Department of San Andrés and Providencia - San Andrés y Providencia. What hotels in San Andrés have nice views? san andres island colombia
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, which form 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 hurry - the whole 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 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 - official language somehow.
Of course, they do not live richly here, but there is no hungry longing in the eyes and there is no poverty. The locals love their island and cannot imagine living elsewhere. The farthest point they get to is, but there they freeze and rush to return. 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. Sometimes chic modern sports cars like "Porsche" appear on the embankment. There are three of them on the whole island, no more. They gently float past - first in one direction, then in the other. There is nowhere else to go. But passers-by have time to notice brand new cars and hear music coming from open windows. Local music is reggae or salsa. And "Bobs of Marley" roam the streets all the time. When asked how to make such a hairstyle, they answer: "No way, just don't comb your hair, that's all."
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 a great 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. If you ride a bike, the scooter is not difficult - the first few meters you feel insecure, but then everything goes fine.
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 glorious pirate Henry Morgan buried in 1670 the treasures looted in Panama. Any passer-by will point out 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 the sea, the lagoon, and the caimans are swimming. And they do not look like in fenced crocodile nurseries in 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 again. On the island there are all the usual marine activities - scooters, windsurfing, scuba diving. But it is everywhere, but near San Andres there are small islands, to which boats constantly go. People take bread with them: feed the fish. 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. Usually Europeans (mostly Germans) and Latin Americans - from Argentina, Colombia rest on San Andres. There is no one from Russia yet.
So it is quite possible to walk around the wild - for now - island, meet the cheerful people who inhabit it, swim in the Caribbean Sea in order 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
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 a "pearl" caribbean, 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 rich marine life - all this makes the archipelago the most popular resort area Colombia.
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.
On the island of San Andres in July-August, or at Christmas and New Year there are quite a lot of tourists. 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.There are small islands near San Andrés, 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. East Coast. The season is 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 this is one of the best resort areas 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 the island San Andres. 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 by exits from the African continent), as well as the original English language. Here is located a large number of a hotel that looks like eighteenth century taverns. The largest settlement on the island of Providencia is the village of Santa Isabel. Santa Isabel tied wooden bridge with 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 to the highest point of the island - El Pico, from where you can see the Caribbean Sea and small coastal islands.
most popular beach areas The Providencia Islands are located on the north coast of Frashuter Bay and located on the south west coast South West Bay and Manzanillo. Freshwater Bay is also considered the best place for diving on the island. Other popular dive sites are also located off the north coast.
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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 background unusually beautiful nature. You can move around the island on 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. liked San beach Luis, 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 enough big Island and beaches are 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.
AT southwestern part of the Caribbean 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.
AT modern world San Andres is considered the best and popular resort, of all located in the Caribbean. From the very high point island villages 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 a lace of leaves, attracts lovers of exotic holidays with its 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 that offers unforgettable experience and entertainment on the beaches of the resort, communication with friendly residents will be the perfect option for a vacation on the Caribbean coast.
230 km east of Nicaragua and 750 km northwest (Spanish Cartagena), located on the Caribbean coast, there is a small archipelago San Andres and Providencia(Spanish: San Andres y Providencia archipielago). The archipelago consists of several dozen coral atolls, concentrated around the 3 largest islands: calm, romantic secluded Santa Catalina (Spanish Isla de Santa Catalina) and wonderful San Andres(Spanish: Isla de San Andres).
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Characteristics
The island is small and elongated: 12.5 km long, 3 km wide. The length of the "ring" road running along its coast is about 30 km.
The majority of the population in colloquial speech uses the so-called. "Jamaican English" dialect, less often - Spanish or Creole. On the streets, signs and signs are bilingual: all the inscriptions are made in Spanish and English.
Many centuries ago, the islands of the archipelago served as a transit base for filibusters, and today they are "pearls", a place where people from all over the world come to rest. You can get here by sea or by plane from Cartagena.
In 2000, the entire territory of the archipelago, including reefs, atolls and sandbars, which makes up approximately 10% of the Caribbean Sea, was declared by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve for the planet. The purpose of this declaration is to preserve the biodiversity-rich unique marine ecosystem.
A bit of history
The history of the Caribbean archipelago is filled with all sorts of adventures and adventures.
Presumably, San Andres was discovered in 1502 during the 4th expedition of the legendary (Italian Cristoforo Colombo; Spanish Cristobal Colon; 1451-1506), but the colonization of the island began later, in the middle of the 16th century. For the first time in the Caribbean Spanish maps arose in 1527, little is known about its population before the European introduction.
The Dutch arrived in the archipelago at the end of the 16th century, and British settlers appeared there in 1628.
Between 1627 and 1629 The British from Barbados arrived on the islands, attracted by the favorable salubrious climate, fertile lands and fresh water resources.
In 1631, the Anglo-Puritans and settlers from Wales ousted the Dutch immigrants from the archipelago. In 1633, British shipowners brought black slaves from West Africa and Jamaica to work on cotton and tobacco plantations.
For some time, Caribbean pirates even ruled here, who set up their base on the islands and kept the stolen goods.
In 1635, the Spaniards, realizing the economic importance of the island, captured the archipelago, but were soon forced out by the British, who owned the archipelago from 1740 to 1787.
In September 1900, the islands were recognized as belonging to Colombia.
In 1972, the archipelago was declared a municipality, and in the Colombian Constitution of 1991, the islands of the archipelago received the status of a region of Colombia. In 2000, the "Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina" was declared a protected area by UNESCO.
Climate
San Andres Island has an oceanic tropical climate with dry and rainy periods. The rainy season is from September to December and from May to June. Summer and winter temperatures differ quite slightly: the average winter air temperature (December-February) is +27°C, in summer (June-August) the thermometer fluctuates around +28°C. Usually from the end of October to mid-January, monsoon winds blow on the islands from the north.
Economy
The economy of the island, which was based on fishing and primitive agriculture, has undergone significant changes with the opening of air traffic from Colombia. And the 1954 declaration on assigning the status of a zone to the island duty free contributed to a large influx of tourists from all over the world and immigrants from the mainland. Local authorities even had to in the 1990s. impose restrictions to manage the influx of people arriving from the mainland, in order to preserve the local culture. Today on an island where there are no industrial enterprises, and there are no conditions for agricultural activities, the tourism industry and trade are actively developing.
Tourism
Warm azure waters, amazing nature, wide sandy beaches, extensive coastal coral reefs, incredibly rich marine life - all this makes the archipelago the most popular resort area in Colombia.
Tourism is by far the main source of income for the islanders. Wonderful beaches with sparkling coral white sand are not very crowded, and for lovers of complete solitude, there are small islands scattered in abundance around San Andres, where you can rob in quite safe and comfortable conditions.
Shopping in San Andres Island
The islands of the archipelago, which have the status of a free trade zone, are a suitable place for shopping. Therefore, in addition to have a great holiday, the favorite pastime of tourists on the island (especially ladies!) Is shopping. There are an unusually large number of shops in El Centro, prices in which are about 40% lower than those offered by European Duty-Free. Several local shopping centers ("San Andres", "West Point", "New Point", "La Riviera"), although small, you can find almost everything at attractive prices: elite alcohol and tobacco, perfumes and cosmetics, clothes and shoes from well-known manufacturers, electronics and household appliances.
Today, trade is the 2nd most important source of income for the local economy.
Attractions
The small island of San Andres, known for its snow-white beaches and clear waters, iridescent with all shades of azure, is not in vain called the "Pearl of the Caribbean".
In the northern part of the island, its capital is located - the city of the same name San Andres Town (Spanish: San Andres Town), which the islanders call shortly El Centro (Spanish: El Centro). It is the largest settlement, as well as administrative, commercial and tourist center islands. All island life is concentrated here - shopping centers, all kinds of shops, bars, discos, restaurants and a number of cozy hotels for every taste and budget. There is even one 3-storey hotel, although it looks obviously too big for a miniature island. The city has its own small art gallery, where paintings by local artists are exhibited.
Guests can stay in San Luis, a friendly village with wooden houses and a great beach. In general, everything is very close here, and in order to explore the island, it is very convenient and affordable to rent a scooter and go around all its nooks and crannies.
Here, wherever you look, there are beaches all around, and they are all different. Most of the beaches are concentrated in the vicinity of the capital city.
The main city beach "Bahía Sardina"
Bahía Sardina, located in the northernmost part of the island, is famous for its white sand, tall palm trees and beautiful view on "Johnny Cay" - a vast sandbank, stretching not far off in coastal waters.
Fans of a quiet and secluded holiday will love the beaches of the Spret Bay (Spanish: Bahía Spret) and sound bay(Spanish Sound Bay). Almost all South American tourists unanimously prefer the beach at the Casablanca Hotel.
Sunken ships Blue Diamond and Nikaraguense resting in the coastal waters of San Andres, as well as underwater Geyser El Joyo Soplador(Spanish: El Hoyo Soplador), which operates at the southern tip of the island, attracts divers with a magnet.
A little south of the city of San Andres, on the highest hill of the island, stands the village of La Loma (Spanish: La Loma). It offers breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea, whose emerald-blue waters are called "seven-colored". There is a Baptist church in the village Church of Bautista Emmanuel(Spanish Iglesia Bautista Emanuel; XVI-XVII centuries), the oldest on the continent. La Loma is almost entirely inhabited by natives of the island and is the best place to get acquainted with the traditional island architecture.
On the west coast of the island, a few km. southwest of La Loma is the legendary Morgan's Cave(Spanish: Morgans Cueva), the most visited local attraction. According to legend, here in 1670 the English navigator and pirate Henry Morgan (eng. Henry Morgan; 1635 - 1688), known by the nickname "Cruel", hid countless treasures stolen in Panama. Now a small museum is open in the cave.
Those wishing to get acquainted with the history of the island and its traditions, in addition to Morgan's Cave, should visit the Coconut Museum and the Pirate Museum. "Museo de Coco" is dedicated to the tropical fruit that grows here, which was once a source of income for the islanders. In "Museo pirata" about 80% of the exhibits are real: anchors, bells, nets, hooks, chains and jewelry from filibuster hoards.
Flora lovers are always interested in walking through the vast mangrove forests (of which there are about 12), where you can see red, white and black mangroves.
About 450 plant species are found in the San Andres Botanical Garden, and you can also climb a high observation deck to enjoy the breathtaking panorama of the island.
Any local will show you how to get to the lagoon, inhabited by small crocodiles - caimans, who have lived here for thousands of years.
Taking a walk along the "circumferential" road of the island, you can see many picturesque beaches, coral reefs, geysers, picturesque coves, as well as plantations of coconut palms and lush green pastures.
And after sunset, all the inhabitants of this paradise island dancing - truly, this is a spectacle worthy of admiration. Everyone dances here - women and men, young and old, thin and fat, and they dance simply superbly - easily, plastically and gracefully, as only Latin Americans can dance!
Entertainment
Nothing could be better when relaxing beach holiday and swimming in warm sea water alternates with various outdoor activities. Transparent clear waters, fabulous coral reefs and the richest underwater life - a true paradise for diving enthusiasts. Coral island, which combines the most diverse ecosystems of reefs, geysers and sandy islands, is simply made for diving! Therefore, the surroundings of San Andres have been actively explored by divers from all over the world in recent years. The coral island is surrounded by densely populated coral reefs, underwater rocks and grottoes, but the best places for diving, its western, northern and southern coasts and the coastal waters of small islands are considered. While diving, you can see amazing coral formations, colorful tropical fish, barracudas, schools of dolphins and even sharks.
Do not lag behind divers and windsurfers, for whom favorable conditions are limited by seasonal fluctuations in weather. The most favorable season for long wave fishermen falls on the period December-February.
You can have a great time on San Andres, devoting it to many more modern water activities: kitesurfing, snorkeling, jet skiing, etc. similar services and rental of the necessary equipment. Underwater excursions are regularly held here.
"Feast of the Belly"
Once on the Caribbean coast, each person has a chance to get to know the richest traditional marine gastronomy. The freshest seafood, all kinds of fish, lobsters, snails, crayfish - the choice is unusually extensive. Once in San Andres, be sure to try the delicious local cuisine: Rondon (Spanish Rondon), Fishballs (Spanish Fish Boly - fish meatballs), exotic fruit breadfruit fried or boiled, corn tortillas and all sorts of delicious tropical fruit desserts.
The calm atmosphere of island life, friendly people, well-established tourist services, duty-free trade and general security make the archipelago great place to relax and escape from the hustle and bustle modern life. The only risk tourists face when they are on Caribbean- this is an irresistible desire to stay here forever!
Curious facts
- If you are going to spend your holidays in San Andres, keep in mind that in July-August, during the Christmas holidays and the New Year, there is a rather large influx of tourists here. At this time, Europeans (mostly Germans) and Latin Americans from Colombia and love to relax in the Caribbean.
- San Andres Island ranks 2nd in the "Best Islands of Colombia" category.
- Everything here is so different from continental Colombia - a completely different culture, and almost the entire population is black: the island is full of colorful blacks in colorful berets smoking ganja (Spanish: Ganja - a variety of hemp). They keep here a lot of restaurants and cafes, briskly trade in all sorts of souvenirs and bright trinkets. Guests of the island are offered a vigorous local drink - a Coco-loco cocktail (Spanish: Coco loco; an explosive mixture of several types of strong alcohol) and a real Pina Colada (Spanish: Piñgas colada) - a low-alcohol Caribbean cocktail consisting of rum, pineapple juice and coconut milk.
- Every year on July 20, Independence Day is solemnly celebrated on the island, and a colorful festival is held in November "Reinado del Coco"(Spanish Reina del Coco - "Coconut Queen").
- Among the artists whose canvases are exhibited in the San Andres Gallery, the paintings of the artist Lucy Show (Spanish: Lucy Show) attract attention. A native of the island with a diagnosis of quadriplegia (paralysis of the upper and lower extremities), with the help of a brush and paints subtly conveys a kaleidoscope of her feelings and emotions.
- An interesting case occurred at the island's airport in May 2013, when police officers detained 3 "nuns" who arrived from Colombia. The officers found it strange to cut the cassocks in which the women were dressed. It turned out that under the monastic attire, the "sisters" hid packages of cocaine - more than 6 kg. During the investigation, it turned out that the “mummers” smugglers were poor Colombians who went to crime because of the reward promised to them by drug dealers.
- by the most popular view Transportation on San Andrés are motorcycles and mopeds.
- There are 2 daily ferries between San Andres and Providencia. Also, small planes fly between these two islands.
- The most unusual hotel on the island is Decameron Aquarium, located right on the water. Here, kayaks, kayaks, sailing boats and water bicycles are rented to customers for pastime.
- A little advice: if you are going to plunge into the magical undersea world, do not forget to bring rubber slippers, as the seabed is teeming with sea urchins.
- Music reigns in the main city of the island from morning until late at night. Salsa, merengue, regeton - music sounds everywhere, as they say, from every iron, creating a light mood.
- The islanders do not live very richly, but they love their "paradise" piece of land and cannot imagine life anywhere else.
