By Ramiro Del Rio
Cayos Limones or Cayos Holandeses: What Changes
San Blas is not one place, it is 365 islands spread across areas that look nothing alike. And the two that show up most often in itineraries —Cayos Limones and Cayos Holandeses— make for very different days.
Choosing badly will not ruin your trip, but choosing well improves it a lot.
The difference underneath everything: distance
Cayos Limones is the chain closest to the port of entry. Cayos Holandeses sits out in open water, considerably farther away.
Everything else follows from that. Closer means less time sailing, more boats, more people and reefs worn down by use. Farther means more time at sea, more movement, fewer visitors and coral in better shape.
There is no good area and bad area. There is a comfortable one and one you have to earn.
Cayos Limones
This is where the islands whose names everyone recognises are: Isla Perro Chico with its sunken ship, Isla Diablo with its blinding white sand, Isla Pelícano and Isla Aguja with the leaning palms.
What to expect: very clear turquoise water, sandy shores that shelve gently —you can stand up in a good part of them— and easy snorkelling, above all the wreck, which you reach walking out from the beach.
What to accept: it is the busiest area in the archipelago. By mid-morning several boats overlap at the most famous islands, and if the picture in your head was an empty beach, you will not find it in Limones in high season.
Who it works best for: a first visit to San Blas, people who are not strong swimmers, families, anyone with a single day who wants to see the most recognisable spots.
Cayos Holandeses
This is the chain farthest from the coast and the one that gets the least traffic. That is where Isla Tortuga, Banedup and Isla Estrella are.
What to expect: the clearest water in the archipelago, genuinely living reef and a sense of isolation that Limones no longer has. At Isla Estrella you see big starfish in waist-deep water, and Banedup is ringed by live coral.
What to accept: the crossing is noticeably longer and rougher. It is the run where most people get seasick, so it pays to come prepared —we cover it in seasickness on the way to San Blas. There are also fewer services out there: these are cays with almost no infrastructure.
Who it works best for: anyone coming mainly for the snorkelling, anyone who already knows Limones, anyone who handles the sea well and anyone chasing islands with nobody on them.
Quick comparison
| Cayos Limones | Cayos Holandeses | |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | the closest chain | open water, much farther |
| Crossing | short and calm | long, with more movement |
| Crowds | the most visited area | few boats |
| Reef | worn, easy snorkelling | alive and in better shape |
| Highlight of the day | the Perro Chico wreck | the coral and the starfish |
| Services | a few toilets and stalls | practically none |
And the Natural Pool?
It belongs to neither: it is a sandbar in open sea where the water comes up to your waist, and it appears in itineraries from several areas. It is the stop that surprises almost everyone, and it works just as well whether you swim or not. We tell the whole story in the Natural Pool of San Blas.
How to choose without getting it wrong
If it is your first time, go to Limones. It is what you have seen in photos and what you are going to want to see.
If you are coming mainly to snorkel, go to Holandeses and accept the crossing.
If you get seasick or travel with small children, Limones without a second thought.
If you are coming back to San Blas, Holandeses will feel like a different place altogether, and that is the point.
If you have more than one day, do not choose: a two or three day format lets you see both areas without rushing, which is exactly what does not fit into a single day. You can compare all our tours and the price of each format.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Cayos Limones or Cayos Holandeses? It depends what you are after. Limones has the most recognisable islands and the easiest access; Holandeses has better reef and far fewer people, in exchange for a longer crossing.
Can you see both areas in a single day? Not reasonably. They are far apart and the day does not stretch to both without spending all of it in the boat. With two or three days, yes.
Where is the sunken ship? At Isla Perro Chico, in Cayos Limones, a few metres from shore and in shallow water.
Where do you see the starfish? Mainly at Isla Estrella, in Cayos Holandeses, and also at the Natural Pool. They are not lifted out of the water: outside it they suffocate in under a minute.
Which has better snorkelling? Holandeses, because of the state of the reef. The easiest snorkelling, on the other hand, is the wreck in Limones.
Is Holandeses more expensive? It costs more sailing time, and that shows up in the length of the day more than in a big price difference. The formats and their prices are on our prices page.