Permit· Puerto Obaldía· Other Caribbean

Puerto Obaldía (Eastern Port of Entry)

8° 39.8′ N · 77° 25.3′ W

Panama's border town next to Colombia and the eastern port of entry for Guna Yala, with police, Immigration and a Port Captain; convenient for boats arriving from Sapzurro or Cartagena, but a poor anchorage.

Belize Barrier Reef

Practical

Anchorage 08°39.84'N 077°25.33'W (Noonsite). Clearance: all crew visit three offices. 1) Police checkpoint at the head of the dock (records passports, no fee); 2) Immigration in town; 3) Port Captain, around the corner in a blue and white building (Noonsite listed contact Victor Otero, 2023). Check-in plus cruising permit cost approx. $250 (Noonsite, Feb 2023; check-in alone about $12 per noforeignland reviews). Cash only in small bills; no ATMs; photocopies at the shop next to Immigration. There is no AMP Merchant Marine office here: the Port Captain issues manual cruising permits not approved by the AMP, which may cause problems later; an agent can obtain an official permit (can take almost two weeks). For check-out, police require copies of the zarpe and port authority clearance first. Large military/police presence (Darién drug route). Anchorage: no protection from NW waves, poor holding, large swell in peak trades (Jan–Mar); keep someone aboard. Officials may allow one or two crew to stay on board in bad weather.

Best for

Clearing into Panama when arriving from Colombia's Caribbean coast

Season

Anchorage often untenable in Jan–Mar trades and NW swell

Nearby