There are 365 islands that make up the San Blas, but there are few population centers. Rio Diablo and Porvenir are the major 'towns,' but the rest of the islands are sparsely populated. Most contain a handful of thatch huts and a few families, but not much more.
We learned that (with a few exceptions), these huts and islands are not the property of any one family, but rather are communally owned. A family will spend a month living in a set of huts on one island, and then move to another island the next month. Any coconuts and fish that are harvested during their time on an island belong to them, but the land they live on does not.
This rotation ensures that every family spends an equal amount of time at the more and less productive land in the San Blas. The concept of ownership does indeed exist - people have their own clothes, hammocks, and boats - but land and homes are shared.
We had an opportunity to spend a day with the Morris family. They are a unique exception to the land-sharing tradition. The land their home is on has been with their family for four generations. With every coming month, they get to stay in the same place, while new neighbors come and go. By staying in one place, they have cultivated fruit and other crops nearby.
Their neighbors change every month. Some are nice (like the ones they have now), but some are noisy. With the annoying ones, at least they don't hang around for too long!