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Providencia

Providencia, 56 miles (90km) north of San Andrés, is a wonderfully remote and traditional Caribbean island with breathtaking scenery, gorgeous golden-sand beaches, friendly locals and superb diving. Best of all, it's a pain to get to, ensuring that you'll only have to share this slice of paradise with the other intrepid travelers happy to fly here in a rickety 20-seater plane or brave the often-rough three-hour catamaran ride.

Without a direct connection to the Colombian mainland, Providencia hasn't seen nearly the same levels of cultural invasion as San Andrés, leaving its traditions and customs more or less intact. You'll still hear the local English Creole spoken all over the island, and road signs direct you using the old English colonial town names rather than their Spanish counterparts. All this, combined with beautiful topography standing sentinel over swaths of turquoise-blue sea, gives Providencia no small claim to being a quirky paradise.

Explore Providencia

E
El Pico Natural Regional Park
Don't miss a trip to El Pico Natural Regional Park for outstanding 360-degree views of the Caribbean from El Pico mountain (360m). The most popular trail…
B
Bahía Suroeste
This gorgeous bay boasts a magnificent palm-lined beach backed by steep hills. There are just a couple of hotels here, so it's a great spot for true…
C
Cayo Cangrejo
Cayo Cangrejo, a small island that's part of Parque Nacional Natural Old Providence McBean Lagoon, rises sharply and dramatically off the coast. There's…
S
Santa Catalina
Some tiny, deserted beaches exist on the island of Santa Catalina. It's worth a look if only to see Morgan's Head, a rocky cliff in the shape of a human…
P
Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Old Providence McBean Lagoon
To protect the unique marine life here, a 10-sq-km nature reserve in the island's northeast was established in 1995. About 10% of the park's area covers a…
B
Bahía Manzanillo
This very lovely stretch of white-sand beach is also Providencia's wildest, with no development at all, save the much-loved Roland Roots Bar. The water…
A
Almond Bay
A relatively little-known beach a five-minute walk downhill from the main island road, tiny Almond Bay has lovely white sand, calm clear water and very…
B
Bahía Aguadulce
This sleepy hamlet offers peace, quiet and a charming sandy beach. There are more than a dozen places to stay here, many right on the beach, and also a…
L
Lighthouse
With a great lookout to the sea, this community-run arts space serves as a small educational center, gallery, cafe and hangout. It shows documentaries on…

E
El Pico Natural Regional Park
Don't miss a trip to El Pico Natural Regional Park for outstanding 360-degree views of the Caribbean from El Pico mountain (360m). The most popular trail…
B
Bahía Suroeste
This gorgeous bay boasts a magnificent palm-lined beach backed by steep hills. There are just a couple of hotels here, so it's a great spot for true…
C
Cayo Cangrejo
Cayo Cangrejo, a small island that's part of Parque Nacional Natural Old Providence McBean Lagoon, rises sharply and dramatically off the coast. There's…
S
Santa Catalina
Some tiny, deserted beaches exist on the island of Santa Catalina. It's worth a look if only to see Morgan's Head, a rocky cliff in the shape of a human…
P
Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Old Providence McBean Lagoon
To protect the unique marine life here, a 10-sq-km nature reserve in the island's northeast was established in 1995. About 10% of the park's area covers a…
B
Bahía Manzanillo
This very lovely stretch of white-sand beach is also Providencia's wildest, with no development at all, save the much-loved Roland Roots Bar. The water…
A
Almond Bay
A relatively little-known beach a five-minute walk downhill from the main island road, tiny Almond Bay has lovely white sand, calm clear water and very…
B
Bahía Aguadulce
This sleepy hamlet offers peace, quiet and a charming sandy beach. There are more than a dozen places to stay here, many right on the beach, and also a…
L
Lighthouse
With a great lookout to the sea, this community-run arts space serves as a small educational center, gallery, cafe and hangout. It shows documentaries on…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Providencia.

See
El Pico Natural Regional Park
Don't miss a trip to El Pico Natural Regional Park for outstanding 360-degree views of the Caribbean from El Pico mountain (360m). The most popular trail…
See
Bahía Suroeste
This gorgeous bay boasts a magnificent palm-lined beach backed by steep hills. There are just a couple of hotels here, so it's a great spot for true…
See
Cayo Cangrejo
Cayo Cangrejo, a small island that's part of Parque Nacional Natural Old Providence McBean Lagoon, rises sharply and dramatically off the coast. There's…
See
Santa Catalina
Some tiny, deserted beaches exist on the island of Santa Catalina. It's worth a look if only to see Morgan's Head, a rocky cliff in the shape of a human…
See
Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Old Providence McBean Lagoon
To protect the unique marine life here, a 10-sq-km nature reserve in the island's northeast was established in 1995. About 10% of the park's area covers a…
See
Bahía Manzanillo
This very lovely stretch of white-sand beach is also Providencia's wildest, with no development at all, save the much-loved Roland Roots Bar. The water…
See
Almond Bay
A relatively little-known beach a five-minute walk downhill from the main island road, tiny Almond Bay has lovely white sand, calm clear water and very…
See
Bahía Aguadulce
This sleepy hamlet offers peace, quiet and a charming sandy beach. There are more than a dozen places to stay here, many right on the beach, and also a…
See
Lighthouse
With a great lookout to the sea, this community-run arts space serves as a small educational center, gallery, cafe and hangout. It shows documentaries on…

Guidebooks

Learn more about Providencia

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