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{{infobox Country
|country = of Panama
== Crossing Getting around the Darién Gap to Colombia ==
It is possible to hitchhike a boat from Panama to Colombia or [[Ecuador]] so you don't have to cross the [[Darién Gap]]. On the Caribbean coast you may find boats in [[Bocas del Toro]], right on the canal or in [[Portobello]].
In Portobello you should be able to jump on a charter boad to [[Cartagena]], Colombia (~325 US). However, the best place to find boats to Colombia is in the San Blas Islands on the northern Carribean coast of Panama. To get to San Blas, you need to head about 150 kilometres south from Panama City on the Pan American highway. Tell the locals you are headed to the Kuna-Yala National Park. The road to the park is a small dirt one that heads about 45 kilometres to the Carribean Sea. As of 2010, it is still dirt now tarmacked although very windy and with very low traffic, though it began getting paved in late 2010sickening.
The traffic, as mentioned before, is very light, though the vehicles that do go down this road are usually loaded with supplies for the San Blas Islands. There's a good chance a driver will pick you up, and, since there is no regular boats to the islands, there's a good chance you can get free, convienent passage by helping unload/load up the waiting speedboats with supplies.
Once you get to the islands, try to find your way to the main island where there is a police station, small hotel, and airstrip. This is where all boats to Colombia have to check in before leaving. In addition to sailboats, there are speedboats whom that flit back and forth between the two countries with a myrid myriad of different supplies, and you may be able to get on one of them. [[User:Themodernnomad|themodernnomad]] was able to get on a small speedboat with a group of Colombians to the small Colombian town of Capurganá in the [[Darién Gap]]. Remember, to be able to continue hitchhiking in South America, you need to at least get to [[Turbo]], because Puerto Obaldía and Capurgana are closed into the jungle and only accessable by sea. Also bare in mind that locals who want to get from one place to an other in the San Blas are acustomed to travel in those small speed boats and that they all pay the price that the driver asks (typically in 2011 about 10 US$ per hour of boat per person).
On the pacific coast the situation of the marinas is difficult. In order to find boats heading to Colombia or Ecuador you should try the [http://www.balboayachtclub.com Balboa Yacht Club].
