The Origin of the Islands (Guna Yala): When the Sea Decided to Give Land

Long before maps, tourists, or sailboats drifting through turquoise water, the islands of Guna Yala did not exist, at least not in the way we know them today.

According to the Guna and their traditional stories, the archipelago was once hidden beneath the ocean's surface, watched over by sea spirits. The Guna people lived on the mainland, guided by nature and the wisdom of their elders. But the sea, observing their harmony, decided it was time to give them something extraordinary.

The story says that the spirits slowly raised pieces of the ocean floor, lifting them toward the sky. Not all at once, not rapidly… but gently, as if offering a gift. One island, then another, then hundreds more. They emerged slowly between two worlds: the land and the water, the material and the spiritual.

To the Guna, this was a purpose given to them by the spirits.

The islands were made for them so they could live closer to the sea, learn from it, fish from it, and respect it as an elder. The ocean did not give everything freely; it provided just enough, reminding the Guna that balance is vital for life.

This myth remains woven into everyday life. It explains why the islands are treated not as property but as sacred spaces, why fishing has rules, why waste is managed, and why visitors are welcomed yet carefully monitored. If the islands are a gift from the sea, then the duty is to protect them so they never sink back into the water from which they came.

And when you sail between these small white-sand cays today, with palm trees swaying and reefs glowing beneath your boat, it’s impossible not to feel the mythology alive around you. The islands truly seem to rise from something deeper, shaped by nature, honored by tradition, and protected by the people who have known them longer than any map has ever recorded.