Beautiful!  It is the dry season – sunny clear blue skies, slightly cooler ocean water, and gentle warm ocean breezes.  Temperatures range from a high of around 30C to a low at night of 24C.  It is peak season in Panama, referred to as  “summer” here!

If you are traveling by plane from outside Panama, you will need to fly to the Tocumen International Airport PTY in Panama City, Panama.  The airport is located about 20 minutes from downtown Panama City.  You can usually get an Uber for about $15 and an airport taxi for $35 to downtown.

You can reach Saboga by ferry or small plane.  We recommend taking the 90-minute ferry trip to Saboga with Sea Las Perlas.  The ferry leaves from the Amador causeway and runs every day.

Air Panama has flights from the Albrook airport PAC (not Tocumen PTY) to the neighboring island of Contadora airport OTD (note: the flight might not operate on your arrival day). From Contadora, you take a panga boat to Saboga. The flight is 20 minutes (but often delayed) and then a 15-minute trip by panga boat.

Either way, we will greet you at Saboga dock upon arrival and will be escorted to your accommodations for immediate check-in. 

You will usually need to plan on coming to the island the day after you arrive in Panama. The ferry departs the city at 7:30am, so unless your incoming flight arrives very early in the morning, it is not possible to make it to Saboga the same day.

Similarly, if you are taking the ferry to return to the city, you will likely need to stay a night in Panama City.  The ferry usually arrives at the Amador Causeway around 5:30pm to 6pm and it is about a 40 minute drive to Tocumen Airport without traffic. You should allow at least an hour to get to the airport at this time of day.

Our guests arrive in Panama City from all over the world at different times and days.  For many guests, it is their first time visiting Panama and they may want to explore the city, the Panama Canal, and beyond. 

We want to provide you with the opportunity to customize and build your own vacation around the retreat.  You have the flexibility to determine your length of stay and hotel location in Panama City, as well as your preferred transportation by ferry or plane to the island.

We are happy to help guide you through the process and make recommendations on airport transfers, city hotels, restaurants, site seeing, ferry or plane reservations, etc.  And we will take care of everything when you arrive on Saboga!

We will serve you a healthy gourmet breakfast, lunch and dinner every day.  Our meals will include beverages such as juices, sodas, assortment of teas, and coffee.  The restaurant serves alcoholic beverages that you can order with your meal or throughout the day, but these drinks are not included in the retreat fee.   We will provide water at our yoga classes.

Saboga’s fresh water comes from wells on the island and is safe to drink.  Most of our accommodations take the extra step to filter and UV-treat the water.  You are welcome to bring bottled water if you prefer, and bottled water is also available for purchase.

There are 3 small shops in the village of Saboga geared to serve the local population.  Their selection is extremely limited – they sell basic items like rice, canned goods, bottled water, local beer, but no wine.  Contadora has 3 stores with a better selection than Saboga, but be prepared to pay a premium price plus the cost of the panga boat to take you there and back. 

While we will provide you with all your meals and non-alcoholic beverages during the retreat, it is best to bring anything special you feel you might need on the island.  You may want to be prepared in case a chocolate emergency strikes!  There are many 24-hour grocery stores in Panama City with an excellent selection of items. 

Panama uses the US dollar.  On Saboga, there are no bank machines and credit cards are not accepted.  Cash in $USD is the only form of payment.  You might wish to bring cash for additional services such as massage, reflexology and acupressure treatments, boat tours, alcoholic drinks, etc.

There are no medical facilities on Saboga.  There is a small medical clinic on the neighbouring island of Contadora, a 15 minute trip by boat. In extreme cases, air transport is available. First class hospitals are found throughout Panama City.

We have never had a medical situation that has not been adequately resolved, however, we recommend that you are in good physical health before coming to Saboga. Please check with your health insurance company to confirm your coverage in foreign countries.

No vaccines are required to enter Panama. Please refer to your home country’s health department and/or disease control center for more information and recommendations. 

If you are travelling to another country in Latin America after Panama, check if there are any vaccination requirements coming from Panama. 

No. There are some snakes and iguanas on the island, but nothing poisonous.  Saboga is home to one of the rarest boa constrictors on earth. It is a dwarf boa that does not get over 6 feet in length and is not dangerous. We have an occasional scorpion and a few bees and wasps, but nothing more than that.  In the ocean, there are the typical puffer fish, some sea snakes and occasionally small jellyfish that you might have to watch out for. 

Insects are a part of natural life in this ecosystem.  The bugs will range depending on the time of day and the time of year.  February is a good time to avoid insects with lower humidity and gentle breezes.  It is mainly mosquitoes that bite, in particular, the ‘no-see-ums’ or chitras as they are called.  We recommend that you bring insect repellent and use it in the early part of the day and before sunset as a precaution.  And some bugs are actually quite fascinating to look at!