Guna Yala (San Blas) Island beach forecast: weather, water & waves
Guna Yala, PA · Panama Caribbean, Panama · 9.570, -78.820
Updated : low seaweed, beach grade B+, sea 86°F.
Veabird's call
Friday is the go: B+ with little seaweed and 86°F water before the wet weekend.
February and March grade B+, a good window to plan a San Blas island hopping return.
Grades from Veabird's beach forecast; wording by AI (Muse Spark), checked against the forecast. Updated Nov 13, 01:00 UTC.
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Questions about Guna Yala (San Blas) Island
Does Guna Yala (San Blas) Island get sargassum (seaweed)?
Only a little in most years. At Guna Yala (San Blas) Island the typical-year risk stays low, even around July, the usual peak (moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach in an estimated 12% of weeks). Landings vary by year, wind and currents.
How warm is the water at Guna Yala (San Blas) Island?
About 85°F in November. The sea is warmest in May, June, September and October (about 86°F) and coolest in January, February and March (about 83°F).
When is the best time to visit Guna Yala (San Blas) Island?
For warm water and dry weather, aim for January, February, March, April and November. November is usually the quietest of those, with about 24 rainy days and a sea near 85°F.
When is hurricane season at Guna Yala (San Blas) Island, and how often do storms hit?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs June through November and peaks around September. A tropical storm passed within 86 miles of Guna Yala (San Blas) Island in 1 of the 55 seasons from 1971 to 2025, and a hurricane within 58 miles in 0.
Sargassum season at Guna Yala (San Blas) Island Lodges
Low sargassum risk year-round at Guna Yala (San Blas) Island Lodges: even around July, the usual peak, Veabird estimates moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach in about 12% of weeks. Actual landings vary a lot by year, wind and currents; check the live conditions above.
Estimated share of weeks in each month with moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach. Veabird takes the landing season seen on Quintana Roo's beaches (a Puerto Morelos beach camera, 2015–2020, and the Mexican Navy's beach alerts, 2022–2026), the nearest coast with a multi-year beach record (this one has none), and scales it by how often NOAA AOML satellites see notable seaweed within about 20 km of this stretch of coast: 10% of weeks here on average, against 54% off Quintana Roo, so 18% of that season. The satellite share (2016–2024, the top fifth of all coast-weeks, adjusted for this beach's exposure of 20%) measures seaweed offshore, not on the sand: off the Riviera Maya it reads high even in winter, when little lands. Very low under 10%, Low 10–24%, Moderate 25–44%, High 45–69%, Very high 70%+. Beach faces 20°; onshore winds from that direction push seaweed ashore. Satellite sargassum data: USF Optical Oceanography Lab (Sargassum Watch System) via NOAA AOML. The satellite record as open data.
Panama's Caribbean coast month by month
Typical weather, water temperature, seaweed and crowds for every month: the best time to visit Panama's Caribbean coast.
- Panama's Caribbean coast in January
- Panama's Caribbean coast in February
- Panama's Caribbean coast in March
- Panama's Caribbean coast in April
- Panama's Caribbean coast in May
- Panama's Caribbean coast in June
- Panama's Caribbean coast in July
- Panama's Caribbean coast in August
- Panama's Caribbean coast in September
- Panama's Caribbean coast in October
- Panama's Caribbean coast in November
- Panama's Caribbean coast in December
Weather, water & seaweed by month at Guna Yala (San Blas) Island Lodges
Average highs run from about 82°F in February to 84°F in May, June, July, August, September and October. The sea is warmest in May, June, September and October (about 86°F) and coolest in January, February and March (about 83°F). March is usually the driest, with about 16 rainy days; May, July and December are the wettest, with about 28 rainy days.
| Month | Avg high | Sea | Rainy days | Sargassum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 83°F | 83°F | 20 | Very low |
| Feb | 82°F | 83°F | 17 | Very low |
| Mar | 83°F | 83°F | 16 | Very low |
| Apr | 83°F | 84°F | 22 | Very low |
| May | 84°F | 86°F | 28 | Very low |
| Jun | 84°F | 86°F | 26 | Low |
| Jul | 84°F | 85°F | 28 | Low |
| Aug | 84°F | 85°F | 27 | Very low |
| Sep | 84°F | 86°F | 27 | Very low |
| Oct | 84°F | 86°F | 26 | Very low |
| Nov | 83°F | 85°F | 24 | Very low |
| Dec | 83°F | 84°F | 28 | Very low |
Monthly averages from 6 years of ERA5 reanalysis (Open-Meteo) for this area's 0.5° grid cell; rainy days have at least 1 mm (0.04 in). Sargassum is the typical-year estimate described above. Any given year can differ.
Cleanup & barriers
- Offshore barriers
- None.
- Public cleanup
- Little organized cleanup; Guna communities clear island beaches by hand.
- Resort crews
- Lodges hand-rake.
- Typical clearing time
- Landings infrequent and usually light.
Safety notes
US State Dept: Panama, Level 2 (verify; Darién border area Level 4)
- Boat transfers to San Blas and Bocas islands: check life jackets and weather
- Guna Yala is autonomous; fees and rules set by the Guna Congress
- Colón city has high crime; transit quickly
Check official advisories and local flags before swimming. Decomposing sargassum releases hydrogen sulfide; avoid heavy piles.
Things to do near Guna Yala, PA
- San Blas island hopping
- Bocas del Toro: Starfish Beach, Zapatilla Cays
- Portobelo forts (UNESCO)
- Panama Canal (Agua Clara locks)
- Red Frog Beach
Fly in for the best beach days
Suggested dates are a week in October. Change them to match the live forecast above.
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Nearest airports
- Albrook Marcos A. Gelabert (Panama City) (PAC), ~105 km
- Tocumen Intl (Panama City) (PTY), ~83 km
Nearby resorts
- Ordovician Beach Resort Isla Grande, Colón, PA · 82 km
- Isla Grande Beach Resorts Isla Grande, Colón, PA · 82 km
- Hotel Isla Grande Isla Grande, Colón, PA · 82 km
- Portobelo Beach Resorts Portobelo, PA · 91 km
- Cocoplum Eco Lodge Portobelo, PA · 94 km
- Hotel Villa del Mar Panama City, PA · 103 km
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