SEVEN SHADES OF BLUE, SAN ANDRES ISLAND COLOMBIA
Written: Aug 24 '06 (Updated Aug 24 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Compact and easy to get around, yet still isolated.
Cons: Just starting to be overdeveloped.
The Bottom Line: Enjoy it now, it may be hard to get to, but eventually it will be "discovered" and overrun.
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| JAMES23's Full Review: San Andres |
Sun, sand, and surf the three “s” of the perfect vacation destination. Add a fourth “s” for shopping to that list and you have San Andres Island a small Caribbean getaway that encompasses all of the above and then some.
San Andres is located in the southwestern Caribbean of off the coat of Panama and Nicaragua. The island is part of the South American nation of Colombia. And the official title is the San Andrés and Providencia Islands referring to the two main islands and several smaller satelite islands and atolls many of which have no inhabitants.
San Andres is relatively tiny, eleven kilometres (7 miles) long and barely 3.5 kilometres (2 miles) wide at its widest point. In fact looking at a map the largest thing on the island appears to be the airport’s single runway located in the northwest corner.
There is a series of green hills running down the centre of the island, the largest of which, provides a spectacular view of the island and the surrounding coral reef. From here once can see the seven shades of blue that the waters around San Andres are famous for.
The best beaches are on the north, east and south sides. The west side has few beaches, as it is mostly coral cliff. The views of the sunset here though do make up for this deficiency somewhat and as already noted it’s not too far to find some white sand to laze on.
Despite its small size San Andres is rather densely populated. The official population is in excess of 100,000 but one source on the island told me that does not account for a recent wave of immigration of mainland Colombians looking for work in the tourist industry and/or to escape the political turmoil there.
Supposedly Christopher Columbus was the first European to discover the islands on his first voyage to the new world. The first settlers or inhabitants were most likely English Puritans and Jamaican woodcutters who arrived and set up a colony around 1629. They maintained trade and other ties with England and the other British colonies in the region and their influence can still be seen here over three centuries later.
For the next two hundred odd years the ownership of the islands was disputed by the various warring European factions in the Caribbean, the Spanish, the English, the French and the Dutch. The close proximity to the South and Central American coast and the excellent harbours of the island made them a valuable prize.
It was during this period 1670-1689 that the English pirate Henry Morgan made the islands his base of operations for raids on the Spanish treasure fleets. In 1822 the newly independent nation of Colombia laid formal claim to the islands although until recently Nicaragua has also tried to claim sovereignty.
This rather colourful past can be seen in the mix of the native islanders a blend of English Caribbean African and others. Recent immigration from the mainland and elsewhere including a surprising Asian and Middle Eastern influx has created a melting pot.
Religion on the island is split between the devout original Protestant settlers mostly Baptists and Seventh Day Adventists and the Catholics from mainland South America. The more recent arrivals have also brought their beliefs with them as well. A large Mosque and Islamic Centre occupies a prominent position in the main town.
I mentioned sun earlier and San Andres has plenty to go around. Because the island is so small and far from the mainland there is almost a continual breeze that makes the heat more than bearable. Mind it can also be deceiving and make it seem that it’s cooler than it really is so sun screen is a must here.
Getting around San Andres is fairly easy it’s not that big. One road circumnavigates the entire coast connecting the airport and main town at the north end with all other points. Other roads head up into the hills where due the slightly cooler temperatures several small villages are located.
There’s a fairly regular bus service that covers most parts of the island during the day. It’s cheap and rather colourful and a great way to meet the locals. Taxis are plentiful at least except when a plane or cruise ship arrives. Then they gravitate to either the airport or the cruise ship docks at Cove Bay.
Taxis are not metered and fares are established depending on where one wants to go and more than reasonable. It is best to confirm the cost before getting in. Many taxi drivers speak English and some accept US currency. Few of them seem to carry change for large denomination bills either Colombian or American. Naturally fares increase after dark when the buses stop running.
There are plenty of car and moped rental places in town and several also offer golf cart rentals as well. Renting a vehicle is not recommended for two reasons.
First as a local pointed out to me was only recently that residents of San Andres had to take any type of examination to get their drivers license. Previously they just had to go to the correct office fill in a form and pay the fee and they were legally qualified to drive. One look at the local traffic and you can see the majority of drivers were licensed under the “old system.” This is a place without traffic lights and where signs are more of a suggestion than the law.
Secondly while all rentals are “insured” there seems to be some difference as to what this may constitute locally compared to what a visitor may be used to back home. It’s their island so guess whose interpretation is accepted should the need arise. For these two reasons it’s better to let the locals do the driving while you relax and enjoy the view.
An island tour is a great Way to start a vacation here and also help orient yourself and decide what you want to see/do later on. Most tour operators offer some sort of half day tour on a regular basis. It’s better however to make a deal with one of the taxi drivers and see everything at your own pace. Rates for a half day tour including pick up and return to your hotel run between $20.00- $30.00 US for 2-4 people or about a quarter the cost of an organized tour.
Going counter clockwise around the island from the north the first stop on any tour is Morgan’s Cave. As noted the celebrated English Pirate used San Andres as a base for preying on Spanish shipping and is reputed to have left some treasure in this cave. It has yet to be found, probably due to the fact most of the cave is underwater.
In addition to the cave there are two small museums located here; one the Pirate Museum has various artifacts on display related to you guessed it local Pirates and Buccaneers. The second is the Coconut Museum, which surprisingly is more interesting than it sounds. Both are small buildings and only take a few minutes to see. Admission to the Cave and Museums is a nominal couple of dollars.
For those interested in natural or holistic medicines Noni products are for sale here. The Noni Plant is grown throughout the island and soap, drops, and even wine made from its extract are available.
Past the Cave one comes to Cove Bay one of the nicer spots to enjoy a sunset on San Andres. There is also a place to feed fishes from atop a coral cliff and for those more adventurous under water tours can arranged here. Rather than snorkel gear, one walks on the seabed wearing a self contained breathing helmet that looks like something out of Walt Disney’s 20,000 Leagues under the Sea. The cruise ship dock is located here adjacent to the naval base. The place can get crowded during the two or three days a week a cruise ship is in port, so best to check ahead.
Heading south one comes to the blow hole another of the islands main attractions. A deep cleft in the coral acts as a natural geyser sending a spout of sea water into the air. Old faithful this isn’t and there is no set time when the blow hole will erupt, not any warning as more than one soaked visitor has discovered. There are a couple of restaurant shacks beside the blow hole where one can wait in comfort.
The south end of the island is at present not developed and the wide expanses of empty beaches and a scattering of houses and few restaurants offer a pleasing contrast to the urbanized north end.
Heading up the east coast, one begins to re enter civilization. Much of the islands population lives on this side and small towns and villages either on the coast or in the hills inland seem to grow together the farther north one travels. Several of the resorts and hotels including tow of the five Decameron properties are located on this side to take advantage of the beach and relatively calm waters.
Continuing north and just prior to entering San Andres town one comes to the main harbour and industrial section of the island.
There’s plenty to do on the island for those so inclined and more than enough white sand for a beach towel, or lounge chair for those who would rather sit and watch the world pass you by.
There’s deep-sea fishing, horse back riding and plenty of other water sports such as sailing, kayaks and snorkeling. Most of the resorts and hotels either offer these services for their guests. There are also plenty of places that offer equipment rentals.
There’s plenty to do under the sea as well. The large reef that surrounds the island offers dozens of excellent dive sites. Once again many hotels, resorts and various tour operators offer packages to suit all needs and skill levels.
Finally we come to shopping. San Andres is a shopper’s paradise. The entire island was declared a duty free zone in the 1950’s and one walk through the town shows the end result. There are literally hundreds of stores here of all shapes and sizes. Most stores will accept US Dollars as well as Colombian Pesos, and the larger ones also accept major credit cards.
Because of the duty free status there is no special duty free zone at the airport. There are shops there but the prices are for the most part the same as elsewhere in town. One also does not have to pass through immigration or security to access them and considering the close proximity to the centre of town one can look at the terminal shops as just another shopping mall.
Probably the best buys on the island are liquor, and perfume. There are fantastic deals here on most major brands of designer perfumes and almost every second store seems to offer special deals on alcohol.
Close behind these two types of shops would be jewelers. There are literally dozens of stores offer fantastic deals especially in gold and Colombian emeralds.
Designer clothes are also great deals on the island with shops carrying most of the world’s better-known names. In addition probably the only stores that seem to outnumber those selling alcohol are those selling shoes.
T-shirts handicrafts and other typical souvenirs are also plentiful either from shops or various street and roadside vendors. There is a small craft market located in the main shopping area of downtown that probably offers the best selection and prices for these things.
Not everything in San Andres is perhaps the best deal around though. Plenty of stores appear to offer great deals on cameras and electronics however a comparison with prices back home may show that they are not as good as they appear.
As always its buyer beware. While it’s probably ok to buy handicrafts and T-shirts from street vendors, higher priced items such as designer clothes and especially jewelry should only be purchased from reputable established stores.
The Columbian Peso is the official currency on the island but US dollars are wildly accepted, although other currencies not so. Most hotels offer money exchange services for their guests, but usually do not offer the best rates.
There are several banks and Casa de Cambios round town that will exchange your money and in the case of the former offer cash advances on credit cards. Hours are posted and line ups may be long. One also requires their Passport for such transactions, and incidentally to make credit card purchases in the shops.
For those who prefer convenience there are several ATMs around town most open 24 hours. It’s best to check first as not all will accept foreign bank and credit cards. It’s also a good idea to know exactly how much you are withdrawing as the denominations of Colombian pesos and exchange may confuse you. At the time of writing the exchange rate was approximately 1900 Colombian Pesos to the Canadian Dollar. One soon gets used to bills and prices with an inordinate number of zeros on them. Finally ATMs on San Andres will only accept four digit PINs.
For those who need to keep in touch with home or just what’s going on in the world there are several Internet cafes in town. Costs vary from 75 cents to a $1.00 US for half hour often depending on the sped of the connection. There are also several long distance phone shops that offer much less expensive services than that found in your hotel.
The island has daily deliveries of Colombian newspapers from the mainland and there are several cable channels including a local island one available at most hotels. Naturally they’re all in Spanish.
San Andres attracts more than 400,00 tourists a year, however only about 10-15% of those are foreign visitors, from the United States, Canada, Costa Rica and various South American countries. Both the overall numbers and the percentage of non Colombian visitors will increase in the next few years as more people discover this not well known destination. Even cruise ships have begun to visit a few times a month.
For those not coming by cruise ship and staying more than a few hours there are plenty of hotels and resorts on the island to suite most tastes and budgets. Most are located in and around the town. The South American Decameron Chain runs five hotels and beach resorts on the island three in right downtown, and two on the east coast.
Other larger hotels are the Lord Pierre, Casablanca, Hotel Dorado and the TIAU Hotel all facing the public beach at the north end of town, and the Hotel Sol Caribe Campo
Barcelo located up in the hills. There are also guesthouses at various points around the island.
There are more enough places to eat as well from large elegant restaurants, to intimate café’s, to little hole in the wall cantinas where the locals eat. Fresh seafood naturally is on the menu, but there are plenty of other choices. For those who need it there are even several pizza and other fast food establishments.
For those whom a Caribbean Vacation is just not complete without a lobster dinner there are several options. Nikkos on the seafront in town near the Lord Pierre is convenient. Carringtons at the south end of the island is well worth the ride and Ricon Langosta on the west side of the island near Morgans Cave compliments their menu with a spectacular view of the sunset from their terrace. It’s the perfect end to a day in paradise.
For more information:
http://www.sanandres.com/
http://www.sanandres.gov.co/
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Dec - Feb
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JAMES23
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Member: James Smith
Location: Toronto Ontario CANADA
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