Things To Do in Western Comarca Kuna Yala

Kuna Villages

Visits to Kuna communities can be custom-arranged with your lodge. Arranging visits is not complicated; however, there are a few villages that are more conservative and have not embraced the idea of tourism. Check your options with your tour/boat guide. The most common village, and really worth a visit because it seems like a metropolis when compared with surrounding island villages, is Gardi Sugdup. This island is part of the community of Cartí, which consists of several island villages and a stretch of coastline. It's a heavily populated island with a warren of passageways that fan out spiderlike around squashed-together wooden huts and cement public buildings and stores. There's a lot of trash floating around the place, but once you get past the dock, you'll find that putting yourself in the middle of this thriving Kuna community is a truly fascinating experience. In terms of tourism, this is probably the most visited Kuna village in the comarca, and it has a landing strip, a store, and a museum (daily 8am-4pm; admission $2/£1). It's a humble museum, located in a thatched-roof hut, but there's enough here to keep a visitor's interest. You'll see displays of Kuna culture and rituals, and often a "docent" is available who speaks enough English to convey the meaning behind the artifacts on display.