A few years ago I was sitting outside in plaza in Medellin Colombia when a seemingly black couple walked past me. The man asked me, in Spanish, if I could take a photo of him and his lady friend, to which I replied “si”. While they were posing, I overheard them speaking English to one another, with a clear West Indian Caribbean accent. After taking their photo, I returned the camera to the man and he told me “gracias”, to which I replied “you’re welcome.” Surprised, he said “Oh you speak English! How nice.” I was the one who was surprised though. Who were these black people that spoke perfect Spanish and perfect English with a Caribbean accent? Where did they come from? After some conversation, the man told me he was from a small Caribbean Island owned by Colombia called San Andres. And thus began my curiosity and fascination with this place.
Getting There
After a bit of research, I boarded a plane and headed there to learn more about his place. San Andres is an Island that belongs to Colombia but is located in the Carribbean Sea. They have one main airport that services the island and flights run daily throughout the day. If you’re lucky enough to be traveling from Colombia to San Andres, you can often find a round trip ticket for less than $100. One thing to note, is that you must pay a tax of 50,000 Colombian pesos, or $16 USD, per person upon entering the island.
It’s nicknamed “The Sea of Seven Colors” because you can visibly see seven shades of blue in the water. The dominant languages there are English, Creole English and Spanish.
History & Culture
San Andres is an Island in the Caribbean Sea belonging to Colombia. Along with two other nearby islands they make up the department of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, with San Andrés being the largest. The island is about 470 miles (750km) north of the Colombian mainland and a total area of 22 square miles (57 km2). The population is about 80,000, which is a lot for such a small island. It’s made up of about 50% of the natives, or Raizes, and the rest from the continuous growth and influx of people from the mainland of Colombia.
The Raizal’s are descenents of African slaves and European settlers that first inhabited the islands. Until around the 1970s, the English language, architecture and religion were very much apart of their culture, which is more so Afro-Caribbean. Their language is creole and english but with the influx of Colombian mainlanders, they speak spanish as well and the culture is not more a blend of Latin American and English-Caribbean culture.
Things To Do
Shopping
The entire island is a duty free zone so, if shopping is your thing, there are a ton of shops offering good deals on perfumes, jewelry, liquor, cameras and more in the commercial district. There are also a variety of boutiques and small shops selling clothes and other goods to check out.
Beaches
The water surrounding this island is absolutely beautiful. In some parts either crystal clear or literally seven shades of blue or green. I would recommend going to any of the beaches they have on the island. The main and largest beach is located in the city center and boasts good views and great energy as well. You can find several other beaches as you drive around the island, finding tourists and locals alike enjoying the sun and sand.
City Center Beach
Rent A High Powered Golf Cart
Rent one of these carts or a motorbike and drive around the entire island. This can be done in about two hours. Outside of the downtown area the scenery becomes more rural, as most of the native villages are in the center of the island. While driving around, you’ll be blown away by the beautiful ocean views, old houses, and island landscape as you cruise along the coastal highway. I actually got lost AND caught in a brief rainfall, but didn’t care as the ride itself was absolutely beautiful.
You can also stop at any of the various restaurants you pass for a bite to eat or any of the beaches and get out for a swim. While on my drive, I also stumbled upon a small Jamaican eatery that was run out of someone’s house. They served up some delicious jerk chicken that tasted like it came straight from Jamaica.
La Piscinia
About 20 minutes from the city center on the west side of the island, is la piscinia. This is a natural pool that was formed by mother nature. The shallow water is warm and crystal clear and full of tropical fish since they are safe from predators and sea currents. You can jump off the clifts or use the stairs to go down to the basin below. However you get down, snorkeling here is a must. You can see anything here from tropical fish, to turtles to even baby sharks. Don’t sorry if you forgot your snorkeling gear, because there’s a nearby restaurant to rent gear…and grab a drink.
Take In The Culture
I was surprised to see the amount of black and Afro-Caribbean inspired statues throughout the city center and around the island. I’ve rarely, if ever, seen black statues in central or south american countries or latin-caribbean countries either. I must say, it felt good to finally see people of color being celebrated and recognized.
You can also visit La Loma, which is a village near the city center. This is the second largest village on the island where many of the natives live. Here you will hear English and Creole and be taken back to colonial times with big wooden houses and an old large wooden church built in 1844.
In La Loma, you can also go to the viewpoint in the top of the town. Here, you can get great views of the island and the Caribbean Sea. The locals call it the seven-colored sea because of the shades of blue and green.
Jhonny Cay
Jhonny Cay is a small island that you can see from the northern side of San Andres. Imagine a tiny island filled with palm trees, reggae music, fresh seafood, and rum filled drinks. This small island offers all that, along with gorgeous white sand beaches and the water reflects several colors. The main thing to do here on this island is relax. There are several restaurants where you can eat fresh seafood and get drinks while you take in the scenery.
Johnny Cay
You can take a speedboat to this islet and arrive in about 15-20 minutes and stay as long as you want. You can charter one of these boats for about $5 USD or you can get a package deal that will take tour a few islands, including El Acuario and Haynes Kay.
Jhonny Cay also contains Mangle Regional park. This is a green area where you can rest under several palm trees and also view a variety of animals just chilling too, including iguanas! There are a TON of iguanas basking under the palm trees. Quite a site to see.
El Acuario and Haynes Cay
Acuario is a sandbank surrounded by crystal clear shallow waters. The waters are full of life so its a great place for snorkeling. One of the coolest things about El Acuario is the coral. It extends very far into the ocean and you can literally walk a mile out into the ocean. Be sure to bring swim shoes or purchase them in the town. The coral and rocks can be painful to walk on if you decide to take this walk.
Me Walking Waaay Out Into The Ocean On The Coral
Haynes Cay is another small island right next door to El Acuario. You can take a boat there as well or you opt to walk on the coral. Yes, you heard that right, you can walk from one island to the other. Haynes Cay is one of the smallest islands but definitely one of the most beautiful. It can also be a good option if nearby El Acuario is filled with tourists.
El Acuario
Stingrays also swim between these islands. If you’re lucky enough to hire a speedboat with an experienced guide, they’ll take you to the middle of the ocean where you can literally stand up in the water (thanks to the coral) and observe and play with the stingrays.
Getting Around
You can rent golf carts or motorbikes if you want to drive yourself around the island. The southern part of the island doesn’t allow golf carts after 4pm so keep that in mind if you decide to rent one of these.
Alternative ways to get around are by taxi or motor-taxi. You can usually hail a taxi on the street if you’re in the city center or along one of the main roads. I’ve hailed random people on motorcycles to give me a ride for a small fee when I was in the more rural areas. Be sure to negotiate your price beforehand so there are no surprises when it’s time to get out.
Night life
What’s a vacation without nightlife right? This island caters heavy to tourists, especially from South America so you’ll find tons of nightclubs and bars, blasting everything from salsa and merengue to reggae to afro beats. Some places also have themed parties, such as white night, where all the attendees dress in white clothes and party to a variety of music from different genres.
Apparently, new places are opening all the time to account for the increasing number of tourists that visit. In the center of town is a popular club called Coco Loco that has a good party atmosphere. You’ll usually find a large number of people here with a variety of music including afrobeats, reggae, salsa, meringue and bachata. Basically, you have a variety of options to dance the the night away.
Club Extasis is located on top of a hotel and offers beautiful views of the island, strong drinks and great music. It’s worth checking out too if clubbing is your thing. Both of these places are usually open until about 3am.
The largest and probably most famous club is Blue Deep. They offer live music ranging from Salsa, reggaeton to techno and house music. The crowd is usually a mix of tourists and locals enjoying the night. One thing is for sure, it definitely gets hot in this place so come prepared!
Banzai is another spot that has a more laid back atmosphere. Its a cocktail bar where you may find a lot of the locals. It’s ambiance is more of a chic and relaxed atmosphere in comparison to the larger Blue Deep.
There are also beach party options as well. La KY is a beach bar/lounge where you can relax, have drinks and listen to music. It’s a bit pricier than the other places on the island, but still a god time nonetheless.
Lastly, and one of my favorite options, you can always grab a bottle of liquor and just hang out in the park or on the beach. This is very common and much more peaceful if the club isn’t your scene.
Eats
There are a variety of restaurants all throughout the island. You can find dishes ranging from Chilean, Italian, Colombian, Jamaican dishes and more. Given that it’s an island, you can of course find tons fresh seafood dishes from fish, to crab, lobster, scallops and more. While on Jhonny Cay, I had an enormous seafood platter consisting of fish, lobster, prawns, squid, crab and octopus all for about $16 USD. You’ll also find several vendors selling ceviche on the street as well. I was told by one of the women selling this that their ceviche is a great aphrodisiac.
Seafood Platter
So what are some recommendations you might ask? As with most carribean islands, fresh fried fish is always an option. Literally just plucked out of the ocean, you can select the fish of your choice and they’ll fry it up for you on the spot.
Rodon is is a traditional dish from San Andres that you should definitely try. Decades ago, it was prepared and eaten solely by men, but women now cook and eat it too. It’s made of fish fillet, cassava, snail, ya, pork tail, plantain and dumplings, cooked in coconut milk and seasoned with pepper.
Fish Balls are another treat you should definitely try. Any kind of seafood can be used in a fish ball, including fish, crab or conch . They extract the flesh from the fish or crab, season the balls with tomato, onion, garlic and salt, and then fry them up. Delicious!
Accommodations
On the northern side of the island, you’ll find the commercial sector of the island with many shops, restaurants, clubs, government buildings and banking. Additionally, you’ll find ample hotels and hostels here to choose from. Some are located in the city center, while others are in the surrounding neighborhoods.
The southern part of the island is much less crowded and seems to cater to travelers who want a more quiet, undisturbed experience. There are also ample hotels in this part of the island as well to choose from.
Most of the hotels are located not too far from the beach but also have swimming pools if that’s your preference. Many of these hotels have restaurants attached as well.
Airbnb has also made its way to the island. You’ll be able to locate airbnbs throughout the island, all of varying quality and amenities.
One thing to take not of is that not all places have hot water. This includes airbnbs and hotels. So it’s important you find out that piece of information before you book if this is a deal breaker for you. During my stay, I opted for an airbnb about a 15 minute walk from the city center, with hot water.
Reflections
San Andres is definitely an island made for those that love beaches. It’s white sands, blue waters and warm people are a welcomed break from the hustle and bustle of any city. For me, it was not only great for these reasons, but also to see a place where cultures seamlessly blended together to something I’d never seen before. The language, history of the people, were all fascinating to and completely satiated the nerd in me.
Geron is an avid traveler, entreprenuer and mens style aficionado. He love’s mac and cheese, getting discounts, his momma, and a good whiskey, not particularly in that order. It’s alleged he lives in Miami, but no one really knows anymore.
Follow him on instagram at @geronp
