San Andres Colombia. What hotels in San Andrés have nice views? Briefly about tips

8,0

The island is a 2 hour flight from Bogotá.

The island is a 2 hour flight from Bogota. Geographically located closer to Nicaragua. The Caribbean Sea is extraordinarily beautiful and fully justifies its name in this place - "the sea of ​​7 shades"! Regarding prices, I will answer succinctly - everything is expensive. I especially did not like that there is a lot of garbage on the island. It hurts the eye against the backdrop of unusually beautiful nature. You can move around the island on a regular bus, which will cost 2200 pesos per trip, which is very cheap. Rent the so-called mula car (up to 5 people) around $ 80 per day. It is in great demand among tourists. I liked the San Luis beach, which can be easily reached by regular bus. It is necessary to be vigilant. No one announces stops, so you need to ask the locals.

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Ekaterina1136889 Russia

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San Andres is a fairly large island and the beaches are far from...

San Andres is a fairly large island and there are beaches far from anywhere on the coast. Therefore, you should choose a place of residence, taking into account the accessibility of the nearest beach. The people are generally friendly and willing to help. There is a sense of security. Entrance to the island is paid - 50 thousand Colombian pesos. In the city of San Andres itself, it is not so much the architecture that attracts, but the general atmosphere of typical Caribbean culture and, of course, wonderful beaches. On the island, it is recommended to visit the Botanical Garden with a viewing platform.

• Civic centre: 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 makes this department a very small political and administrative unit of the country, firmly connected with the mainland and adding another 350,000 km² of sea possessions.

The island archipelago consists of twenty-five small coral islands that 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 Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina (San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina), the islets and reefs of Alicia, Serrana, Seranilla and Kitasueño (Alicia, Serrana, Serranilla y 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 Andrés is the product of recent limestone sedimentation, and Providencia is formed by an extinct volcano of the Middle and Upper Miocene period.

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

The islets protrude slightly above the surface of the water with 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 Fresh Water Bay area.
The remaining islands of the archipelago lack sources of drinking water. For this reason, it is very important to use groundwater/groundwater as economically as possible.

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

Climate

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

The trade winds blowing here from the northeast partly determine the rainy season, which begins in May and reaches its maximum in October and November, lasting until December; during this period, 80% of the annual precipitation is recorded, which averages 1700 mm.

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

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

Administrative device

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

The Department of San Andres includes the island of San Andres with its capital San-Andres-Town (San-Andrés-Taun) (locally called El Centro), which has 3 police inspections La Loma, San and North End ( La Loma, San Luis y North End), Provencia Municipality and Santa Catalina Island.

The department is subdivided into two notarial districts centered in San Andrés and Providencia.
The department corresponds to the constituency of San Andres, Providencia, and Santa Catalina.

Economy

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

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, oranges, sweet potato and cassava.

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

Communications

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

Maritime transport is also widely used, transporting goods and passengers between the islands. The islands have spacious and safe bays, allowing ships of medium displacement to anchor.

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

Story

A small part 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 the first expedition of Columbus to the New World, and since then it has been considered part of a vast region called the province of Veraguas (Provincia de Veraguas).

In 1595, the Spanish government ordered to strengthen the island of Santa Catalina, which is part of the archipelago - fortifications were built there, cannons were brought in, and in 1660 the island was reinforced by 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 at the peace treaty signed between England and Spain, was arrested by the British in December 1670 and sent under escort to London. However, instead of a trial, Charles II knighted him and sent him back already in the rank of supreme judge, punishing him to fight piracy mercilessly. Dismissed some time later for incurable embezzlement from the governorship of Jamaica, the sick and aged Sir Henry Morgan soon died, taking with him to the grave the secret of finding his innumerable treasures. On the island of San Andres there is a cave named after him, where, according to legend, he hid these treasures.

By royal decree of August 20, 1739, the viceroyalty (viceroyalty) of Santa Fe (de Santa Fe) was created with jurisdiction over the islands of the Archipelago of San Andres and Providencia.

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

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, the settlement of Isla de San Andres (Isla de San Andrés) was named the capital.

On July 4, 1991, the National Constituent Assembly (Asamblea Nacional Constituyente) attested in the basic law of the constitution to the creation of the department of San Andrés y Providencia, retaining Isla de San Andrés as its capital.

Attractions

The unique ecosystem of the San Andres archipelago, its biodiversity, natural beauty, history and cultural heritage contributed to the fact that in 2000 UNESCO declared it a Biosphere Reserve (Seaflower).

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 is 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 one can note 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 legend, some assurances, you can go to pristine virgin beaches); underwater geyser Soplador (Soplador) at the southern tip of San Andres, which is a narrow channel pierced by time and water in the calcareous rock (the fountain can be seen only at certain times of the year, when sea waves intensify on the island), the picturesque San Andres Bay, Honni Island Cay (Johnny Cay), famous for its excellent cuisine and reggae bars, Hynes Island and the Aquarium, located off the western coast of San Andres Island (tiny islets are in close proximity to each other - the distance between them can be waded. Hynes is surrounded by a strip of coral reefs, the entire island is covered with palm trees growing from soft green moss.Here you can relax in the shade of the trees, contemplating the sea and San Andres Island nearby.Exotic fish gather at the shores of the Aquarium, which can be observed in a mask, or directly through the water literally touching them with their hands); white sand beaches of San Luis; Santa Catalina Bay; Old Providence Natural National Park and the oldest Baptist church in Latin America, Bautista Emmanuel (Iglesia Bautista Emmanuel) (1847) in the village of La Loma. (The church was built on the initiative of the Rev. Beckeman Livington, who was the 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 was once a beacon for sailors.The Baptist Church is considered a national treasure of Colombia.Each Sunday, groups of festively dressed islanders gather in the walls of the snow-white cathedral with bright stained-glass windows.

The best beach areas of the archipelago are Sprat Bay, Sound Bay near St. Louis, Kokoplam 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 kinds of marine activities on the island - scooters, windsurfing, scuba diving and fishing. Boats constantly ply to the small islands surrounding San_Andrés. You can go to them just to feed exotic fish.

The island of Providencia (Providencia) - locals call "Old Providence", unlike San Andres, is practically untouched by the tourism industry (although it is developing rapidly). The area of ​​the island is 17 sq. km.

Here, the traditions of the island have been preserved almost unchanged - the original English language and Patois, which is spoken by people from the African continent, pastoral customs 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 festive events coincide with the canonical days of the saints.

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

If you take a walk from Casabah to the top of the largest "mountain" on the island - El Pico, then you can see almost all of it.

The main attractions of the island: Agua Dulce 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 paths of the island to the springs gushing 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 about. Providencia is located on Santa Catalina Island, connected to its neighbor by the Lovers' Path Bridge.

The main attraction of Santa Catalina is Fort Morgana, where you can still see pirate cannons that were once used by corsairs to protect looted treasures. On the west coast of the island is the impressive Morgan's Head - a rock that surprisingly resembles a human head with its outlines.

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 throughout the Caribbean, the reggae genre of music, typical of Haiti and Jamaica, has gained momentum.

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

Flying, of course, is not very close and not very cheap. In terms of distance, we almost made it to the circumnavigation of the world.


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

Aeroflot flew to the States.
From New York to get to San Andres, the fastest and cheapest way was to get the Panamanian company Copa Airlines through their main hub Panama City.

We were even fed during the flight.


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

The airport on the island is very fun.

We stayed in a small hotel 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 pretty decent.

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

Can you guess what this establishment is?

Yes, yes... this is the Big Lobster restaurant.
There are also conversations like this:

However, lobsters boiled in coconut milk were devoured by us at the speed of light.

By the way, about food. We deliberately did not take full board at the hotel in order to wander around the island pubs to our heart's content. And there are not many of them. From very democratic to those claiming sophistication.
They ate mostly seafood.

The culinary business card of the island is Rondon soup.


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

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


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

To move around the island, you can rent a golf cart.


On it, the entire island is circled in 2 hours with stops for sightseeing and photography.

The locals ride horses.

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

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 the base of pirates, and now they are the "pearl" of the Caribbean Sea, a place where tourists from all over the world come to rest. It can be reached by plane from the city of Cartagena. The archipelago 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. Wide sandy beaches, clear waters, vast coral reefs and abundant 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 - 750 kilometers or an hour of flight on a 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, but mostly stone city formally 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 ... Huge Chevrolets and Cadillacs of the late sixties drive, younger than Cuban ones and in better condition - traffic on the island is not intense.

Everywhere Spanish inscriptions are duplicated by 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. The locals love their island and cannot imagine living elsewhere.

There are quite a lot of tourists on the island of San Andres in July-August, or at 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-colored sand. Tourists, before going to a disco or a 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 come 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 obviously too big for a miniature island. But there are small hotels. All are good and comfortable. They must be lived in.
And not necessarily in El Centro - you can just as well stay in San Luis, a wonderful village populated by friendly people. Also with an excellent beach and, in addition, coral reefs. And the architecture is completely different from the one 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, it is enough 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 you can enjoy beautiful views of the Caribbean Sea, whose green-blue waters are called "seven-colored"... The second is the legendary Morgan's Cave - a place where , according to legend, the famous pirate Henry Morgan buried the treasure looted in Panama in 1670. All the usual marine activities are available on the island - scooters, windsurfing, scuba diving.Near San Andrés there are small islands to which boats constantly go. People take bread with them to feed the fish.In the waters of the island are the wrecks of the Blue Diamond and Nicaraguense, the reef walls of Blue Hole and Blue Wall, and the underwater geyser El Joyo Soplador at the southern tip of San Andrés , 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, Kokoplam Bay and Cove, and Johnny Cay.

It sometimes rains in San Andres, a fast tropical thunderstorm that adds to the pleasant experience. 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 rest on San Andres.

San Andres it is one of the best resort areas in the Caribbean, with the natural beauty and charm of the island largely untouched. Turquoise waters, expansive coral reefs and abundant marine life make for a snorkeller's paradise. Here, diving takes place among coral reefs in the company of colorful fish: butterfly fish, sergeant fish, stingray, 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 snorkeling areas in San Andrés are in excellent condition. A total of 35 dive sites are available for various types of diving on shipwrecks, cliffs and caves; to representatives of the fauna of all colors and sizes, add comfortable water temperatures and good visibility.

Providencia Island located 90 km east of San Andres Island. Rest here will appeal to lovers of silence and solitude, because only 4,000 people live on the island, and the bulk of tourists rest on San Andres. In this place, the oldest traditions of the island have been preserved: the original language "Patois" (this language was spoken out of the African continent), as well as the original English language. There are a large number of hotels that look like taverns of 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, on the beaches located in its vicinity, couples in love rest. On the southeast coast of the island is the McBean Lagoon Reserve, in the underwater part of which a coral reef is protected, and on land - mangroves. Very interesting hiking trips to the highest point of the island - El Pico, from where you can see the Caribbean Sea and small coastal islands.

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

In the southwestern Caribbean Sea and northwest of Colombia is the coral island of San Andres. The purest, shimmering in thousands of shades of blue, sea water surrounds it from all sides. The island consists of reefs, many sandy islands and mangrove forests located off the coast. The island has many geysers and cedar groves where birds live.

In the modern world, San Andres is considered the best and most popular resort in the Caribbean. From the highest point of the island - the village of La Loma, you can see all the beauty of the sea, which is called "seven-colored" for its overflows. Beautiful beaches and fantastic tropical vegetation, framing the coastal strip with lace leaves, attracts lovers of exotic holidays with their romance.

The mangrove forests of the coast consist of different species: red, white and black mangroves. They are home to a large number of marine inhabitants such as crabs and shellfish, in the branches you can see azure lizards and various birds.

A wide strip of beaches smoothly turns into a warm and gentle sea. The sand, dazzlingly white, glistens under the rays of the sun like powdered sugar. The natural beauty of the surrounding world is almost untouched by man, which attracts many tourists to the coast who want to get a closer look at the virgin forests and exotic tropical sea.

The kitchens of hotels and restaurants offer a variety of national dishes, you can buy interesting souvenirs in shops, and going down to the bottom with divers, you can see coral reefs and its inhabitants.

The enchanting and incredible beauty of San Andres, a fabulous island offering unforgettable experiences and entertainment on the beaches of the resort, communication with friendly residents will be the perfect option for a vacation on the Caribbean coast.