Boat: Panama to Comobia
 

I've been hearing about a boat from Colon to Cartagena. The lady said it tokk 3 or 4 days and cost 30 US$.

Does anyone know anything about it. Taking bikes on?

Thanks
Toby

gidday man,

am on my way up thru colombia into panama. please ley me hear if you get any answer to your question regarding that cheap boat! here is my email address: dirk@2-mad.com

cheers, d www.2-mad.com

Toby,

This could be the boat which everyone in Central America has talked about for years - and it hasn't existed for years!

OTOH, it could be a new one recently started. Let us know if you find it! I'm not holding my breath...

Generally the only reasonable way south has been by air.

Careful you don't get dropped off on a beach in Colombia in the middle of the night... it's happened, and the Colombian authorities aren't too pleased when you try to leave without an entry stamp...

Remember not to fly into Ecuador - you need a carnet if you do. No carnet needed for land entry anywhere in Latin America.

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Grant Johnson

Share the Dream!
at: www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

I heard that other travellers flew from Panama to Ecuador without a carnet, and I'm planning to do that? Is there any way around it? How is the situation in Colombia?
Thanks.
Cristian

Travellers have flown into Ecuador without a carnet, but in the last year or so it has been very difficult without a carnet.

Legally it is required, and some travellers have had to wait for up to six weeks for a carnet to arrive from their home countries in order to clear customs. Other travellers (only a VERY few) have managed to enter without a carnet, but they spoke perfect Spanish, knew how the system works, and who to "convince". http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/wink.gif Plenty of experience in Latin America, the right attitude and a "generous" nature may be sufficient if you want to do this. http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/wink.gif

Colombia is possible, but the political/querilla situation is risky. A travellers has been kidnapped, but released - he was an Ecuadorian. Europeans and North Americans may not be so lucky. Ride only during the day, major highways, and straight out of Colombia is the best recommendation. The people are generally very good and very friendly, but it is possible to have problems. I was verbally assaulted by one farmer, but other Colombians held him away while advising me to leave the area.

Contact our Colombian Communities just before arrival for up to the minute advice.

Best may be to simply fly into Peru anyway, as Ecuador has been experiencing considerable unrest recently anyway.

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Grant Johnson

Share the Dream!
at: www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Thanks a lot for the info. Actually, the language will not be a problem for me because spanish is my first language (I'm from Paraguay, final destination), but still, I think I'll just fly to Peru.
Thanks again.

Have a good trip Cristian, and do send us notes (and photos!) on your trip for the ezine as you go, I'm sure people will be interested in your story!


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Grant Johnson

Share the Dream!
at: www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

How about flying into Venezuela, then going south through Brazil? Would this be a reasonable track?

Kevin

[This message has been edited by kevinmichigan (edited 29 July 2003).]

Hai,

I have put a topic under route-info about this road.

There is a "road" from Peru (Cuzco) to Venezuela, but... a day after I decided to take that, rather then driving trough Colombia, I red about it in a book (criss scott). He call's it "sub-Darien conditions" and it would be absoluut impossible in the wet-seison and just dificult in the dry.
So.. since I don't mind a chalange... but am not absoluutly crazy (OK, it's close) and.. I would be there around march (very wet) I will:
a) either stay longer in Australie (so I arive there in the dry seison)
b) find an other route
c) won't lay on the beach in Venezuela
d) take my changes with the Colombian Bandit's (gouverment or other ;-)

Anyway... that road does exist, I have even have a satelite-photo of it (cool), and is is described in the book of cris scott.

Maarten

[This message has been edited by mmaarten (edited 25 October 2001).]

Spent 10 days diving on big catamaran in San Blas islands(delightful place and people!) and know that boat from Cartagena comes through buying cocos from the Cuna. Whether or not it continues to Colon then turns around I don't know, but I would think the Panama Canal Yacht club, Colon, would have info.--Porter

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on the road(almost)
and lovin' it!!
KLR650-A13 'BURRO'

Boat from Panama to Colombia - there have been rumours of this going around forever. (about 10 years to my knowledge.)

There is NO regular LEGAL boat available, going either way. If anyone actually DOES find one - and goes on it! we'd love to hear about it!

It IS possible to get on a yacht from Colombia to Panama, (go to the yach club) but legality is dodgy. Entering Panama ilegally could earn you a lengthy jail term in an unpleasant jail. The yachties do it on occasion to earn a few dollars, but tend not to want to take you to a legal customs entry point.

My information is that they don't want to do it the other way because a bike is too big and heavy - it's against the wind, too hard in a small sailboat, and your bike would be on the deck drowned in salt water all the way...

Fly. Much safer.

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Grant Johnson

Share the Dream!
at: www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Just went from Colon to Cartegna last week. Walked into the yacht club in Colon( i believe that is the name of it), offered some guy $300 to put the bike on his deck. (150 now, 150 later). 4 days, bike was covered in salt, really had to generously oil everything before and after. 5 days in Cartegna of complete insane rules. No carnet de pasage. There is no ferry from Colon to cartegna. I would FLY it for $200 next time. The info is somewhere on this site. Although the San Blas islands were very, very nice. If you do it this way, make sure it´s a nice boat, and the captain is straight. Hang out and chat with him to get a feel for what he´s about. Even 4 days can seem like a month on a crappy boat with a idiot captain. Colon sucks. That´s my 2 cents, hope it helps.

There may not be a legal boat from panama to colombia, but you can find boats. I met a guy in colombia that caught a boat from panama. He didn't have an exit stamp so he got in a bit of trouble with the colombian police, but it wasn't that big of a deal. The fine was less than a hundred dollars, and the boat ride was probably pretty cheap. I remember him saying something about it almost sinking though... I guess you get what you pay for.