[et_pb_section fb_built=\u201d1\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||0px||false|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d max_width=\u201d900px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||0px||true|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201d4_4\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201d67498989-fe43-4cc1-80eb-d194df7858f4\u2033 header_2_font=\u201d|600|||||||\u201d header_2_text_align=\u201dcenter\u201d header_2_text_color=\u201d#334556\u2033 header_2_font_size=\u201d38px\u201d header_2_line_height=\u201d1.4em\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||0px||true|\u201d header_2_font_size_tablet=\u201d28px\u201d header_2_font_size_phone=\u201d22px\u201d header_2_font_size_last_edited=\u201don|phone\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d]<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_text_color=\u201d#334556\u2033 header_2_font_size=\u201d33px\u201d header_2_line_height=\u201d1.4em\u201d custom_padding=\u201d||40px||false|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d]<\/p>\n
When you live in the shelter of a long coral barrier reef, time melts into thin air. The San Blas<\/a><\/u> Islands\u2019 archipelago, dotted along the Panamanian<\/a><\/u> coastline, extends out into the Caribbean Sea. It is here, on white sandy shores bathed in crystalline waters, that the Guna live. Immerse yourself in a place where the art of the good life is intertwined with the art of \u201cmola\u201d, a unique creative form reflecting the soul of a sovereign people.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d max_width=\u201d900px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||0px||true|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201d4_4\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|600|||||||\u201d header_2_font_size=\u201d23px\u201d header_2_line_height=\u201d1.2em\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||18px||false|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=\u201dhttps:\/\/escales.ponant.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Low-Resolution-San-Blas-Island-Panama-1.jpg\u201d alt=\u201dA crystal-clear turquoise lagoon and an island covered with coconut trees in the San Blas Islands\u201d title_text=\u201dmeet-people-guna\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_padding=\u201d||23px|||\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|300|||||||\u201d header_2_text_color=\u201d#334556\u2033 header_2_font_size=\u201d38px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d14px||21px||false|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d]<\/p>\n As you sail towards the Panamanian coast, a maze of islands surges out of the water, looking every inch the furthest reaches of the planet. The San Blas Islands were not birthed by the Earth\u2019s volcanic eruptions<\/strong> but out of a slow-burning underwater alchemy. The network of nearly 400 tiny islands<\/strong>, formed purely out of coral, extend for over 300 kilometres<\/strong>. In this fragile paradise, immaculate atolls barely trouble the water\u2019s surface.<\/p>\n This is exploration in its truest sense. You start to move at a slower pace, cradled by gentle trade winds. Your gaze lingers on crystalline lagoons<\/strong>, long stretches of white sand and dense coconut groves<\/strong>. According to Panama\u2019s tourist bureau, just 49 of the islands are inhabited. They have been a refuge to more than 60,000 members of the Guna community since the 16th century<\/strong>. These people have, however, lived on the Isthmus of Panama since pre-Colombian times.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=\u201d2_5,3_5\u2033 admin_label=\u201dMEA \u2013 decalage\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d max_width=\u201d900px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d29px||27px||false|false\u201d locked=\u201doff\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201d2_5\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d background_enable_color=\u201doff\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|300|on||||||\u201d header_2_text_align=\u201dleft\u201d header_2_text_color=\u201d#ffffff\u201d header_2_font_size=\u201d23px\u201d header_2_line_height=\u201d1.4em\u201d background_color=\u201d#307f90\u2033 custom_margin=\u201d|-30%|||false|false\u201d custom_margin_tablet=\u201d|0%|||false|false\u201d custom_margin_phone=\u201d\u201d custom_margin_last_edited=\u201don|tablet\u201d custom_padding=\u201d30px|62.8%|30px|20px|true|false\u201d custom_padding_tablet=\u201d|20px|||true|false\u201d custom_padding_phone=\u201d\u201d custom_padding_last_edited=\u201don|tablet\u201d header_2_font_size_tablet=\u201d23px\u201d header_2_font_size_phone=\u201d23px\u201d header_2_font_size_last_edited=\u201don|phone\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=\u201d3_5\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d background_enable_color=\u201doff\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d background_color=\u201d#f7f7f7\u2033 custom_margin=\u201d50px|||-17.9%|false|false\u201d custom_margin_tablet=\u201d0px|||0%|false|false\u201d custom_margin_phone=\u201d\u201d custom_margin_last_edited=\u201don|desktop\u201d custom_padding=\u201d40px|43px|40px|43px|true|true\u201d custom_padding_tablet=\u201d|20px||20px|true|true\u201d custom_padding_phone=\u201d\u201d custom_padding_last_edited=\u201don|tablet\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d]<\/p>\n The San Blas Islands\u2019 people were long referred to as the \u201cKuna<\/strong>\u201d, but their native alphabet doesn\u2019t actually include the letter K<\/strong>. They changed their name to the Guna in the early 2010s out of a desire to embrace their identity. They are now known as the Guna by the Panamanian state<\/strong> and run the \u201ccomarca Guna Yala\u201d, or \u201cland of the Guna\u201d, which is the archipelago\u2019s real indigenous name. As the French journal the Cahiers d\u2019Anthropologie Sociale confirms, they are the only Panamanians to have this autonomous legal status, <\/strong>and as such they have the jurisdiction to protect their lands and customs.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d max_width=\u201d900px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||0px||true|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201d4_4\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|600|||||||\u201d header_2_font_size=\u201d23px\u201d header_2_line_height=\u201d1.2em\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||8px||false|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=\u201dhttps:\/\/escales.ponant.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Low-Resolution-7_R_Panama_Holandes-Cayes_iles-SAN-BLAS-_Peuple-Cunas\u00a9StudioPONANT_MargauxCOUPEZ-1.jpg\u201d alt=\u201dA Guna woman as seen from behind placing geometrically patterned mola textile on a blue thread, in the San Blas Islands\u201d title_text=\u201dmeet-people-guna\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_padding=\u201d||23px|||\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|300|||||||\u201d header_2_text_color=\u201d#334556\u2033 header_2_font_size=\u201d38px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d19px||21px||false|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d]<\/p>\n Once you are on dry land, the sober design of the traditional houses contrasts with Guna women<\/strong>\u2019s incredible flamboyance. Their gold rings<\/strong>, geometric beads<\/strong>, bright scarves<\/strong> and dazzling blouses<\/strong> light up the sandy streets. As you wander past ramshackle homes, you breathe in a tranquil ambiance centred around a large community hut<\/strong>. This solemn space is for decision-making and ritual chant.<\/p>\n While the men are out fishing in their pirogues, the women manage the village. They are the pillars of this matrilineal society<\/strong> and the guardians of its land and heritage. This way of life has long been studied by the anthropologist Michel Perrin<\/strong> who, in a 2001 conversation with Radio France, described it as having \u201ca strict etiquette, organised around sages\u2019 chanting and women\u2019s manual labour\u201d.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=\u201d2_5,3_5\u2033 admin_label=\u201dMEA \u2013 decalage\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d max_width=\u201d900px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d48px||32px||false|false\u201d locked=\u201doff\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201d2_5\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d background_enable_color=\u201doff\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|300|on||||||\u201d header_2_text_align=\u201dleft\u201d header_2_text_color=\u201d#ffffff\u201d header_2_font_size=\u201d23px\u201d header_2_line_height=\u201d1.4em\u201d background_color=\u201d#307f90\u2033 custom_margin=\u201d|-30%|||false|false\u201d custom_margin_tablet=\u201d|0%|||false|false\u201d custom_margin_phone=\u201d\u201d custom_margin_last_edited=\u201don|tablet\u201d custom_padding=\u201d30px|62.8%|30px|20px|true|false\u201d custom_padding_tablet=\u201d|20px|||true|false\u201d custom_padding_phone=\u201d\u201d custom_padding_last_edited=\u201don|tablet\u201d header_2_font_size_tablet=\u201d23px\u201d header_2_font_size_phone=\u201d23px\u201d header_2_font_size_last_edited=\u201don|phone\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=\u201d3_5\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d background_enable_color=\u201doff\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d background_color=\u201d#f7f7f7\u2033 custom_margin=\u201d50px|||-17.9%|false|false\u201d custom_margin_tablet=\u201d0px|||0%|false|false\u201d custom_margin_phone=\u201d\u201d custom_margin_last_edited=\u201don|desktop\u201d custom_padding=\u201d40px|43px|40px|43px|true|true\u201d custom_padding_tablet=\u201d|20px||20px|true|true\u201d custom_padding_phone=\u201d\u201d custom_padding_last_edited=\u201don|tablet\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d]<\/p>\n As a research director at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)<\/strong> and a specialist in Guna society, the French anthropologist Michel Perrin has devoted much of his life to decoding mola<\/strong> art. He wrote a book entitled Tableaux Kuna (or \u201cGuna Art\u201d) and was one of the first researchers to see the textile creations as more than just an exotic folkloric artefact. In his foundational work, he uncovered a major pictorial art<\/strong> made up of metamorphoses and double meanings, and emphasised that behind each piece of cloth lies the collective unconscious and powerful founding myths of an entire people.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d max_width=\u201d900px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||0px||true|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201d4_4\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|600|||||||\u201d header_2_font_size=\u201d23px\u201d header_2_line_height=\u201d1.2em\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||18px||false|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=\u201dhttps:\/\/escales.ponant.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Low-Resolution-nathalie-michel-kuna-indians-san-bl-1-1.jpg\u201d alt=\u201dA Guna craftswoman wearing a gold ring in her nose and a red scarf, concentrating on the painstaking work of making mola textiles in the San Blas Islands\u201d title_text=\u201dmeet-people-guna\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_padding=\u201d||23px|||\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|300|||||||\u201d header_2_text_color=\u201d#334556\u2033 header_2_font_size=\u201d38px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d13px||29px||false|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d]<\/p>\n This fascinating matriarchal society finds its fullest expression through needlework<\/strong>. Mola-making<\/strong> takes on a life of its own in Guna women\u2019s expert hands to form vibrantly coloured panels, and it is only the women who know the secret. In the shade of the palm trees, their little scissors dart across the fabric with disconcerting agility. Their skills<\/strong> are minutely detailed, their patience endless.<\/p>\n But the textile is far more than just ornamentation<\/strong>. Behind the dazzling colours, an act of visceral resistance<\/strong> is being sewn into the warp and weft. Molas serve as a rampart against assimilation and the erasure of Guna culture. \u201cI call it an art of reaction,\u201d says Michel Perrin. \u201cIt\u2019s in reaction to Western constrictions that mola has become the key symbol of Guna identity.\u201d As the standard bearer for an identity<\/strong>, it is fiercely protected.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=\u201d2_5,3_5\u2033 admin_label=\u201dMEA \u2013 decalage\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d max_width=\u201d900px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d5px||19px||false|false\u201d locked=\u201doff\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201d2_5\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d background_enable_color=\u201doff\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|300|on||||||\u201d header_2_text_align=\u201dleft\u201d header_2_text_color=\u201d#ffffff\u201d header_2_font_size=\u201d23px\u201d header_2_line_height=\u201d1.4em\u201d background_color=\u201d#307f90\u2033 custom_margin=\u201d|-30%|||false|false\u201d custom_margin_tablet=\u201d|0%|||false|false\u201d custom_margin_phone=\u201d\u201d custom_margin_last_edited=\u201don|tablet\u201d custom_padding=\u201d30px|62.8%|30px|20px|true|false\u201d custom_padding_tablet=\u201d|20px|||true|false\u201d custom_padding_phone=\u201d\u201d custom_padding_last_edited=\u201don|tablet\u201d header_2_font_size_tablet=\u201d23px\u201d header_2_font_size_phone=\u201d23px\u201d header_2_font_size_last_edited=\u201don|phone\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=\u201d3_5\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d background_enable_color=\u201doff\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d background_color=\u201d#f7f7f7\u2033 custom_margin=\u201d50px|||-17.9%|false|false\u201d custom_margin_tablet=\u201d0px|||0%|false|false\u201d custom_margin_phone=\u201d\u201d custom_margin_last_edited=\u201don|desktop\u201d custom_padding=\u201d40px|43px|40px|43px|true|true\u201d custom_padding_tablet=\u201d|20px||20px|true|true\u201d custom_padding_phone=\u201d\u201d custom_padding_last_edited=\u201don|tablet\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d]<\/p>\n In the 17th century<\/strong>, Guna women traced geometric patterns onto their bare skin using plant-based dyes<\/strong>. When they were forced to dress by missionaries, they decided to transpose their art onto fabric. This act of resistance only grew in importance in 1925<\/strong> when the Panamanian government tried to ban this traditional form of dress. To enable their art to live on, the craftswomen adopted the technique of reverse appliqu\u00e9<\/strong>. They layered several vibrant fabrics on top of one another, cutting holes in the uppermost layers to reveal the colours below, then sewing the edges with minuscule stitches. In doing so, they created genuine textile sculptures.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d max_width=\u201d900px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||0px||true|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201d4_4\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|600|||||||\u201d header_2_font_size=\u201d23px\u201d header_2_line_height=\u201d1.2em\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||18px||false|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=\u201dhttps:\/\/escales.ponant.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Low-Resolution-No-2032_EE110223_Colon-Puntarenas_StudioPONANT-Thibault-Garnier-1.jpg\u201d alt=\u201dA collection of several, very brightly coloured traditional molas adorned with tropical birds and labyrinthine shapes, from the San Blas Islands\u201d title_text=\u201dmeet-people-guna\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_padding=\u201d||23px|||\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|300|||||||\u201d header_2_text_color=\u201d#334556\u2033 header_2_font_size=\u201d38px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d19px||29px||false|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d]<\/p>\n Sit yourself beside the craftswomen<\/strong> to watch them make their creations up close. Mola gives you a rare insight into the local way of thinking, which includes a remarkable artistic language. You will see a richly populated menagerie<\/strong> of wildlife and plants living alongside people\u2019s everyday life. This is art which doesn\u2019t aim to reproduce reality \u201cbut to signify it\u201d, says Michel Perrin. Add to this a labyrinthine aesthetic of sinuous motifs<\/strong> inspired by coral, designed to ward off evil spirits.<\/p>\n Within this pictorial art form there also hide deep taboos<\/strong>, such as the serpent<\/strong>, a creature that the women refuse to depict. \u201cThere\u2019s a very strong association between the needle used to sew and the animal\u2019s teeth,\u201d explains Michel Perrin. This is about more than just the motifs, however: the very act of sewing is charged with formidable magical power<\/strong>. The Guna\u2019s spirituality is woven into the cloth, with each layer an echo of the strata of their mythological universe<\/strong>.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d max_width=\u201d900px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||0px||true|false\u201d locked=\u201doff\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201d4_4\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d text_font_size=\u201d12px\u201d header_2_font=\u201d|300|||||||\u201d header_2_text_color=\u201d#334556\u2033 header_2_font_size=\u201d38px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||40px||false|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d]<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Photos credits: \u00a9Studio PONANT\/Nathalie Michel\/Margot Sib\/Margaux Coupez\/Thibault Garnier<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=\u201d1\u2033 admin_label=\u201dPUSH\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_padding=\u201d||0px||false|false\u201d locked=\u201doff\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_row column_structure=\u201d1_2,1_2\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d background_color=\u201d#334556\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201d1_2\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_padding=\u201d|50px||50px|false|true\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_image src=\u201dhttps:\/\/escales.ponant.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Low-Resolution-50_HolandesCay_SanBlas_Panama_plage_LeBellot\u00a9StudioPONANT-Thibault-Garnier-1.jpg\u201d alt=\u201dA PONANT ship along the coast of one of the San Blas Islands in Panama\u201d title_text=\u201dmeet-people-guna\u201d align=\u201dcenter\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d max_width=\u201d445px\u201d module_alignment=\u201dcenter\u201d max_height=\u201d445px\u201d custom_margin=\u201d-90px||||false|false\u201d custom_padding=\u201d||20px||false|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=\u201d1_2\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_padding=\u201d|50px|||false|false\u201d custom_padding_tablet=\u201d|50px||50px|false|false\u201d custom_padding_phone=\u201d|20px||20px|false|true\u201d custom_padding_last_edited=\u201don|phone\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d text_font=\u201d|700|||||||\u201d text_text_color=\u201d#ffffff\u201d text_font_size=\u201d38px\u201d text_line_height=\u201d1.4em\u201d width=\u201d70%\u201d width_tablet=\u201d100%\u201d width_phone=\u201d\u201d width_last_edited=\u201don|desktop\u201d custom_margin=\u201d10px||20px||false|false\u201d custom_padding=\u201d|||20px|false|false\u201d text_font_size_tablet=\u201d\u201d text_font_size_phone=\u201d25px\u201d text_font_size_last_edited=\u201don|tablet\u201d border_width_left=\u201d5px\u201d border_color_left=\u201d#26afc2\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d]<\/p>\n Let PONANT take you there<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d text_text_color=\u201d#ffffff\u201d width=\u201d70%\u201d width_tablet=\u201d100%\u201d width_phone=\u201d\u201d width_last_edited=\u201don|desktop\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d]<\/p>\n Voyage to meet ancient cultures<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=\u201dhttps:\/\/en.ponant.com\/destinations\/central-america\u201d button_text=\u201dView cruises in Central America\u201d button_alignment=\u201dleft\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.27.6\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_margin=\u201d20px||20px||false|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The soul of a culture shaped by water<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":17285864,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"thematique":[1421,1409,1414,1432,1444],"class_list":["post-17285393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-encounter","thematique-caribbean","thematique-central-america","thematique-crafts-and-traditions","thematique-islands","thematique-peoples"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA coral-ringed sanctuary in the Caribbean Sea<\/h2>\n
What\u2019s in a name? Kuna or Guna?<\/h2>\n
The secret life of a community of women<\/h2>\n
Michel Perrin: an ethnologist opening up worlds<\/h2>\n
Mola art: resistance woven into cloth<\/h2>\n
The secrets of mola, from bare skin to textiles<\/h2>\n
An immersive insight into the Guna imagination<\/h2>\n