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For decades, as result of the social and environmental traits that characterize them, the islands have been object of great anthropological and touristic interest. This article, more than focusing on the island's identity, analyses how the inhabitants of the indigenous reserve of Gunayala (Atlantic coast of Panama) have built their territoriality in relation to the sea, establishing an effective control over its resources and exploitation regulations for certain areas and species. Within the framework of this analysis we highlight the recent conflicts of this indigenous society with an increasing number of cruisers that break the reserve's regulations by practicing leisure activities in the Guna territorial waters. As well as describing the sailors that arrive in the region and documenting their survival strategies, the paper aims to explain the response of the Guna authorities to the non-compliance with their laws. This case shows the extent to which tourism can present territorial problems for the indigenous peoples, especially in those spaces where the national legislation does not recognize their specific rights nor does it offer the necessary resources to defend them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]