Our Tour And Crew - Alessandra the Pirates of San Blas

Our Tour

Sailing through the San Blas Islands from Panama to Colombia and vice-versa with the Alessandra, You will experience the adventure of a lifetime and the legends of the classic sailboats.

Enjoy this unique experience discovering this hidden paradise of the Caribbean sea. Our trip on the Alessandra lasts 5 days and 4 nights, visiting the best parts of the San Blas Islands Archipelago, also called the Guna Yala region.
The price for the trip is 650 USD per person or 700 USD for the New Years special tour. Included are the 3 delicious and daily changing meals per day, breakfast, lunch and dinner and fruits, coffee, tea, and drinking water can always be taken. Of course included is the accommodation for the nights at sea. As room types on the boat, there are double beds and single beds in three shared cabins. Snorkeling gear and fishing equipment are also available for free.
To ensure our all safety, the boat is equipped with all the safety gear required by the Colombian Port Authorities for international travel and passenger transportation: life jackets, emergency life raft, VHF radio, navigation devices, GPS spot device and SAT line.

New route – more San Blas, les seasickness

Since January 2023, we changed our route to a safer one. Now we have more time to spend at the islands while being less time in the open sea, where a lot of people get seasick.
A sailing trip to Cartagena means 35 to 40 hours in the open sea at the end of the tour and no one can enjoy the tour between these big waves.
With that change, by having the same travel time, we have four days on the islands with the new tour in contrast to three days during the old tour. This makes it possible to explore more islands, one or two indigenous communities of the kunas and relax.
We are closer to the coast and avoid most of the high waves, so everybody can enjoy every part of our pirate life.

From Panama

We pick you up in Panama City with a shuttle and bring you to the port of San Blas, from there a small boat brings you to the island where captain Rudi welcomes you on board of the Alessandra for the tour. Transportation costs from Panama City to the boat are 60 USD per person and is not included in the tour price.

From Colombia

We depart from Cartagena in the evening with a private night Bus. Arrived in Necoclí, at 7 am we will go on board of a catamaran for up to 60 people that brings us to Capurganá. In Capurganá we will organize your emigration of Colombia.
From here, we only need about 15 minutes in a small boat to reach the Alessandra in Sapzurro and start our 5 day sailing tour to Panama.
The private transport from Cartagena to Capurganá, is included in the tour price.

Our Food

The boat is famous for its tasty food, we prepare Italian Pasta and Risotto with vegetables and fresh fish. Lobster, Crab, Cambombia, Octopus, Tuna, Snapper, Sierra, Bream, Wahoo, Sailfish and more. We are also able to accommodate any kind of diet (vegetarian, vegan, pescetarian).

THESE ARE THE LEADERS OF THIS GREAT ADVENTURE

Our Crew

Rudi Gamberoni

Our Captain

Was born in South Tyrol - Italy, in 1958.

Experience: 40 years in sailing boats.

Hobbies: Sailing, Fishing, Paragliding, Skiing.

Languages: German, Italian, Spanish, English

Yamile Vergara Torres

Captain’s Right Hand

She was born in 1981 in the beautiful country of Colombia.

Experience: 5 years with the captain at sea.

Hobbies: Cooking, Dancing and Music.

Languages: Spanish, Italian.

You will enjoy a unique and unforgettable experience!

Phone: (+57) 312 556 3931

WhatsApp: (+507) 6031 2380

Email: info@cartagenasailing.com

Restyling Of Alessandra

Allan Delaney

16:36 19 Aug 23

Just finished a tour of the San Blas with Rudi and Niki on The Alessandra and it was hands down the best experience of my life. I originally booked with them 3 years ago and they honoured my deposit from the pandemic and delivered such an incredible experience making it well worth the wait.The tour was pure freedom, Rudi and Niki asked us what we wanted to see everyday, what we wanted to eat and then spent the day looking for those adventures to grant our wishes. We ate lobster, calamari, octopus, fish and more caught by the local Kuna Yala residents of the islands fresh daily (masterfully prepared by Rudi with his Italian expertise). We found a different island to explore for breakfast lunch and dinner of sizes from dense palm groves to tiny banks with only 4 palm trees.Every day was a new adventure snorkelling through crystal clear turquoise waters, diving off the front of the ship, playing volleyball, racing around an island, or swinging in a hammock as we gently sailed from anchor to anchor.We had a storm change the course of our last day but Rudi and Niki’s professionalism made sure that we sailed safely while still having fun, making us all feel like we were in safe and capable hands. The new route that the Alessandra takes, that most of the other boats do not, is also an advantage. You avoid the open water crossing, while also giving you more time in the islands and less time feeling sick.The Alessandra is truely a unique experience. Every ship we sailed past stopped to take photos because there is nothing else like it sailing through the San Blas. If you have the chance to sail with them don’t hesitate!!

Claudia Southern

16:14 19 Aug 23

The San Blas Islands tour with Cartagena Sailing was absolutely amazing, I couldn’t recommend it more! The Alessandra is a beautiful and unique boat and Captain Rudi is a great character who brings a lot of fun and energy to the boat, plus his cooking is delicious. The fresh seafood daily and pastas were great. The route of the tour is perfect as it gives you more time to enjoy the islands and less time on the open ocean getting sea sick. As Captain Rudi said, you can go to a new island for breakfast, lunch and dinner - what more could you want!

wonney jang

03:35 29 Jun 23

Hands down, best experience I’ve had in my lifetime. From sailing to eating fresh seafood everyday, living a simple dream life of swimming and creating friendships and enjoying beautiful islands, what stook out to me the most was that the crew genuinely cared about the guests. From the time and effort Yamile and Kalmis put into the food and the positivity and hardworking ethic from Carlos, this experience would not have been what it was if it was not for them. I literally dropped my phone in the ocean the first night and figured it was a lost cause but the crew went diving for it in the middle of the night and even found my phone. From the beginning to the very end when our group docked at Sapzurro (we opted to take a shorter route for less time on open sea), Yamile, Kalmis, and Carlos made sure all 14 of us got to Cartagena safely with them, making sure we even had lunch on the journey there. Highly highly suggest for anyone considering this once in a lifetime experience. Oh and bring motion sickness medicine if you get seasick.

Uriah Herr

23:29 08 Jun 23

Let me start by saying that I am a pirate/history fanatic. I'm specifically enamored with the golden age of piracy in and around the Caribbean, up and down the Spanish main.Our trip through the San Blas Islands on the Alessandra was a truly amazing experience. The boat was like no other, a beauty of a schooner built in NZ in 1988 all wood and steel, no fiberglass here! It was, and is truly magnificent sailing vessel and it even boasts some cinematic history!The crew was fantastic, providing fresh and tasty meals three times a day and tending to the sails. Captain Rudi charted our course and regaled us with his tales of adventure. He was exactly the character you'd want at the helm, a steadfast and salty mariner with a quirky sense of humor and an infectious passion for the sea.The Alessandra quickly became a comfortable home, an incredible staging point for our dreamlike island escapade. The rum did flow, and fresh fish was caught while we sailed. Local Kuna fishermen pulled their canoes next to us to sell the days fresh catch of spiny lobster, fish and other wares.To have the opportunity to sail on the same seas as Drake, Teach and Roberts in a boat (similar to theirs) was a treat beyond words. As we cruised from island to island, the wind blowing salty spray across the bow of the Alessandra, I found myself living in the words of Dampier's voyages circa 1680. From his descriptions of the Kuna people and their thatched huts, to the plants, animals and sea life in the San Blas it was all there, and it was stunning.I hope to be so lucky to have this opportunity again. To drift in and out of history, the waves lapping at the hull, sun ripening the basket of fresh fruit on the stern. To absorb the peaceful serenity of these tranquil isles, not a cell signal to be found. In all, this would be a perfectly wonderful place to be marooned. To swim in the crystalline waters, stretch out in a hammock with a bottle of rum on the warm sands of the San Blas Islands.

Paddy

14:10 25 May 23

Wow! it was one of the best experiences i have had in my life. Everything was super organized and uncomplicated, the food was very tasty and fresh, the islands were breathtaking and the sailing ship was also very nice with good places to lie down (with hammocks) you meet lovely people and can enjoy the sun the whole day. I definitely recommend the sailing trip it was worth every penny!

Jan Saade

06:20 03 Apr 23

Im Februar 23 ging es für mich mit dem wunderschönen Segelboot „Alessandra“ von Panama nach Kolumbien. Ich hatte eine tolle Zeit mit mega leckerem Essen und toller Crew! Alles war super durchgeplant und die aufgrund von starkem Wind veränderte Route auf kolumbianischer Seite, welche über Sapzurro - Capurgana und Neccocli ging, war abwechslungsreich und spannend! Ich hatte meinen Spaß. Sehr empfehlenswert und die deutlich aufregendere Alternative der Grenzüberquerung im Vergleich zum Flug.

Walter Schüpbach

17:09 20 Mar 23

Ein unvergessliches und aufregendes Erlebnis, was wir auf diesem Boot und mit der Mannschaft erleben durften. Vielen Dank für alles, Rudi und sein Team sind einfach unbeschreiblich coole Menschen.

VAlentino Kristen

14:45 17 Mar 23

Mein Segeltrip auf den San Blas Inseln mit dem Boot Allesandra war insgesamt eine gute Erfahrung. Die Inseln selbst sind atemberaubend schön und bieten eine tolle Gelegenheit zum Schnorcheln und Entspannen. Das Boot selbst war sehenswert und komfortabel und bot alles, was wir für eine angenehme Reise benötigten.

valle kliever

01:36 15 Mar 23

We attended this San Blas Cruise on the unique and impressive Pirateship Alessandra in March and were amazed by the incredible views along the san blas islands, funny nature of rudi and crew, as well as the amazing atmosphere we enjoyed with the rest of the group. The sea can get choppy at times, but nothing some seasick pills couldn’t solve. We were stopping at different islands, one of them private, were fed fresh seafood with an italian twist thanks to the heritage of captain rudi, and swam in some incredible blue waters.if you are looking for a fun time on a unique ship with a unique captain, this is for you.

Rob McLean

01:34 11 Mar 23

Unreal experience on the Alessandra pirate ship sailing from Colombia to Panamá departing 28 Feb 2023. Everything we excellent - especially the food prepared by the staff each day and of course the untouched islands of San Blas. I would recommend this trip to anyone, it was the highlight of my South & Central America travel. It’s not all smooth sailing - parts of the journey aren’t always comfortable, but it’s all part of the experience and worth it once you get to the San Blas Islands.