours could be easily arranged at various tour offices. Again, this would mean bringing enough money.
The next day we took a boat from Capurgana to Turbo. This boat leaves only once a day at 7:30 am. As it was the Columbian holiday season there were actually three boats leaving around this time. However it is best to buy the ticket as soon as you arrive in Capurgana. The ticket cost 49,000 Pesos (about 25 US$) per person, and we had to pay 6000 Pesos for excess luggage (over 25 pounds, but this may be different outside of the tourist season). The boat trip from Capurgana to Turbo took 2.5 hours. The waves were quite high and the journey very bumpy (here, too, life vests were provided).
Turbo has a dangerous reputation for paramilitary activities. We were only there for an hour or so during the day and never left the main street. We went to the ATM, some shops, and several bus companies’ offices and found it not threatening at all. From Turbo we took a bus to Monteria (6 hours, 23,000 Pesos / about 12 US$). In Monteria you could take the night bus to Cartagena and arrive there early the next morning, but we stayed for the night in the Gran Hotel 42 (nondescript but very clean, 35,000 Pesos for a Double w bathroom) and took a Brasilia bus to Cartagena the next morning (about 7 hours, 38,000 Pesos/ 19 US$ per person). Many hotels near the bus station in Monteria are rented by the hour, but taxi drivers pointed us towards some normal hotels.
We found it quite interesting and not threatening or dangerous at all to travel from Panama to Colombia this way, and it was the cheapest option.
See also “Around the Darien gap” on our travel blog:
http://westwards.typepad.com

Isa and Natascha

Thanks for the info! Sounds like a good trip. I was in San Blas in January, and learned about going from Panama to Cartagena and became fascinated in the ways to do that trip. I'll have to save that trip for sometime in the future, though. Thanks for the info, I'm sure it'll help other travellers. Cheers.

What a wonderfully informative report. Thank you so much!

This is the type thing this forum is all about.