[Travel Guide] What to do in San Andrés (Colombia)? Transportation, Accommodation, Excursions, Practical advice

We have just spent 4 dreamy days on San Andrés Island, a Caribbean island belonging to Colombia. If you have the opportunity to visit Colombia and stay there long enough, don’t miss this opportunity.

How to get to San Andrés Island?

Simply by plane. Internal and direct flights aren’t very expensive in Colombia. You can get there from :

Cartagena de Indias: 1h29 from 41€ return without checked baggage
Medellín 1h48 from 58€ round trip without luggage in the hold
Bogota 2h10 from 73€ AR without luggage in the hold

VivaAir offers the lowest fares but inconvenient departure times (too early or too late). For 20€ more, you can opt for LATAM, which has more reasonable schedules. Whatever the company, drinks and food aren’t served on board. Check the rates on Skycanner here

Where do I have to be on the plane?

Next to the window, of course.

I was on the left side on the way out and just saw the corn islands of Nicaragua.

On the return flight (to Medellin), I was on the right side and the plane made a small detour in the sky and I saw San Andrés Island from my window :

Do I need a visa?

San Andrés belongs to Colombia, you don’t need a visa, but you will have to pay a tourist card (112,500COP/person). It is sold directly at the boarding gate. You can pay in cash or by credit card. It is valid for 6 months but can only be used once.

Is it necessary to buy a specific SIM card?

No, this is Colombia so the SIM card you bought in Bogota, Medellin or Cartagena will work here. Small nuance: my Tigo card doesn’t pick up well at all, whereas JB’s Claro card works well. We explained how to buy a Claro card here

How to get around the island?

With a scooter. This is the option that Colombian tourists (and the brave) choose. We were able to rent a scooter by writing on WhatsApp to the rental company, who brought it to us at the airport. We paid 200 000COP for 72 hours (spread over 4 days, from Thursday to Sunday). Everything is perfect. Gasoline isn’t very expensive and the scooter doesn’t consume much (on the other hand, it doesn’t smell very good hehe). You can easily go around the island 3 times with a full tank. The traffic isn’t dangerous like in Thailand, but if it’s your first time, drive slowly and be careful with left/right overtaking, helmets aren’t used at all on the island.

JB has only a car license but the renter didn’t even ask us for more info than that (only the passport number). The payment is in cash, there is a written contract, it’s pro.

Contact details of the Scooter Rental Company in San Andrés: WhatsApp: +57 3186911134 (speaks English & Spanish)

With a golf cart (gas): for 2, 4 or 6 people. The price also varies according to the number of places available. Pay attention to the speed, already with our scooter you can easily reach 25Km/h. The limit is set at 30km/h, there are many policemen hiding to better fine you. The rental is about 80 000COP/day. You can also contact our scooter rental company to book the 6-person golf cart.

Contact details of the golf car rental company in San Andres: WhatsApp: +57 3186911134

Public bus: the public bus goes around the island. Each trip costs you 3000COP. You stop it where you want, and get off where you want. There is only one every 10 minutes or so, it serves all the places indicated on this article.

Cab : I find the fares a little exaggerated on the island and the meter never turned on. You have to negotiate the fares before getting into the cab. You can hail a cab downtown, but they will be few in the rest of the island.

On foot or by bike : this is the recommended option if you plan to stay only near the main beach. Otherwise, it’s not recommended at all, it will take you too much time (and breathe the dust left by the scooters, no thanks!)

What to do on the island?

1. Swimming / sunbathing at the main beach.

It is possible to rent a kind of “parasol”, chairs or deckchairs on the main (and heavenly) beach. It is the biggest and most beautiful on the island, with a view of Johnny Cay Island. The beach next to the bar The Islander is much quieter because there is no shade. The other side is full of coconut trees, it is where there are the most tourists because there is shade and restaurants.

Practical advice : Playa Spratt Bight is the part where there are lots of coconut trees (and more people). Main Beach is the part where there are almost no coconut trees, but it is more quiet. Locate The Islander on Google Maps and land in front of it. There are lifeguards on both beaches.

2. Walk/swim to Rocky Cay Islet

This island has the advantage of being accessible on foot (and swimming) from Playa Zarpada. The islet itself has nothing extraordinary, but on the right side of the islet (look at the buoys on the right side) there are many small fish. Further on, (deep water with potentially current, be careful), you can go up to a wreck.

For those who don’t swim well, there are buoys all along the way to hang on to. When there are no more buoys, the water becomes a little deeper (about 2m) for 3-4 meters. You will have to swim. The depth is between 1 and 2m. At the snorkeling level, the water is shallow (about 80cm).

The water is lower in the morning, and before 9am, it is quiet, there is nobody.

Practical advice: the access to the beach is hidden, and the parking isn’t free. Either you park at the Aqua Beach Club restaurant in exchange for a drink, or you aim at Club De Playa Rocky Cay on Google Maps. You will see a small street and an ice cream sign. The lady who sells ice cream keeps your scooter or golf cart for 5000COP.

You can rent life jackets and leave your stuff in a locker (7000COP for the locker). There are many boats too, we can bring it to you by boat if you prefer.

There is a bar on the islet, you can consume on the islet and pay later when you return to the beach.

3. Explore the islets around the island by boat & swim with stingrays

There are plenty of islands in the area. The unavoidable activity on the island is to take boats to get there. Some boats go to only one islet, others do island hopping. The two that we recommend are Johnny Cay and Acuario + a stop to swim with the stingrays (near Acuario). We did this boat tour with our hotel for 66 000COP/person.

This type of tours (with lots of stops and snorkeling) is quite rare and our hotel does not offer them every day either. Contact them for more information(link Booking).

In Acuario, the sandbank is sublime, but advance to the level of the rocks, you will see a sublime seabed (we saw a nurse shark, sea urchins …)

In Johnny Cay: go around the island, you will see lots of iguanas and natural pools.

Practical advice: many tours sold by travel agencies just offer Johnny Cay and Acuario, without the stingray stop (or with observation from the boat, without entering the water). Sometimes, swimming with the stingrays is part of another tour: Mantarrayas tour. Ask beforehand. Do not hesitate to ask questions to l’office du tourisme

The tours do not include snorkeling equipment rental, food, drinks… take money with you and hydration (35 000COP/meal, 10 000COP the drink).

4. Snorkeling in one of the natural (deep) swimming pools on the west side of the island

On the other side of the island, the water is much calmer and deeper. You can access the natural pools created by the creeks. There are places where you are given a little bread to feed the fish (there will be a hundred of them), and others where you will see very varied but few fish. We advise you to come with your snorkeling equipment as they do not necessarily rent it.

Here are the three places we recommend:

Piscinita : entrance 6000COP/person. A bit touristic. Bread to give to the fishes. You can jump from a concrete platform (the diving board is out of order). Around a little dirty.
West View: entrance 5000COp/person. Much too touristic place, with diving board and slide. This is where the organized tours go. Bread to give to the fishes. You have to queue for each activity. Closing quite early (17h)
Reggae Roots: free entrance, right next to West View. Recommended consumption (about 10,000COP for a limonada). Deckchairs, chairs, diving board. There is no bread for the fish, but they are more varied, quiet. There are even white sea urchins and crabs. Opened and closed later. Ideal for sunset.

5. Walking underwater

If you can’t swim or snorkel, then you can walk underwater, thanks to AQUANAUTAS (same location as West View). The activity does not last very long (25 minutes for 100 000CP), your helmet is powered by oxygen so you walk and breathe as if you were not underwater. You can’t use your own camera, you have to pay 80 000COP more.

6. Diving

Thanks to its exceptional seabed, there are a lot of diving clubs on the island, you can even pass your PADI. Unfortunately, I have not tested it myself

Practical advice: Lonely planet recommends Banda Dive Shop (180 000COP for 2 dives).

7. Go to Providencia Island

You can get to the neighboring island by ferry (more than 3 hours), or by plane. Tourists find it less touristy, more paradisiacal. Some of them even advise you to skip San Andrés completely and go directly to Providencia Island.

Let’s just say that I didn’t find San Andrés Island as “horrible” as that in September :D, I wasn’t unhappy to stay only on San Andrés Island.

Practical advice: You can buy your ferry tickets here: https://www.conocemosnavegando.com/
Departure: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and SundaySan
Andrés => Providencia Island: departure at 8am (check in at 6:30am

)

Providencia Island => San Andrés => San Andrés: departure at 2:30pm (check in at 1pm

)Fares:

one way: 215
000COPayment: 395 000COPSif

you prefer to fly,

Check the

fares here

8. Shopping

San Andrés is the paradise of duty free. The prices aren’t very interesting if you come from Europe, but if you have been traveling in the area for a long time and you are “short” of technology products, perfumes, branded luggage etc. why not take a tour of the stores on the Carrera 2.

If you forgot your GoPro, you’ll find plenty of them here.

What to bring to San Andrés?

Coral-friendly sunscreen
Something to snorkel
Bathing suits, sunglasses
GoPro (or equivalent, we have a small and cheap sports camera: https://amzn.to/2TkE04n)
A waterproof bag
Your driver’s license (if you rent a car/scooter)
Money (in cash, Colombian pesos). On the island, payment is more in cash than by credit card

Where to stay on San Andrés Island?

We recommend that you stay in the city center (northern part, around the airport & the main beach), otherwise you will have to opt for half-board at the hotel. The roads around the island aren’t lit at night, and the sunset is around 6:30 pm (in September), driving in the dark to find a restaurant isn’t recommended.

Curiously, Colombians are all crowded into the hotels of the Decameron group (all inclusive). I went by boat in front of Decameron Aquarium and they have direct access to a private lagoon with lots of fish and corals, it looks very nice and luxurious. The other Decameron are well located, with very easy access to the beach as well.

As for us, we were at Nautica View Sai(Booking link), a little off-center because we were motorized. The hotel has a private parking to keep our scooter at night, and a private boat that took us to see the islets. I recommend if you have a scooter. The view from the reception is incredible

An extremely well located hostel (a few meters from the main beach) is Alojamientos Neca (Booking link), in a street perpendicular to the beach (dormitory beds)
If you like apart-hotels, you can opt for Apartahotel Bahia Tropical III(link Booking), the same, just a few meters from the main beach.

Where to eat in San Andrés?

There are a lot of restaurants on Carrera 1, but they are touristic, expensive and not necessarily good. Only one restaurant stands out and has been warmly recommended by the locals, it is La Regatta, to book if you go there in the evening. Their lobster is to die for. Count 60€ for two.

If you want to eat well for less, opt for empanadas. Otherwise, there is a Subway on the main avenue.

Budget

September 2019 rate: 1000COP = 0,27€

Transport airport => Medellin and vice versa: 25000COP per person (by public transport)
Tourist card (mandatory): 112 500COP
Hotel: 40€/night, double room
Airplane: 98€/person round trip from Medellin, without hold luggage
Meals: between 20000COP and 35 000COP/person in tourist restaurants
At Regatta: 62€ for two, dish + dessert + drink
Scooter rental for 72 hours: 200 000COP (payment in cash)
Limonada at Reggae Roots: 10000COP
Entrance to Piscinata: 6000COP/person
Boat tour: 66000COP/person
Cab to go to the port: 10000COP for two

TOTAL: 618€ for two people, 4 days ALL INCLUDED from Medellín by plane.

Did you like this article? Check out our San Andrés travel diary for more pictures; as well as all our articles about Colombia & our YouTube vlog