2xSK6AWbQLSJBUny9Cw2ZQ San Andres, Colombia: An Off-the-Radar Gem Caribbean Colombia San Andres
A little of the fantastic scenery on the southeastern side of Isla San Andres

We loved our short visit to San Andres, Colombia a couple of weeks ago.

We’ve been on a bit of a Caribbean kick lately. With the coronavirus pandemic still limiting our ability to travel far and wide, we’ve been focusing on destinations that are fast and easy to get to. In early November, we journeyed to Aruba and Bonaire – two fantastic islands that are just off the coast of Venezuela.

fullsizeoutput_6fff-1000x1024 San Andres, Colombia: An Off-the-Radar Gem Caribbean Colombia San Andres For our latest Caribbean adventure, we didn’t even have to leave Colombia – but we did go further afield. San Andres and its sister island, Providencia, are part of a Colombian archipelago situated at the same latitude as Nicaragua.

We had been on the fence about visiting San Andres because we’d heard mixed reviews from friends. But throughout our travel careers we have always been determined to experience a place first before forming an opinion. And we’re so glad we visited this lush, green island paradise.

Fun Facts about San Andres, Colombia

  • It’s a long way from mainland Colombia – almost 500 miles to the northwest – but easy to reach by plane. Or by sailboat, if you’re so inclined (see Flashback to 2004 below).
  • Since San Andres lies about 125 east of Nicaragua, the two countries have been in a dispute about the island and its surrounding waters for more than a century. The matter was partially settled in 2012, when the International Court of Justice ruled in favor of Colombia for the island. (The maritime rights are still in dispute.)
  • The Afro-Caribbean natives of San Andres, known as the Raizal, speak a Creole dialect of English. Most folks know some Spanish from the Colombian influence, but they seem to prefer English. It was a bit of a switch for us, programmed as we are to try and speak Spanish out of respect!
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San Andreas billboard – love the local patois!
  • Want to move to San Andres? Good luck. You need special permission to live permanently on the island, and you must be a resident of Colombia first. You then must either be married to an Islander or start an improved business with an investment of $100,000.00 US dollars or more.
  • San Andres might be little-known to outsiders, but it’s a vacation playground for Colombians. In fact, it’s best to avoid the island during high season (including December, when we were there!).
  • It’s still a bargain. Prices of food, beverage, and lodging are slightly higher than mainland Colombia. But for a Caribbean beach destination, San Andres is really reasonable.

Usual notice: A lot of our pictures are in galleries. Just click on the first one to go through a larger version of each.

Things to do on San Andres

IMG_3904 San Andres, Colombia: An Off-the-Radar Gem Caribbean Colombia San Andres
Mules are fun and easy to drive!

Take a Ride on a Mule. San Andres isn’t a big island, and it’s encircled by a well-paved road that makes it easy to explore. The best way to see the island is to rent a scooter or a “Mule,” a gas-powered, ruggedized golf cart that can go just about anywhere (although we stayed on the main road).

Take our advice and avoid the congested urban center to the north and explore the much less-developed eastern, western, and southern sides. There you’ll find beautiful hidden beaches and coves, quaint villages with excellent local eateries, and much more. The best sandy beaches are on the eastern side of the island , while the western side has mostly coral beaches and a wilder and more jungle-y feel.

Get a steeple’s eye view at the First Baptist Church, the oldest church on San Andres. Perched high on the ridge road that bisects the island from north to south, the church was first organized in 1847. The current structure was shipped, timber by timber, from Alabama and built in 1898. The climb to the bell tower up the steep wooden stairs (more like a ladder) is well worth it – you’ll be afforded the best views of the island.

For the second-best views, visit the San Andres Botanical Garden operated by the National University of Colombia. The garden itself is a little underwhelming, but there’s a lookout tower that offers a whole different set of panoramic vistas.

Beach It. The most popular beach on San Andres is Spratt Bight, on the northern (downtown) end smack in the middle of the highly developed hotel zone. Spratt Bight is a beautiful, long, white sand beach, but it gets super-crowded during high season.

For a calmer and less crowded beach experience, head south down the eastern coast to the small beachside village of San Luis. Our chosen hotel is ideally situated here, on the long stretch of white sand beach that runs south from Rocky Cay. Here, you’ll find numerous inviting restaurants, boutique hotels, and reggae bars and overall a more tranquil, laid-back feel. If you’re just visiting Rocky Cay for the day, you can inexpensively rent a lounge chair and a locker from one of the beach clubs.

Rocky Cay itself is a small islet that you can easily walk to at low tide, adjacent to a rusting hulk of an old shipwreck. It’s a key landmark for this area, and the waters surrounding it offer ideal snorkeling. Make sure you pack water shoes, especially if you plan on walking out to the cay.

Get Your Dive On. The reefs encircling San Andres offer excellent diving, with over 40 designated dive sites reachable by boat and dozens of dive shops to choose from. Here we encountered the most economical diving we have ever experienced – only $59 for both of us for a two-tank dive at the Banda Dive Shop, including all equipment and boat transport. That’s a fraction of what we paid for the shore dives we did on Bonaire, where we used our own gear!  For that reason, San Andres is a great place for new divers to get their training and PADI certification. We really enjoyed the dives, including the second site exploring a creepy old sunken ship that was only about 10 meters down.

_DSC0838 San Andres, Colombia: An Off-the-Radar Gem Caribbean Colombia San Andres
Banda Dive Shop photo. We had similarly great visibility and saw lots of healthy coral and sea life.

Would we recommend Banda Dive Shop? Well . . . the staff is super-friendly and helpful, the rental gear is excellent, and the boat is large and clean. However, the shop lacked a working restroom (seriously, who DOESN’T need to pee after diving?) and a place to rinse our wet suits. Plus, communication was pretty lacking on the boat; we didn’t get a dive briefing at either site, for instance. For the price these were minor inconveniences. But as I said, there are lots of other fish in the sea (sorry) when you’re choosing a San Andres dive outfit.

Not a Diver? You Can Still get Wet. 

There are plenty of other water activities on offer at San Andres: snorkeling, parasailing, stand-up paddle-boarding, sailing, kayaking, and windsurfing, to name a few. One activity we’ll try next time is kayaking through the Old Point Mangroves, a national park dedicated to preserving the rich ecology of the mangrove forest. There, you can rent transparent boats that give you a view of the undersea world below.

Two of San Andres’ most popular tourist attractions are El Acuario and Johnny Cay, a pair of islets just off the northern tip of the main island (and easily visible from Spratt Bight). We took a pass on these because of their reputation for being mobbed by visitors, especially in December. We’d also heard some disturbing things about the “swimming with the manta rays” activities at El Acuario. We tend to run away as fast as we can from any “swimming with (fill in the blank with some poor exploited marine creature)” attractions. We’re not saying you should skip Johnny Cay, and we may visit at a less-crowded time. Just be aware that it has a less-than-steller reputation among other travelers.

Other Travel Tips

  • Avoid high season, including December, January and April! Did we mention that San Andres is a favored beach getaway for Colombians? We went in December knowing that we’d encounter mobs of vacationers, but also knowing we’d be back at a slower time – San Andres being so easy to get to from Medellin. This was our recon visit!
  • San Andres is easy to reach from Medellin or other Colombian cities. On a random check for December, 22, we counted 40 flights arriving on the island from Colombia. American Airlines has also just added three weekly flights from Miami. The word is getting out! NOTE: Everyone visiting San Andres must purchase a $32 tourist card (supporting the island infrastructure) before boarding their flight.
  • Avoid San Andres town, also known as El Centro. Unless you like mobs of tourists, blaring music, and too many perfume/duty free shops, casinos, and tacky souvenir stands to count! El Centro is the main commercial hub of the island and the location of the airport and larger high-rise hotels. But the island has so much more to offer than this dense, tacky, over-crowded area. Which leads us to . . .
  • Lodging. On the recommendation of friends, we stayed at the Hotel Cocoplum, located just south of Rocky Point and just before the main part of San Luis town. For a very reasonable price, the Cocoplum offers a clean and spacious room and unlimited beach access, with a small pool and a sumptuous breakfast included. The sunrises and sunsets from the beach are to die for! Plus, the Cocoplum has an excellent restaurant and beach-served margaritas that will chill you out, fast! The hotel is a bit funky and showing its age, but as a beach-front hotel it’s a great value for the price. NOTE: For all of our travel accommodations, we use Booking.com and Airbnb, and then double-check reviews on Google and Trip Advisor.

    267653271_3069372976685115_2445513427915290770_n San Andres, Colombia: An Off-the-Radar Gem Caribbean Colombia San Andres
    View from the Cocoplum beach, complete with arco iris (rainbow)
  • Restaurants. There’s really only one word here: seafood.  Our favorite restaurant meal was at El Paraiso, a little seaside joint south of San Luis with a panoramic view of the beach and a fish special to die for! We also enjoyed our lunch on the waterfront at PerúWok. We were hoping to try La Regatta, the highest-rated restaurant on the island, but we were told it books out weeks in advance for December (oh well, next time). Another must-try: the gelato with bubble waffle cone at Artigiani.
  • Taxis are unmetered, so make sure you ask the price before you get in the cab. You should expect to pay $25,000-$30,000 COP (about $6-7 US) for a cab ride from the airport to San Luis town.
  • Don’t drink the tap water! Seriously, don’t. And you’ll get reminded of it practically everywhere; our hotel told us to use bottled water even to brush our teeth. If you stay at the Cocoplum, you can go across the street and buy a large 5-liter jug to refill your smaller containers (we took our collapsable bottles) to cut down on plastic waste. The little tiendas also have just about any adult beverage you crave, and some of them have a few barstools out front for enjoying a cold Club Colombia and watching the local scene.

Providencia: Paradise Lost

Providencia is San Andres’ sister island, located about 60 miles northwest. Until Nov. 18, 2020, Providencia was another top tourist destination for Colombians, billed as the wilder and less developed version of San Andres. On that day, Hurricane Iota struck and annihilated up to 98% of the island’s infrastructure including the hospital. Up to 2,000 houses were destroyed, and large number of residents relocated to San Andres. Of the ones that stayed, many are still living in tents over a year later. It goes without saying that Providencia is closed to tourists.

It’s clear that far too little has been done to help the islanders recover, although we remember the Colombian government talking a big game about rebuilding homes as soon as possible after the hurricane. We smell a rat, as implied by this sobering video:

Flashback to 2004
We called in to Providencia back in 2004 when we were making our way north from Panama aboard our sailboat, Compañia. (A lot of our readers know that we spent three years traveling aboard Compañia back in the early ‘oughts, another whole story!). In our imaginations, Providencia seemed like Hawaii must have been in the late 1950s or early 1960s, before it was overrun by tourists. The island was a relatively unspoiled jewel, with lush jungle and incredibly clear turquoise water. We hope to return one day, but we’re not expecting that things will ever be quite the same post-Iota. For us, Providencia will always be a sort of “paradise lost.”

Here are a few old pics from our visit to Providencia almost 18 years ago (yikes!). 

The Bottom Line

If you’re craving a Caribbean island getaway for a fraction of the price of more well-known destinations (any of the ABC islands, for instance), check out San Andres. It’s a must-visit for travelers to Colombia.

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44 Comments

  1. What a stunning place – those beaches are truly beautiful! Of course, my husband had a close look at the diving in San Andres 😉! Such a stunning selection of photo’s … makes me want to pack my bags and get on the first plane (if only possible …)

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      Hope you can visit Colombia – including San Andres – someday! The diving was surprisingly good on the island. We’re so looking forward to going back.

  2. Wow, I’ve never heard of these islands. San Andres looks perfect and the diving sounds great. So sad about Providencia, what a tragedy and no help. Gorgeous pictures, I’m keeping this one on my list too 🙂 Maggie

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      It’s amazing how unknown San Andres and Providencia are to the outside world, but any Colombian thinks you’re crazy when you call them “off-the-radar gems!” I wonder how those new American flights from Miami are going to affect things. Part of me wishes the Americans would stay away and the islands stay off the radar to the outside world. Time will tell, I guess.

  3. Carrie Weiler Reply

    John and Susan! We loved San Andres. We visited the island right before the March 2020 lockdown…while we were living in Medellin. Your pictures brought back great memories while we reside in Spain! So glad you loved it too. As a side note…our mule broke down so we weren’t able to complete the full island experience. Maybe next time if we get that way again!
    Thanks for sharing!
    Carrie

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      Hi Carrie – glad you were able to enjoy San Andres before the lockdown! Bummer about the mule, though. Hope you can give it another shot someday. Glad the post brought back some good memories for you!
      – Susan

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      Thanks, Caroline! We’ve been divers for over 20 years but only recently have I actually started falling in love with it (John’s always been the gung-ho diver – ha!). And it’s because we have so many great opportunities nearby. Hope you can get out diving again soon. Happy New Year!

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      My New Year’s wish for you is that you can get out traveling again and see places you’ve been dreaming of. I wish that for all of us – ha! Hope you have a healthy and happy start to 2022, Donna. Take care!

  4. Your photos are all spectacular, especially the sunset shot! A great getaway for you.

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      Thank you, Mimi! It was an excellent break from routine, and so easy to get to.

  5. I had to look up San Andres on Google Maps to see how close it is from Nicaragua (and how far it is from mainland Colombia). There must be an interesting history to this modern-day geographical quirk. It’s good that you explored other parts of the island away from where most tourists stay. This is also the case with Bali — at least the Bali I know since I haven’t returned for almost seven years now. Most people flock to the southern part of the island, but beyond that there’s a completely different world to explore. Speaking of Providencia, I really hope the reconstruction work can begin in earnest real soon.

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      We hope to visit your part of the world someday – including Bali! It will be interesting to see what happens with Providencia. We hope we get to see it again soon. Happy New Year to you and yours, Bama!

  6. Absolutely beautiful as always, and yet again somewhere I’d not heard of and am grateful to see. Whenever I read your posts I imagine feeling the sunshine on my skin and the colours all around me – it makes looking out of the window in to the dark, rainy, misty English outdoors seem slightly better 🙂

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      Ahh, that is a lovely thought, Hannah! Here’s hoping you can get into the sunshine soon. Wishing you and your family a bright and marvelous 2022!

  7. The sky and the beach look so enticing, and not only. The island looks like a perfect getaway!
    I have never tried to dive, but these clear waters give me an itch LOL
    Have a safe and happy New Year!!
    Christie

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      Same to you, Christie! Here’s hoping you have a 2022 filled with travel and everything that makes you happy. 🙂

  8. You had me at “seafood”. But then I saw the photos! Think we’ll have to add San Andres to our ever-growing list for Colombia 2022.

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      Maybe we’ll tag along with you when you venture to San Andres! Hope you two had a lovely New Year, and here’s hoping for bigger and better things in 2022. Hugs to you both!

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      Thanks, Rebecca! I did get a kick out of that billboard. We always enjoy experiencing new variations on language. Hope you have a lovely and peaceful New Year!

  9. Lovely photos and descriptions. I had never heard of San Andres before living in Colombia, and most of the Colombians I met were intent on knowing if I’d been there. You’ve definitely made me sad to have missed the opportunity.

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      You never know what’s in store, Henry! Something tells me you’ll be back in Colombia someday and will get your chance to visit San Andres. We sure hope so, anyway! Hope 2022 brings you everything you’re dreaming of.

  10. Looks beautiful, I can see why it is a popular place to visit. Like you have mentioned going in the shoulder season is a good idea.
    Happy New Year to you both 😀

  11. Oh I’m so jealous sitting here in snowy Vancouver. It sounds absolutely wonderful.
    We’ll probably head somewhere beachy and tropical in the new year.
    All the best for 2022 to you guys. May it be magical!
    Alison

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      I hope you can get to a beachy and tropical place soon, Alison – and I can’t wait to read about it and see your beautiful photos. Wishing you and Don everything you dream of for 2022, travel and otherwise. Happy New Year!

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      Thanks so much, Muriel! We’ve also been sitting on our bums a lot lately 🙂 Here’s wishing you and your family a healthy, happy, and peaceful New Year!
      – Susan

  12. great pictures! I have really loved following along on your journeys through Columbia! I hope you have a wonderful new year- looking forward to seeing where you take us next 🙂

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      Thank you, Meg! All the same to you and your loved ones. We think 2022 will be the best year yet for us travelers, wherever we may roam!
      – Susan

  13. I’ve wanted to go to San Andres (and Providencia) for a while so it was great to find your post. It looks so much more built up than I pictured. Wow what a great deal on diving!

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      Thanks so much!! If you’re still based in Panama, San Andres would be fairly easy to sail to on the Caribbean side of the canal. It’s always fun to connect to fellow sailors. Fair winds!

      • We have a few friends who went that way but we are set on going through the canal in the next couple of months fingers crossed!

        • John and Susan Pazera Reply

          Good luck! Going through the Panama Canal on your own boat is an amazing experience, one we’ll never forget.

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      Thanks so much for visiting! Happy New Year 🙂

  14. This place is indeed a hidden gem. I promise I won’t tell anyone to keep it under the radar. Beyond visiting the stunning beaches, I would love zip around in a Mule – what a fun way to explore. Stop in on one of those seaside restaurants would be a must too. A wonderful place to escape the Canadian winter, thanks for the introduction.

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      Thank you for visiting! Hope you can come to Colombia someday – there’s so much to see here.

  15. Wow, this looks like such a lovely island to visit. I’ve not been to Columbia yet, but hope to get there someday. Thanks for all the great information.

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      Thanks so much for visiting! Colombia’s amazing – hope you can visit someday. And let us know if you have any questions!

  16. Hi John and Susan! I came across your blog while researching San Andres. My partner and I are thinking of visiting in March. Can you explain the tourist card process? Do we get it when we ARRIVE in San Andres or the day we DEPART to go home? We are confused about that. Thanks for all the good info! -Nicole

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      Hi – and welcome to our blog! Glad we popped up in your search 🙂 You will really enjoy San Andres. To answer your question, we had to buy the tourist cards at check-in at our origin airport (Medellin) before we left for San Andres. I think they also sell them at your departure gate. They were $32 US apiece, although that price might have gone up a bit. You’ll have to show the card upon arrival at the airport.

      Have a great time!
      – Susan

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