The Island of San Andrés is located in the Colombian Caribbean Sea , located about 700 kilometers northwest of the rest of the territory. This is the main and largest island of the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina. San Andrés is famous for having the "sea of seven colors" with its white sand beaches, with its crystal clear waters, its warm and pleasant climate, which makes it a perfect place for various tourist activities, water sports, boat rides yachting, cycling, hiking and other leisure activities . Also, San Andrés is known for its rich history and culture, with a marked African and Caribbean influence, making it a place highly visited by foreigners and Colombians, receiving thousands of tourists every year.
What to do in San Andres?
- The first and unmissable activity if you are in San Andrés, is to visit its wonderful beaches , for example: Spratt Bight Beach, Johnny Cay Beach, West View Beach, San Luis Beach, Rocky Cay Beach, Cocoplum Beach, among others (which we will expand later information about each). Rest assured that you are going to relax, sunbathe and you can rent a yacht in San Andrés and enjoy a fabulous tour of all the aquatic places of interest; likewise, you can do it on pontoons or boats and practice water sports such as snorkeling, kayaking and diving, using water toys.
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Second, you can delve into the rich history and culture of the island influenced by African and Caribbean customs. You can go to places like the Museo del Mar and the Muelle del Dique where you can learn more about it.
Third, you can go hiking ; since, the island has a variety of trails that will take you to beautiful and secret places. Also, you can practice this activity in the Old Providence McBean Lagoon National Natural Park, where you will have the opportunity to see exotic species and enjoy nature.
Fourth, you can enjoy the exquisite typical dishes of the region , where you have a variety of options for restaurants and bars that offer typical food from the island. You can try dishes like the sancocho de pargo, the fried snapper, the fried bocachico, among others. Of course, more focused on seafood dishes.
- Also, you can take bike tours . As it is not a very large island, you can travel the entire island by this means of transport that is rented at various points and thus, be able to enjoy the views of the landscape and the sea breeze.
San Andres Beaches
San Andrés, being an island located in the Colombian Caribbean, has a large number of beaches and some of the most popular will be announced below.
Johnny Cay Beach is an islet about 10 minutes by boat or yacht from the island of San Andrés and has a large area of sand where you can rent umbrellas and loungers to be in the shade, protect yourself from the sun and/or lie down taking the sun. sun. Tourists and locals can quietly enjoy water activities; since, the island is surrounded by coral reefs and marine life. In addition, on the beach you will find other services and amenities; For example, you can go to a restaurant or bar and enjoy a meal or a refreshing drink; You can also find souvenir shops where you can buy souvenirs for yourself and as a gift for your loved ones.
Spratt Bight Beach is one of the main beaches on the island. It is quite crowded for this reason; but, it is still one of the most wonderful and pleasant; in fact, this beach is the largest and is approximately 450 meters long. It is called a Sprat because it is a type of fish called a sprat; then, the translation would be "bay of the sprats" because many of these fish are usually found in the place. The sprat is a small, silver-colored, sardine-like fish that swims in groups near the surface. Before being a tourist place, the natives used to do horse races on the beach; in fact, these practices are still maintained occasionally but in the southern tip of the island. You should know that the water in the bay is very clear and it is where you can best observe various shades of turquoise and blue, which is why it is called the "sea of seven colors".
West View Beach is located to the west of the island and is an ecological park where you can do various water activities. For example, there is a natural pool and it is three meters deep, which allows you to see without much effort, marine life with colored fish and colorful coral reefs without having to go to the depths. You can access the pool by some stairs that are there or from a dip through a slide or trampoline. In addition, you can find other tourist attractions in the place, such as the Cueva de la Sirena, which, as its name suggests, is a cave where inside is a sculpture of a mermaid created by the artist Roberto Ferro.
Rocky Cay beach is one of the most visited sites; since, unlike the other nearby islets, the ground is more rocky than sandy. With crystal clear waters for you to relax. Given its characteristics, this place is not so popular with family groups with children; but rather by people who want to practice snorkeling or diving. There are even people who recommend learning to swim in Rocky Cay and also using it to meditate.
Cocoplum Beach is long with tall palm trees, it is one of the best beaches on the island. Perfect if what you want is a calm and quiet environment and where you can enjoy coconut water and lie down to observe the incredible landscape. In front of Cocoplum beach is Rocky Cay, accompanied by a ship that ran aground many years ago in that place.
San Luis beach is located in the eastern part of the island of San Andrés, where there are many waves accompanied by the breeze where you can find lodging and restaurants. It is easily accessible, since it is located about 20 minutes from downtown. It is known as Sound Bay or in Spanish, sonorous bay because the wind causes the coconuts that touch the palm trees to hit. Also, you can dive and snorkel. Also, this is where you find the highest concentration of locals, which is where you could get a closer look at what their traditions, cultures are, and you could easily strike up a friendly conversation with them. As if that were not enough, since there are a large number of coconuts, you can find cocadas and desserts made from this fruit. On this beach there is not as much lodging offer as on other beaches, but rather, hostels and inns.
There are other beaches that you cannot miss, which also have their charm.
San Andrés data
The official language is Spanish; but, San Andres Creole is also spoken and most understand the English language.
San Andrés has a population of about 69,000 people and about 32 square kilometers.
San Andrés is located in Colombia, therefore its currency is the Colombian peso.
Regarding business hours in San Andrés, stores usually open from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM approximately. On Sundays, many of the stores are closed.
So, having learned a little more about the island of San Andrés in Colombia, we can assure you that being a tourist destination and if you are very careful, you will not have any problem regarding security; because, although theft could occur in all places, you should only stay in residential tourist areas, do not leave belongings unattended (always keep them close, do not leave them, for example, in a golf cart), do not walk or swim in areas restricted; Also, if you decide to stay in apartments or lodgings that are not regulated, you do have to be very careful. In this way, you can have a safe trip and live unforgettable moments on the island of San Andrés.