Things to do in San Andrés & Providencia
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Banda Dive Shop
Extra-friendly dive shop offering two-tank dives for COP$150,000 and PADI open-water certification for COP$730,000.
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Diving
Thanks to the beautiful coral reefs all around, San Andrés has become an important diving center, with more than 35 different spots for diving.
The reefs are notable for their sponges, which appear in an amazing variety of forms, sizes and colors. Other aquatic inhabitants include barracudas, turtles, lobsters, rays, groupers and red snappers.
Underwater visibility is remarkable, on average between 25m and 30m of sight throughout the year, though at some places it can be up to 45m or even 60m. This is largely due to the lack of currents and minimal erosion. The surface is also generally calm, particularly on the west side of the island. Last but not least, water temperatu…
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Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Old Providence McBean Lagoon
To protect the habitat, a 10-sq-km area in the island’s northeast was declared Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Old Providence McBean Lagoon in 1995. About 10% of the park’s area covers a coastal mangrove system east of the airport; the remaining 905 hectares cover an offshore belt including the islets of Cayo Cangrejo and Cayo Tres Hermanos. An 800m-long ecopath helps you identify different species of mangroves and the fauna that inhabit them.
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Cueva de Morgan
This is the cave where Welsh pirate Henry Morgan is said to have buried some of his treasure. The cave is 120m long, but it’s filled with water, so you see only its mouth. You can’t enter the cave and there’s not much to see here anyway, yet the magic of alleged riches draws in plenty of tourists. Additional distractions here include traditional mento dancers shaking it to calypso and Schottische, a sort of island polka.
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Johnny Cay
This is a small coral islet about 1.5km north of San Andrés Town. It is covered with coconut groves and surrounded by a lovely, white-sand beach. The sunbathing is good, but be careful swimming here as there are dangerous currents. The island is a popular picnic spot and at times it can fill up far beyond capacity. Food is available. Boats to Johnny Cay leave from the main San Andrés Town beach. The last boat back is at 16:00.
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San Luis
Located on the island's east coast, San Luis still boasts white-sand beaches and some fine traditional wooden houses. The sea here is good for snorkeling, though it can be a little rough. San Luis has no center and is really just a 3km string of houses along the coast, but there are some tourist facilities and some travelers are discovering it as a quiet alternative to San Andrés Town.
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Paradise Tour Contact
This small agency offers tours and a range of other services including bicycle rental (per day COP$10,000) and tours to El Pico (per person COP$40,000 to COP$65,000), horseback rides (COP$40,000), kayak trips (COP$40,000) and boat excursions around the island (per person COP$40,000 to COP$65,000). Boats normally call at the Canal Aury, Morgan’s Head, Cayo Cangrejo and Roland Roots Bar.
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Semisubmarino Manatí
A specially designed boat with large windows in its hull. It departs once or twice daily (depending on demand) for a tour around the nearby reefs northeast of town. If you are not planning on scuba diving or snorkeling, this trip is probably the next best option for viewing the rich marine wildlife. Tickets for the trip can be bought from the office of the Cooperativa de Lancheros.
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Café Studio
The island’s best restaurant is run by a Canadian woman and her Raizal husband, Wellington, who cooks the island dishes ‘she can’t get right.’ The results are both memorable and reasonably priced. Try Wellington’s conch, cooked in his own Creole sauce made with wild basil from their garden, or anything in garlic sauce. Save room for the cappuccino pie!
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Semisubmarino Nautilus
A specially designed boat with large windows in its hull. It does trips from the wharf just west of the Casa de la Cultura. If you are not planning on scuba diving or snorkeling, this trip is probably the next best option for viewing the rich marine wildlife. Tickets can be bought from Mundo Marino or from the operator's desk at the wharf.
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Roland Roots Bar
This travelers’ icon encapsulates island life in one ridiculously atmospheric beach bar – booths fashioned from bamboo under ramshackle thatched roofs spread among the sands, all set to a booming reggae soundtrack. Roland is an island legend for his late-night parties and his coco locos – jazzed up piña coladas served in coconuts.
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La Piscinita
Also known as West View, just south of El Cove, La Piscinita is a good site for snorkeling, usually with calm water, plenty of fish (which will eat out of your hand) and some facilities, including a restaurant with traditional local food and snorkel rental. When the sea is rough, you can only feed the fish from land.
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Hoyo Soplador
At the southern tip of the island, the Hoyo Soplador is a small geyser where sea water spouts into the air (up to 20m at times) through a natural hole in the coral rock. This phenomenon occurs only at certain times, when the winds and tide are right. An international surf contest is held nearby in January.
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Cueva de Morgan
This is the cave where Welsh pirate Henry Morgan is said to have buried some of his treasure. The cave is 120m long, but it's filled with water, so you see only its mouth. You can't enter the cave and there's not much to see here anyway, yet the magic of alleged riches draws in plenty of tourists.
reviewed
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Acuario
Next to Haynes Cay, off the east coast of San Andrés, Acuario is another place frequently visited by tourists by boat. The surrounding sea is shallow and calm and good for snorkeling. If you forget to bring your snorkeling gear you can rent some on the beach in Acuario for about US$2.
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Snorkeling, Sting Rays, Sunset & Beer
The name says it all, really. Jaime Restrepo runs a slightly flexible tour to swim with the sting rays at Haynes Cay, and throws in some deep-water snorkeling and brews on top of the package. It’s somewhat casual and limited to groups of 10. The tour leaves at 3pm from Tonino’s Marina.
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Cooperativa de Lancheros Tours
On the town's beach, the Cooperativa provides trips to Johnny Cay and Acuario, plus a combined tour to both cays. The Cooperativa also offers tours to the outlying islands, including Cayo Bolívar. These longer tours can also be organized through some of the diving schools.
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Tren Blanco
A sort of road train pulled by a tractor dressed up like a locomotive, it departs every morning to circle the island, stopping at several sights along the way (three hours). The same route can be done, by up to four people, in a taxi for around US$18.
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La Loma
This small town, in the inner part of the island, is one of the most traditional places here. It is noted for its Baptist church, the first established on the island (in 1847). In 1896, the church was largely rebuilt in pine brought from Alabama.
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Felipe Diving Shop
You can rent snorkeling gear in Aguadulce (COP$10,000). Diving trips and courses can be arranged with this recommended local operator run by a native Raizal. An open-water or advanced course can be arranged for about COP$650,000 to COP$700,000.
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Mundo Marino
Operates the Captain Morgan party boat, a two-hour evening boat ride (departing at 8:30pm Tue, Thu & Sat) with live music and all-you-can-drink national spirits (per person COP$58,000) as well as the Semisubmarino Nautilus.
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Blue Deep
The biggest disco in town holds 700 sweaty bodies. There is live music (salsa and reggaetón), which provides the soundtrack for a decent mix of locals and tourists, stumbling about after too many frothy rum punches.
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Caribbean Place
Though this wonderful island seafooder isn’t cheap, Bogotá-trained chef Martin Quintero is doing serious food in a casual atmosphere. Highlights include mountainous black crab, unique to the archipelago in Colombia.
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Kiss Me
Unfortunately named blue-lit bar/disco with a small dance floor and over-water back patio. It seems to draw a vaguely more metrosexual crowd than others in its vicinity, as well as more locals.
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Av Colombia
There are several nightspots in San Andrés Town on Av Colombia between Hotel Lord Pierre and Hotel Aquarium Decameron. Your best bet is to head to this area and see what's most popular.
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