Page 261 - The Rough Guide to Panama (Travel Guide)

Western Guna Yala Guna Yala 259
LOBSTER AND THE CLOSED SEASON
If you’re hoping to sample the succulent lobster for which Guna Yala is famous, avoid the closed
season (veda; March–May). During this period conch, crab and octopus are also off-limits. note
that in budget accommodation there is usually a supplement if you want lobster for a meal.

sheets) and four private cabañas bang on the beach with bountiful than many in this price bracket – are included; Cartí
private porch and chairs – worth paying extra for. All share transfer $30. Camping $8, dorms $35, doubles $80
tiled-floor bathrooms, which are cleaner than many. Camping Masargandub Masargandub T6878 8885,
There’s also a volleyball court and a pleasant open-sided Eanaisgernado@yahoo.com. You can choose to sleep on
restaurant (mains from around $8 for day-visitors). a foam mattress in a tent (provided), or lie on an airbed in
Lodging, meals and tours included. Transfer from Cartí $30. one of two cane dorm cabañas (each with own washbasin
Camping $30, dorms $35, doubles $90 and shower). Shared toilets are outside. Three meals are
★ Cabañas Wailidup Wailidub T6715 2335, included. Transfer from Cartí $50. Tour to Cayos Holandeses
Ewailidup@hotmail.com. Four relatively smart, if basic, $10. Camping $20, dorms $30
en-suite cabañas at the back of the beach, and six superior Ogob Nega Isla Chicheme Grande T6098 4326, 7
ones (an extra $20) built on stilts over the water with sea- Wogobnega.com. Five superior cabañas gaze out to sea
facing balconies, solar-powered electricity, private across a swathe of alabaster sand at the quiet end of the
bathrooms and aluminium roofs. The bar-restaurant serving island. Each has a raised wooden floor, electricity and decent
succulent seafood is favoured by yachties. Room rates beds and mattresses, accommodating couples or family-size
include transfer from Cartí, meals and trips; $40 reduction groups. There’s a pleasant raised wooden bar-restaurant area,
per cabin after the first night. Transport from Panama City and congenial host Aaron speaks good English. Rates include
can be included. Snorkel rental available. $260 food, lodging and a daily tour; $30 Cartí transfer is extra. $130
Cabañas Wissubub Isla Chicheme Grande T6772 9481 Restaurante Banedub Banedub T6119 4743. This
(Umberto Burgos). One of three lodging options on the efficient restaurant, popular with yachties, has a lovely
island. Thatched huts house dorms and private rooms; you’ll breezy, over-the-water setting. They serve high-quality
hear the waves crashing on the reef at night. Camping is also fresh seafood (from $8) – fish, conch, octopus – alongside
available, with tents to rent for $5. Toilet and shower facilities rice and a smidgen of salad, and good lobster ($10–20).
are often in a state of disrepair. Meals – slightly more Daily 8am–7pm.

Río Sidra and around
Some 15km east of Cartí, just off the mainland, lies RÍO SIDRA; formerly a key
portal into the archipelago until its airport was closed a few years ago, it is still an
important settlement within the comarca. Originally two separate islands, Urgandi
and Mamartupu combined to make Río Sidra – a community of close on two thousand –
by reclaiming the land in between. Each retains its own identity, maintaining separate
sailas, meeting houses and churches – and each charges a community visitors’ tax –
though they share a school and basketball court, plus the two nearby public pay
phones. As you face the town from the main jetty, Urgandi lies to the right,
Mamartupu to the left; the main drag, a broad sandy boulevard with a number of
grocery stores, bisects both, running the length of the island.
The island is convenient for visiting Nusadub and Isla Maquina, famous for its molas,
and is a popular village excursion for the backpacker islands of Senidub, Naranjo Chico
and Isla Pelicano. Other scenic diversions in the area include the lovely sandy island of
Bigirdub and starfish haven of Isla Salar, while the mainland attractions include a boat
trip up the Río Masargandi, calling in at the cemetery at its mouth, and a trek through
luxuriant rainforest to the once-sacred waterfall of Saiba ($15/group), where you can
cool off in the delightful freshwater pool at its base.
Nusadub and Isla Maquina
A small community of around four hundred just across the water from Río Sidra, the
unfortunately named Nusadub (Isla Ratón) – “Rat Island” – does not harbour any more
of these rodents than anywhere else, though sandflies are a major nuisance here in

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