San Andrés city - San Andrés y Providencia

San Andrés is part of San Andrés Archipelago.  It has big tourist attractions.  To the south, the famous villages of La Loma and San Luís are located; these are flat zones with coconuts plantations.  It’s an exotic landscape plenty of beaches.

The Festival of Luna Verde is celebrated every year in the island of San Andrés.  It shows the islands history, the extinction of indigenous populations, the colonization and other historical facts.

It is possible to arrive to San Andrés by plane to Gustavo Rojas Pinilla Airport (Telephone number: 512-5397, 512-7316). 

Tourist attractions

Del Cove Bay

It is a bay where the sun hides, the national army forest anchor and the cruise ships travel across the Caribbean. It is appropriated for diving and also for tasting typical food in some restaurants. The bay basin occupies the central zone of San Andrés, covers 396.5 hectares.

West View

It is a natural pool formed by island cliffs. Appreciating the wonderful landscapes, throwing yourself from a crag, (two meters high) and swimming among colorful fish for appreciating the sea beauty are adventure activities to do, that’s why many visitors come to the island.

La Piscinita

It is a small spring, surrounded by a wall of coralline rocks. In this place, you can enjoy seeing the colorful fish while they are fed.

El Hoyo Soplador

It is similar to a geyser next to the sea, is the pride of native people. The natural formation is the result of a group of subterranean tunnels, begins with reefs and finish in a hole. When there are high tides, a dark wave get into the tunnels, and then, the compressed air is thrown by the hole. When this fact occur, people said “Silence, the hole is blowing”

Smith Channel

It is a former channel, used for coconut and orange schooners from the island. Nowadays, the channel is only used by traditional fishers.

Pathway

The pathway of Spratt Bight is a good option for people who enjoy long walks on the sea shores. Its landscapes are appropriated for taking photos. There are many islanders who combs with cangas (small braids) to visitors.

You can appreciate the hotel and commercial zone. The nautical skills demonstrations are interesting for visitors. In front of the pedestrian walk, you can appreciate Jhohnny Cay, Regional Park.

Regional Park of Mangle Old Point

It is a fauna and flora park, close to the town center, in Hooker and Haynes bays. It is the largest mangrove of San Andrés. There are four swamp species, mussels, litorinas, crabs, iguanas, lizards, endemic and migratory birds.

Big Pond Lagoon

It is located on the hill, is the refuge for hundred of birds, babillas(similar to alligators), boas, crabs and fish. It is surrounded by fruit trees as mangoes and others. It is 30 meters deep, 400 meters by 150 meters long.

La Loma

The hill is the appropriated place for people who enjoy the nature, walking by roads, paths and lanes. This village goes round the central road which crosses the island. The isolated houses reflect the Anglo-afro Caribbean architecture.

The inhabitants work is the survival agriculture, is 120 meters high, on the top you can appreciate the island.

La Loma Baptist Church

It is the first Baptist church, was declared national heritage. It was founded in 1947, has red roof and white walls whose are made with wood of Alabama pine. Its location is used as guide for ships that arrive to San Andrés. Every Sunday, the native people go to worships.

Malecón de los Enamorados

It is situated on Newball Avenue, is an avenue with colorful banks that invite you to appreciate the arrival of sips and yachts.

Sunrise Park

It is the only recreational park in the island, is located on San Francisco Newball Avenue, in the north zone. From there, you can see Cotton, Haynes and Acuario islets. It is formed by guava, mangrove and coconut trees. It was opened in 1988.

Far Cays

Among the far cays, we have the following: Roncador, Quitasueño, Serrana and Bolívar, they form five zones with many islets which are located in the middle of Caribe. Its lighthouses are guide for ships, have posts surrounded by reefs that protect them from the sea, the breeze and the unknown arrivals. They were cemeteries of ships and have several marine species as turtles, lobsters, barracudas, snails and sharks.

Many of them are covered by sand, others by vegetation, have water wells and are bird’s refuges.

Museums

Island House: This place evokes the customs of San Andrés; gather the homey tradition of the archipelago which one was abandoned because of the modernity. You can appreciate the traditions in every place. It is located on Circunvalar Avenue, on Km 5.

Museo del Pirata (museum): It is situated on Km 8 of Circunvalar avenue, evokes remembrances of the pirate, his clothes, costumes and tools.

Museum of Coconut: It is a place that gathers together the native culture and is located on Km 8, Circunvalar avenue.

Beaches

San Luis: The plain and coastal village has 10, 5% of the population, most of them are root people. The land produces coconut trees, its exotic landscape out of the city make it a very-visited tourist place. It has vast beaches where the tranquility, the breeze and the waves´ song are the main characteristics for a peaceful resting. There are also wooden houses and Caribbean architecture.

Spratt Bight: It is one of the main beaches of the island, covers 450 meters with white sand. It is the perfect place to enjoy sunbathing and swimming in clear waters, is appropriated for nautical sports as surf fish, Kate surf, windsurf and jet sky. There, people can take motorboats for taking a trip surrounding the island or for going to Jhonny Cay Island.

Cocoplum Beaches: It is located in San Luís, in front of Rocky Cay. It is the preferred place for people who loves tranquility because it is not very deep, has white sands and bluish-green waters.

Cultural events

Anniversary – July 20

Many activities are carried out, among them the majestic parade in the town center which begins from Bolivar Park. The private and public schools march by the main streets, carrying emblems like flags in order to homage the city. The flower arrangements will be put in front of Libertador statue.

Fiestas patronales de San Andrés

They are carried out on November. For celebrations, there are cultural and autochthonous presentations of the island, parade floats pass through the following streets: Galeana, Zaragoza, Francisco Villa, Ocampo and Marcos Castellanos.

Green Moon Festival

It is celebrated every year, shows the Caribbean culture, and has characteristics of the island history as the disappeared native cultures and the English colonization.
The festival begins with a parade with drums, making some original choreography, passing by the main roads.

Reinado Internacional del Coco

In the event, many beautiful young women participate in different zones of our country and nearby countries too. There, you can appreciate the folkloric and gastronomic samples of each country (all of them using coconut).

Night events

Bars, restaurants, discotheques, casinos make San Andres a livened up city. In tourist season, there are many popular concerts in the beaches, whose are livened up by native music.

International Triathlon

It is a sport event, annual competence of swimming, cycling and athletics, begins from Jhonny Cay Regional Park and is carried out on May.

Gastronomy

San Andrés not only presents beautiful locations, it also has good gastronomy, a variety of dishes made of fish, snail, lobster, crab and also coconut, banana, coconut milk and manioc.  A typical dish is the Rondón, a kind of soup made of fish and snail.