I'm planning to travel from San José (Costa Rica) to Cartagena with my KLR-650.
Departure date from San José: 17/Dec/2007
Arriving to Cartagena: 23 or 24/Dec/2007

I'm seeking for other travelers to join to on Costa Rica or in Panamá.

The plan includes a maritime section that can be accomplished as following:
A. Colón-Cartagena: in cargo boat, this is the cheapest form.
B. Portobelo-Cartagena: in a sailing boat. It's expensive.
C. Miramar-Pto.Obaldía-Turbo: the most adventurer but more time.

Please contact me to join in the travel or to make me suggestions.

Thanks.

Jaime Allen

I Am Planning To Do Central America On April Next Year, Do You Have Any Information Regarding The Cargo Boat? All I Have Found Is The Sail Boat And It Runs For 500usd (you And The Bike). That Money Might Go Seriously Up If You Have To Wait Until A Sail Boat That Takes You Arrives In The Place You Are, Either Cartagena O Colon.

Cam.

We looked at some of those cargo boats. I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them to be honest. We got messed about by various captains who either couldn't tell you whether they would take the bikes, where they were going or when they were going. I'm no salty sea dog but they all looked totally unsafe to my eyes. Some were so overloaded with cargo, it would be a miracle if they stayed afloat. A word of advice I got was if the boat has a timber hull and the bilge pump is constantly running, walk away. It's bad enough that the backpacker boats just let the passengers sail the boats through the night but I think I'd fancy my chances on one of those than a knackered old cargo ship.

This was one of the better lookers. First the captain was only going to charge about $300 then changed his mind to $800. Per bike! And the accommodation, or lack of it was pretty horrendous.
Image of It could have been ours! - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Unless you have booked something, I wouldn't expect just to turn up and sail the next day. We wasted 3 weeks in Cartagena trying to sort out a boat that would take our two bikes to Panama and eventually took The Melody, which took 6 days and cost $550 ($275/person & $275/bike) but that included all your food. I doubt you'd get much, if anything on a cargo boat.

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As I indicate they are 3 legal forms to complete the maritime part of the travel from Panamá to Colombia with a bike:

A.-Cargo Boat from Colón to Cartagena (or maybe Turbo)
You must go to Colón, In Colon, Panama you can go to Peir 3, its at the end of Calle 4. Its a small port but has boats going to Colombia on a fairly regular basis. You had to go back a few times until a ship came in. They charge about 100 USD per person and 100 USD per bike. They have immigration and an aduana at the port so its easy. Its the cheapest price I have heard of yet.

B.-Sailing boat from Portobelo to Cartagena.
Portobelo is about 25 km from Colón through the coast. They charge 550 USD for the driver and the bike. It's not very expensive if you consider that they'll give the food during the 5 or 6 dasy of the travel. Some ot the captains have experience carrying bikes. You can contact the sailing boats on Mamallena (backpacker hostal)

C.-Small cargo boats that travel from Colón or Miramar to Pto. Obaldía
Puerto Obaldía is a small port of Panamá near the border with Colombia. You can make migration and customs there and them go in a boat to the near port Turbo (Colombia). From Turbo you can go riding to any city of Colombia or South America. Maybe this is the cheapest form but also the one that will delay more time.

Really you can't book these boats in a anticipated form. You have to go the Panamá, to the backpackers hostals to look for the sailing boats that ship from Portobelo or go directly to Colón, Portobelo or Miramar, to look for the boat that can carry you to Colombia. There is no other route except you want to travel by airplane form Albrook airport on Panamá City ot Bogotá, Colombia.

Don't hesitate to ask me any question or send more freh information.

Jaime

Well friends
Today I'm leaving from San José toward Panamá, Colombia and maybe Venezuela. Please send your comments and suggestions.

The possibility of traveling from Colon to Cartagena in a cargo boat is very low. A young man disappear near Puerto Obaldia and authorities of migration are not giving permission to travel.

They are sailing boats but is very difficult to book one. Today ship one to Cartagena that was full. On monday 24/Dec a french man is shipping. It`s to late for me.

I`m looking to travel by plane.

Te estaremos acompañando.

Si tuvieras algun problema recordá que hay oficinas DHL por todas partes y pudieramos coordinar algo a través de ellas.

Just in case!.

Feliz Navidad y Año nuevo.

Saludos,

Ronald Montagne-

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Ronald CR

I just made this crossing by taking a cargo ship from Colon to Puerto Obaldia to Sapzurro and than to Turbo. It was headache after headache as you can see from my thread here:My crazy adventure in crossing the Darien Gap! - ADVrider

Make sure you do not go to Puerto Obaldia because there is no dock there. You do not want to unload your bike from a cargo ship to a small boat over the ocean with sizable waves.

My advice is to book in advance with Mark on the Melody or fly from Panama City.

I looked for sailboats going to Colombia while I was in Colon and I could not find anything.

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http://www.journeyrider.net Latin America blog (07-8)

Thanks to the information of Gato-gato.
Because of the lack of security in traveling from Colón to Puerto Obaldía y decided not to used this route.

December is a bad month to travel by sailing boat. Although I have the opportunity to book one, it was to late for me.

In Cargo terminal in Tocumen, Panama, Girag accept to carry my bike from Tocumen to El Dorado, Bogotá at a charge of $550.00.

I decided to fly to Cartagena without the bike. Know I'm delighted of the sun in Cartagena and planning to fly again to Panama on Jan-4-2008.

Well, I've had very good days in Cartagena, Colombia.
My fathers in law live in these city and I pass form Dec-24 to Jan-4-2008 in the city.

You can see pictures of my trip in: TouringColombia - Viaje Costa Rica - Cartagena

Tomorrow I'll be flying from Cartagena to Panamá and next day travel in the motorcycle from Panamá to Costa Rica.

Happy new year to all in the road.

Jaime