Beaches o. San Andreas, Colombia (6 photos)

There is such a wonderful island in the Caribbean Sea. Geographically located near Nicaragua, but belongs to Colombia.

The flight, of course, is not very close and not very cheap. In terms of distance, we were just a little short of going around the world.


But the road did not seem tiring to us, because we made stops at almost every intermediate point. We spent the night in Moscow. In New York we had a three-day holiday there and back. On the way back we stopped in Panama City for a few days.

We flew to the States by Aeroflot.
From New York, getting to San Andres turned out to be the fastest and cheapest way to get to the Panamanian company Copa Airlines through their main hub Panama City.

They even fed us during the flight.


And on the flight Panama - San Andres (50 minutes) they poured me a full glass of rum. I barely had time to drink.

The airport on the island is very cheerful.

We stayed in a small hotel called Cocoplum, which has its own beach.

It is almost impossible to photograph the hotel from the outside, as it is completely hidden by lush tropical vegetation. Inside, everything is quite decent.

The coast of the island is not suitable for swimming everywhere. But the places are beautiful... ;)

Can you guess what kind of establishment this is?

Yes, yes... this is the Big Lobster restaurant.
There are also these chats:

However, we devoured lobsters boiled in coconut milk at the speed of light.

By the way, about food. We deliberately did not take full board at the hotel so that we could wander around the island’s zucchini to our heart’s content. And there are quite a few of them there. From very democratic to aspiring to sophistication.
We ate mainly seafood.

The culinary signature of the island is Rondon soup.


Fish, shellfish, potatoes, breadfruit boiled in coconut milk and, of course, a piece of pig tail. In principle, it’s delicious, but we agreed that we’re unlikely to voluntarily eat it again. ;)

The menu of the restaurant where we ate this same Rondon.


Prices are in Colombian pesos. If you divide by 2000, it will be approximately US dollars.

You can rent a golf cart to get around the island.


It takes about 2 hours to travel around the entire island, with stops for sightseeing and photography.

Local residents ride horses.

And, of course, you cannot do without water transport on the island.

And it’s always nice to just have a little vegetable on the beach.

The archipelago of San Andres and Providencia is located 230 km east of Nicaragua and 750 km northwest of the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Many centuries ago, the islands of the archipelago were a base for pirates, but now they are the “pearl” of the Caribbean, a place where tourists from all over the world come to relax. You can get here by plane from the city of Cartagena. The archipelago consists of three dozen coral islands, which are concentrated around the largest islands: the island of San Andres and the island of Providencia, located 90 km to the east. Wide sandy beaches, clear waters, extensive coral reefs and rich marine life make the archipelago Colombia's most popular resort area.

San Andres Island belongs to Colombia - but is located closer to Nicaragua. From Cartagena it is 750 kilometers or an hour's flight by small plane, and there are several flights a day. Everything here is so different from Colombia - a completely different culture, and the population is black. San Andres is inhabited by very beautiful people - stately, tall and slow. The entire island is 12.5 kilometers long and 3 kilometers wide. The area of ​​the island is 26 sq. km. The road around the island is 30 kilometers long.
It has its own capital - in the northern part of the island. The low-slung but mostly stone town technically bears the island's name, San Andres Town, but here it is called El Centro. This is where all life is concentrated - shops, hotels, restaurants... They drive huge Chevrolets and Cadillacs from the late sixties, younger than the Cuban ones and in better condition - traffic on the island is not intense.

Throughout, Spanish inscriptions are duplicated in English: the native language of the inhabitants of San Andres is the so-called Afro-English (sometimes this language is called “Jamaican English”), but they also speak Spanish. Local residents love their island and cannot imagine living anywhere else.

There are quite a lot of tourists on the island of San Andres in July-August, or during Christmas and New Year. Therefore, the tour should be booked in advance.<.p>

There are very few sandy beaches around the island. But El Centro has a wonderful beach with white, ivory sand. Tourists, before going to a disco or casino at night, walk along the embankment in the evenings - and the capital's residents spend their evenings swimming in the sea. They do not crawl out of the dark turquoise water. Or they sit on the parapet of the embankment and look at those who pass and drive by. The only three-story hotel is clearly too big for a miniature island. But there are small hotels. Everyone is nice and cozy. They are the ones you need to live in.
And it doesn’t have to be in El Centro - you can just as well stay in San Luis, a wonderful village inhabited by friendly people. Also with an excellent beach and, in addition, coral reefs. And the architecture is completely different from that in the island capital - everything is wooden and completely Latin American. In general, everything is very close here, and in order to see the island, you just need to rent a scooter - it costs no more than $20 per day. And go around everything that is interesting on the island. The main attraction of the island, in addition to the capital, is the Baptist Church in La Loma, the oldest in Latin America, from here there are beautiful views of the Caribbean Sea, whose green-blue waters are called “seven-colored.” The second is the legendary Morgan's Cave - the place where According to legend, the famous pirate Henry Morgan buried treasures looted in Panama in 1670. The island has all the usual sea activities - scooters, wind surfing, scuba diving.Near San Andres there are small islands, to which boats constantly go. People take bread with them to feed the fish.The island's waters include the wrecks of the Blue Diamond and Nicaraguense, the reef walls of Blue Hole and Blue Wall, and the underwater geyser El Hoyo Soplador off the southern tip of San Andres , attracting the attention of divers. For lovers of windsurfing, the east coast is suitable.The season falls on December-February.

The best beaches on the island are Sprat Bay, Sound Bay near St. Louis, Cocoplum Bay and Cove, as well as Johnny Cay.

Sometimes it rains on San Andres - a fast tropical thunderstorm that adds a pleasant feeling. In July-August there is no rain and it is hot. The average annual temperature on the island is 28° C. Usually Europeans (mostly Germans) and Latin Americans - from Argentina, Colombia - vacation on San Andres.

San Andres it is one of the finest resort areas in the Caribbean, with the island's natural beauty and charm largely intact. Turquoise waters, vast coral reefs and rich marine life are a paradise for snorkelers. Here, diving takes place among coral reefs in the company of colorful fish: butterfly fish, sergeant fish, stingrays, ball fish, seahorses swimming among gorgonians, and even barracudas. The water is so clear that visibility reaches 15-30 meters, there is practically no current, more than 40 places are available for diving, including: La Caleta de José, La Calera, Las Piedras de la Langosta, Trumpa Tortuga, Nirvana, Bowl View, Wild Life, La Rocosa, El Avion.
The diving areas in San Andres are in excellent condition. A total of 35 sites are available for various types of wreck diving, cliff diving and cave diving; Add comfortable water temperatures and good visibility to representatives of fauna of all colors and sizes.

Providencia Island located 90 km east of the island of San Andres. A holiday here will appeal to lovers of silence and solitude, because only 4,000 people live on the island, and the majority of tourists vacation on San Andres. In this place, the most ancient traditions of the island have been preserved: the original Patois language (this language was spoken by those leaving the African continent), as well as the original English language. There are a large number of hotels here, which look like taverns from the eighteenth century. The largest settlement on the island of Providencia is the village of Santa Isabel. Santa Isabel is connected by a wooden bridge to nearby Santa Catalina Island. This bridge is called the Bridge of Lovers; couples in love relax on the beaches located in its vicinity. On the southeastern coast of the island is the McBean Lagoon Nature Reserve, which protects a coral reef in its underwater part and mangroves on land. Hiking to the highest point of the island - El Pico, from where you can see the Caribbean Sea and small coastal islands, is very interesting.

The most popular beach areas on Providencia Island are Freshwater Bay on the north coast and South West Bay and Manzanillo on the southwest coast. Freshwater Bay is also considered the best diving spot on the island. Other popular dive sites are also located off the northern coast.

• Administrative center: San Andrés Town
• Area: 52.5 km²
• Population: 83,403 people (2005)
• Population density - 1588.63/km²
• Telephone code: +57-

Geography

The Department of San Andrés and Providencia (San Andrés y Providencia) is located in the western Caribbean Sea, northwest of the national continental territory, 700 km from the northern coast of Colombia.

The archipelago is the northernmost territory of the country. Due to the proximity of the islands to the territory of Nicaragua (100 miles versus 400 miles to the mainland coast of Colombia), this country has territorial claims to Colombia.

In general, the archipelago has an elongated shape from southwest to northeast, its total area is only 52.5 km², which turns this department into a very small political and administrative unit of the country, firmly connected with the mainland and adding another 350,000 km² of sea for the country possessions.

The island archipelago consists of twenty-five small coral islands, which form two groups. The southern group of islands is located around the island of San Andres (length - 12.5 km, width - 3 km, area - 26 km²), and the northern group is grouped around the mountainous island of Providencia (area - 17 km²). The lands of the department include the islands of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, the islets and reefs of Alicia, Serrana, Serranilla and Quitasueño, the Nuevo shoal and sandy islets of Alburquerque, Roncador, East South East, Blowing Rocks, Cangrejo, Casabaja, Córdoba, Valle, Hermanos, Rocoso and Rosa.

The two main islands are formed by different rocks: San Andres is the product of recent limestone sedimentation, and Providencia is formed by an extinct volcano from the Middle to Upper Miocene.

A small hilly ridge with a maximum height of 85 m above sea level stretches from south to north along the island of San Andres.
On the island of Providencia the hills reach 350 m above sea level. Among them, Pik Hill can be distinguished as the highest.
The island of Santa Catalina is separated from the island of Providencia by a small strait about 150 m wide. A pedestrian bridge was built across the strait. The coast has a relatively indented line, and the maximum height of the island is 133 m above sea level.

The islands protrude slightly above the surface of the water as coral reefs formed mainly from sand and limestone; On some there is vegetation - grass and coconut palms.

Hydrography

On the island of Providencia, a platinum was built in the area of ​​Fresh Water Bay.
The remaining islands of the archipelago lack sources of drinking water. For this reason, it is very important to use underground/ground water as economically as possible.

Today, the island of San Andres has a seawater desalination plant, which partially covers the needs of the population.

Climate

Due to its location in the tropical zone, areas of the archipelago are characterized by high temperatures, recorded at 28 °C.

The trade winds blowing here from the northeast are partly determined by the rainy season, which begins in May and reaches its maximum in October and November, continuing until December; 80% of the annual precipitation is recorded during this period, with an average of 1700 mm.

High temperatures and winds create a warm, semi-humid climate.

Due to its geographical location, the archipelago is periodically subject to cyclones and hurricanes that form in the Atlantic Ocean and pass over the Caribbean Sea.

Administrative structure

The territory has a special administrative status, in which the department is controlled by the governor.

The department of San Andrés includes the island of San Andrés with the capital of San-Andrés-Town (locally called El Centro), which contains 3 police inspectorates La Loma, San and North End ( La Loma, San Luis y North End), Municipality of Convencia and Santa Catalina Island.

The department is divided into two notarial districts, the centers of which are in San Andres and Providencia.
The department corresponds to the constituency of San Andres, Providencia, and Santa Catalina.

Economy

The economy of the department of San Andres is based mainly on tourism and trade; Every day, several planes with tourists from various Colombian cities and abroad arrive on the islands.

Agriculture and fishing on the islands are not sufficiently developed to fully provide the local population and numerous tourists with food, and most of it has to be imported from the mainland.

The main crops grown on the islands are coconut, avocado, sugarcane, mango, orange, sweet potato and cassava.

Providencia Island (1 km long) is used as a fruit plantation and cattle farm.

Communications

The main means of communication between the archipelago and the continent is air transport. The international airport “General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla” was built on the island of San Andres, which makes it possible to communicate with both the main cities of the country and with Central and North America.

Maritime transport is also widely used to transport goods and passengers between the islands. The islands have spacious and safe bays, allowing the anchoring of medium-sized vessels.

The islands of San Andres and Providencia each have one main road around them and a network of secondary roads connecting coastal villages with the interior of the islands.

Story

The small portion of habitable land on the islands is more than a hundred miles off the coast of Central America. In pre-Columbian times, such a distance from the mainland coast did not allow Indian tribes to reach the archipelago on primitive boats.

Apparently the islands of the archipelago were discovered only in 1492 by Columbus's first expedition to the New World, and since then it was considered part of a vast region called the Province of Veraguas (Provincia de Veraguas).

In 1595, the Spanish government ordered the fortification of the island of Santa Catalina, which was part of the archipelago - fortifications were built there, guns were brought in, and in 1660 the island was reinforced with a permanent army, which, however, did not prevent the pirate De-Ward Mansweldt and his thugs from capturing it in 1664. But a year later the Spaniards returned it to themselves.
Throughout the 16th century, both British subjects and pirates, including Francis Drake, persistently raided the island without any purpose.

The English corsair Henry Morgan, who mercilessly plundered Spanish ships and colonies, after a treacherous attack on Panama during a peace treaty signed between England and Spain, was arrested by the British in December 1670 and sent under escort to London. However, instead of trial, Charles II knighted him and sent him back with the rank of chief judge, ordering him to fight piracy mercilessly. Removed some time later from the governorship of Jamaica for incurable embezzlement, the sick and aged Sir Henry Morgan soon died, taking with him to the grave the secret of finding his countless treasures. On the island of San Andres there is a cave named after him, where, according to legend, he hid these treasures.

A royal decree of August 20, 1739 created the viceroyalty of Santa Fe with jurisdiction over the islands of the San Andres and Providencia Archipelago.

On March 26, 1806, the islands were captured by British troops, but the Spanish returned to power in 1808.
The land and sea territories of the archipelago belonged to the State of Bolívar (Estado de Bolívar) until 1886, when they were transferred to the central government for direct administration.

In 1868, the state territory of San Andres and Providencia was created in the group of islands, underwater rocks, islets and bays that form the archipelago.

In 1912, the state commissariat of San Andres and Providencia was proclaimed on the archipelago, and the settlement of Isla de San Andrés was named the capital.

On July 4, 1991, the National Constituent Assembly (Asamblea Nacional Constituyente) certified in the Basic Law of the Constitution the creation of the Department of San Andres and Providencia, retaining Isla de San Andres as the capital.

Attractions

The unique ecosystem of the San Andrés archipelago, its biodiversity, natural beauty, history and cultural heritage contributed to its designation as a Seaflower Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2000.

The San Andres archipelago is one of the best resort areas in the Caribbean.

The developed tourist infrastructure of the islands has excellent hotels, mini-hotels, restaurants, bars and cafes, clubs, casinos, sports and dance floors, duty-free shops and numerous souvenir shops. Moreover, the natural beauty and charm of the islands are largely untouched by civilization. Azure waves, numerous coral reefs and a fabulous underwater world attract lovers of fishing, sea hunting, diving and surfing. The warm, mild climate, clear sea, white sand beaches and friendly people make the islands an ideal holiday destination.

The archipelago also attracts the attention of admirers of natural, historical and cultural attractions, among which is the Morgan Cave (Cueva de Morgan), in which, according to legend, the pirate Henry Morgan buried his treasures in the 17th century (the cave is full of labyrinths, through which, according to some assurances, you can go to untouched virgin beaches); the underwater geyser Soplador at the southern tip of San Andres, which is a narrow channel carved by time and water in the thickness of the limestone rock (the fountain can be seen only at certain times of the year, when the sea waves on the island are stronger), the picturesque Bay of San Andres, the islet of Honni Johnny Cay, famous for its excellent cuisine and reggae bars, the islands of Hainis and Aquarium, located off the western shores of the island of San Andres (the tiny islets are in close proximity to each other - the distance between them can be waded. Hainis is surrounded by a strip of coral reefs, the entire island is occupied by palm trees growing from soft green moss. Here you can relax in the shade of the trees, contemplating the sea and the island of San Andres nearby. Exotic fish gather near the shores of the Aquarium, which you can watch in a mask, or directly through the water literally touching them with your hands); white sand beaches of San Luis; Santa Catalina Bay; the Old Providence Natural National Park and the oldest Baptist Church in Latin America, Iglesia Bautista Emmanuel (1847) in the village of La Loma. (The church was erected under the initiative of Rev. Beckeman Livington, who was pastor of the Hiil Mission. The red roofing material, pine logs and planks for the construction of the building were brought from Alabama. The temple is located at the top of the island (Barrio La Loma) and the fire is lit in Its tower once served as a lighthouse for sailors. The Baptist Church is considered a national treasure of Colombia. Every Sunday, groups of festively dressed islanders gather within the walls of the snow-white cathedral with bright stained glass windows.

The best beach areas in the archipelago are Sprat Bay, Sound Bay near St. Louis, Cocoplum Bay and Cove, as well as Johnny Cay.

In the waters of the archipelago, divers will find the remains of the wrecks of the Blue Diamond and Nicaraguense, as well as the reef walls of Blue Hole and Blue Wall.

There are all types of sea activities on the island - scooters, wind surfing, scuba diving and fishing. Boats constantly run to the small islands surrounding San Andres. You can also go to them to simply feed exotic fish.

Providencia Island - called "Old Providencia" by locals, unlike San Andres, is virtually untouched by the tourism industry (although it is developing rapidly). The area of ​​the island is 17 square meters. km.

Here, the traditions of the island have been preserved almost unchanged - the original English language and “Patois”, spoken by people from the African continent, pastoral morals and a quiet, measured life.

The hotels here are more reminiscent of 18th-century taverns somewhere in Wales, there are almost no bars, and the main holiday events coincide with canonical saints' days.

But the natural environment is more natural, and the diving conditions are more varied than on San Andres (Freshwater Bay is the most popular in this regard).

If you take a walk from Kasabah to the top of the largest “mountain” on the island, El Pico, you can see almost the whole of it.

The main attractions of the island: Agua Dulce Nature Reserve, Crab Reef, Manzanillo Beach, turtle and iguana farms. One of the most famous places on the island is McBean Park, which can only be reached by a small boat. Crabs, fish, shellfish, birds, etc. coexist in the local mangroves.

You can also go on a trip along the island’s paths to the springs that flow at the highest point of Providence, or go deep-sea fishing.

Southwest and Manzanillo beaches are the best places to relax and enjoy the sounds of reggae. Sometimes exciting horse races are held here.

Just 150 meters from the island. Providencia is the island of Santa Catalina, connected to its neighbor by the Lover's Path bridge.

The main attraction of Santa Catalina is Fort Morgana, where you can still see the pirate cannons once used by corsairs to protect looted treasures. On the west coast of the island is the impressive Morgan's Head, a rock whose outline is remarkably reminiscent of a human head.

The characteristic music of the islands is variations of original compositions from Jamaica, Trinidad and Panama and consists mainly of Afro-Caribbean elements, among which the calypso style stands out. Today, in the archipelago, as well as throughout the Caribbean, the genre of reggae music, typical of Haiti and Jamaica, has gained strength.

Island group San Andres And Providencia lies 750 km northwest of the Caribbean coast and only 230 km east Nicaragua. The archipelago consists of approximately 25 small coral islands, forming two groups. The southern group of islands is grouped around the seahorse-shaped island of San Andres, the northern (90 km from San Andres) - around the mountainous island of Providencia.

Everything here is so different from Colombia - a completely different culture, and the population is black. San Andres is inhabited by very beautiful people - stately, tall and slow. They have nowhere to rush - the entire island is 12.5 kilometers long and 3 kilometers wide. The road around the island is 30 kilometers long.

But it has its own capital - in the northern part of the island. The low, but mostly stone town technically bears the name of the island - San Andres Town, but here it is called El Centro. This is where all life is concentrated - shops, hotels, restaurants... They drive huge Chevrolets and Cadillacs from the late sixties, younger than the Cuban ones and in better condition - traffic on the island is not intense. Everywhere, Spanish inscriptions are duplicated in English: the native language of the residents of San Andres is the so-called Afro-English (sometimes this language is called “Jamaican English”), but they also speak Spanish - the state language, after all.

Of course, people don’t live here richly, but there is no hunger in the eyes and no poverty. Local residents love their island and cannot imagine living anywhere else. The farthest point they reach is , but there they are freezing and are in a hurry to return. There are very few sandy beaches around the island. But El Centro has a wonderful beach with white, ivory sand. Tourists, before going to a disco or casino at night, walk along the embankment in the evenings - and the capital's residents spend their evenings swimming in the sea. They do not crawl out of the dark turquoise water. Or they sit on the parapet of the embankment and look at those who pass and drive by. Sometimes chic modern sports cars like Porsches appear on the embankment. There are three of them on the entire island, no more. They gently float by - first in one direction, then in the other. There is nowhere else to go. But passers-by manage to notice the brand new cars and hear the music coming from the open windows. Local music is reggae or salsa. And "Beans Marley" are roaming the streets all over the place. When asked how to do such a hairstyle, they answer: “No way, just don’t comb your hair, that’s all.”

The only three-story hotel is clearly too big for a miniature island. But there are small hotels. Everyone is nice and cozy. They are the ones you need to live in. And it doesn’t have to be in El Centro - you can just as well stay in San Luis, a wonderful village inhabited by friendly people. Also with an excellent beach and, in addition, coral reefs. And the architecture is completely different from that in the island capital - everything is wooden and completely Latin American. In general, everything is very close here, and in order to see the island, you just need to rent a scooter - it costs no more than $20 per day. And go around everything that is interesting on the island. If you ride a bicycle, a motor scooter is not difficult - you feel unsure for the first few meters, but then everything goes great.

The main attraction of the island, in addition to the capital, - Baptist Church in La Loma, the oldest in Latin America. The second is the place where, according to legend, the famous pirate Henry Morgan buried treasures looted in Panama in 1670. Any passerby will indicate how to get to the lagoon with small crocodiles - caimans.

And indeed, you turn off the highway, drive through the jungle, under palm trees and huge mango trees, past humpbacked cows - and now there is a sea, a lagoon, and caimans swimming. And they don’t look like those in fenced crocodile nurseries at large resorts, where crowds of vacationers come - crocodiles live here as they lived a thousand years ago. The only building near the lagoon is a hut under a mango tree. She's a bar. And here is the owner - another Bob Marley, calmly swaying to his reggae. He will break away from his endless meditation only to pour a beer for a visitor, and will return to his previous occupation. All the usual sea activities are available on the island - scooters, wind surfing, scuba diving. But this is everywhere, but there are small islands near San Andres, to which boats constantly go. People take bread with them to feed the fish. Sometimes it rains on San Andres - a fast tropical thunderstorm that adds a pleasant feeling. In July-August there is no rain and it is hot. Usually Europeans (mostly Germans) and Latin Americans - from Argentina and Colombia - vacation on San Andres. There is no one from Russia yet.

So it’s quite possible to walk around the wild - for now - island, meet the cheerful people who inhabit it, swim in the Caribbean Sea to achieve absolute, unimaginable tranquility. And finally, wander around the cheap island shops - the island is duty free. By the way, prices there are still 40 percent lower than at any large airport, in London or

San Andres is located 230 km east of Nicaragua and 750 km northwest of the Caribbean coast of Colombia. It consists of three dozen coral islands, which are concentrated around the largest islands: San Andres Island and Providencia Island, located 90 km to the east.

Many centuries ago, the islands of the archipelago were a base for pirates, but now they are the “pearl” of the Caribbean, a place where tourists from all over the world come to relax.

Here you can not only have a great time sunbathing and swimming, but also enjoy water sports such as diving, kitesurfing and yachting.

The capital is San Andres, which is located in the northern part of the island. The city consists of hotels, restaurants, discos and numerous shops. It is worth noting that the island of San Andres has the status of a free trade zone, so they are a great place for shopping.

South of the city of San Andres, on the highest hill of the island, stands the village of La Loma. From here you can enjoy beautiful views of the Caribbean Sea, whose green-blue waters are called "seven-colored". On the west coast of the island of San Andres, a few kilometers southwest of La Loma, it is worth visiting the legendary Morgan's Cave. It is believed that English pirate Henry Morgan hid his countless treasures here in 1670.

On the island of San Andres you can also go to the vast mangrove forests, of which there are about 12. In the forests you can see colorful mangroves, shellfish, crabs, lizards and many birds. The best means of transportation around the island is a motor scooter, rentals of which can be found in any village.

The best beaches of San Andres are located in the vicinity of the capital city, on the island of Johnny Cay, which is located a few kilometers from the city of San Andres, on the east coast in San Luis, Sound Bay and Rocky Cay.

There are about 35 dive sites around the island of San Andres. There are coral reefs, underwater rocks, underwater caves and shipwrecks. During dives you can see a wide variety of coral formations, tropical fish, barracudas, dolphins and sharks.

You will try exotic cocktails that are made only in this region of the world. The island is absolutely safe. The cuisine, especially the seafood, is very tasty, and will not leave you indifferent.