San Andres

[Balboa]

Took a trip out to San Andres in May. Went with a girl I had met in Cartagena. Absolutely loved it. Great beaches, good food. Felt like being in St John ...

Great post and update!

Went about 10 years ago!

Look forward to a return with a new and sexy Paisita!

Thanks!

[Gastam]

Took a trip out to San Andres in May. Went with a girl I had met in Cartagena. Absolutely loved it. Great beaches, good food. Felt like being in St John.

Took a direct flight out to San Andres. Stayed at a local apartment I found through Booking DOT com. Did not coordinate the pick up very well, so kind of got screwed. Basically got charged 30 k COP to be picked up at the air port and dropped off at some corner where some lady rents Mules. Rented a 4 seater Mule for 3 days, 180 k COP per day. After speaking with a local girl I had met on a previous trip to CTG, I overpaid. She said you can get one 120 - 150 k COP. Nevertheless, Mule was necessary as I was staying closer to the southern side of the island, about 600 m from the Decameron San Luis. Downside is you are farther away from the center on the north of the island, upside is it was cheaper and maybe more quiet. I will likely look into staying closer north next time.

On the East side of the island, spent some time on Sound Bay Beach and the beach close to Rocky Cay. On Sound Bay, went here twice. On my first day, just stayed closer to the southern part right by a turn on the road. There are several kiosks that sell beer & food, and water was nice. Another day, we went to "Donde Francesca". They do not serve food by the beach, but I rented 2 beach chairs and an umbrella for about 15 COP, and got a waiter to bring us beer out to the beach as we were planning on eating there afterwards. After what seemed like 15-20 beers and several hours at the beach, we moved to the restaurant and had an awesome meal.

Another day we spent at the beach by Rocky Cay, specifically "The Grog Rocky Cay". We had gotten there after 1 PM (not a whole lot of seating so be mindful of that), and ate lunch there. Service and food was fantastic. The restaurant agreed to hold our belongings while we walked up north on the beach, and through the water to the actual Cay east of the island. It is possible to walk across, if you bring any belongings, be aware you will either need a waterproof / water resistant case or be able to hold them above your head. Not much on Rocky Cay, but if you brink some snorkels there is a reef by there. There was also an abandoned ship to the east, where some people actually climbed up to the top and jumped off. I'm not sure I would recommend, as the ship was very rusty and I'm not sure what the depth in the area is, but the people who did it seemed to be having a blast. Please do not step on the coral as you will def be shouted at by the guys who live / hang out on the kiosk on the Cay.

On the West side of the island, try to make it to the "Acuario Natural" and "La Piscina Natural", both great spots. On the west side, there are really no beaches. As has been mentioned, its a type of volcanic rock formation. But the water is incredible, and if you a are with a girl she will love it. I did not eat at either place, as I think the spots on the east side of the island had better reviews on TripAdvisor. I had a backpack and would bring some beers, and would sip on them while driving the mule. I made sure to bring water so as to not have to buy at these places.

If you are with a girl, at about 5 PM I recommend going back to the West Side as the sun sets on the West. There are several wooden platforms on the this side where you can watch the sunset and even jump into the water (some have a rope going into the water so you can climb back up). Truly great / awesome views if you can get a platform by yourself with a girl, watch the sunset there, and get back to the apt with her all warmed up by the awesome sunset LOL.

Forgot to mention, on our first day there, bought supplies at "Super Todo San Andres" for the duration of the trip (Water, soda, beer, snacks, etc).

At night, I mainly ate at the restaurants on the north side of the island where the centro is. I ate at and would recommend the following =.

1st night = Peru Wok. Open late, Asurion Fusion rest. Pretty good.

2nd Night = La Regatta. Awesome, would recommend the plate with the three lobster tails. Request seating inside or on the benches on the outside. I would avoid sitting on some "bridge" with seating they have right when you walk in.

3rd Night = Went out kind of late, so hit up La Corral (Fast Food basically, but good), and then Beer Station.

After each dinner, walked around the centro for a bit, nice walkways by the beach. On our way back, we ended up at Kella's Reggae Bar each night. Open late (think 4 am), right across from Decameron San Luis. Good place & ambience.

I would highly recommend going to San Andres with a girl you have a good connection / vibe with. I think you would be pretty bored if you went alone. I have heard great things about Providencia, as has been mentioned, but did not have the time to travel over. Think it is way too long by boat, so plane is the best way to get there. Did not have a chance to go to Johnny Cay, have that in mind for a future trip.

Everyone talks about how cheap perfumes are there, although I debate how much you actually save.

Really enjoyed San Andres. Great way to unwind and relax. Prices seem to be a bit high (Taxi, Mules, lodging), but the beaches are awesome (way better than CTG, better than Playa Blanca I would say).

Any questions, just send me a DM.

[LatinaLover#1]

I can see the source of your confusion. There is an exclusive club only available for the various Hotel Decameron guests adjacent to Johhny Cay. At least, this club was exclusive when I visited the island. This club has a restaurant and bar, a small private beach, and various aquatic rentals for kayaks, etc. There are several Decameron hotels around the island and a few aspire to 5 star status. At least one, the RoyalDecameron, has rates north of $200 per night.

I stayed at the Hotel Coco Plum on Johnny Cay. The Hotel Coco Plum has rates now starting at $138, quite a bit more than what I paid several years ago. I though the facility needed an upgrade and looked like a hotel from the 70's.

I too stayed at the Coco Plum but it was in San Luis in San Andres, not Johnny Cay.

[Tomasb]

I can see the source of your confusion. There is an exclusive club only available for the various Hotel Decameron guests adjacent to Johhny Cay. At least, this club was exclusive when I visited the island. This club has a restaurant and bar, a small private beach, and various aquatic rentals for kayaks, etc. There are several Decameron hotels around the island and a few aspire to 5 star status. At least one, the RoyalDecameron, has rates north of $200 per night.

I stayed at the Hotel Coco Plum on Johnny Cay. The Hotel Coco Plum has rates now starting at $138, quite a bit more than what I paid several years ago. I though the facility needed an upgrade and looked like a hotel from the 70's.

[LatinaLover#1]

I think you will find mainly Colombians there as they are rather pleased to have their own tropical island in the Caribbean as they don't have to leave the country. As another poster mentioned, the hotel quality is quite low. Certainly no 5 stars and most of the others appeared dated from what I could see.

Regarding the beaches: the main beach is in the center of town. There are quite a few shade trees so you don't have to broil under the noon day sun, but I did not find the water quality all that great as there are many small craft in the area though they do have buoys to separate the boats from swimmers.

The other beaches are further down the main and only road. The first one (Jony Kay), which another poster mentioned, is not bad and there is a small island atoll you can wade out to in low tide. But expect a lot of other tourists to share your slice of paradise after the wade. I stayed at a small hotel here on this beach. There is some sort of 'upscale' hotel on Johhny Kay beach that markets itself as a four star but I judged it to be a three star on my one visit. I recall it was part of a South American chain of hotels. There is one other beach about another ten minutes or so up the road. The water quality was good but it had this weird flat rock making access a bit difficult. And I agree, if you have a chica who you previously know and like, it is a nice place to chill out, however, I don't think that I would just figure that I would someone there, like at one of the casas.

That's a crapshoot and if you don't find someone to your liking you are SOL. It's a lonely place for a sole monger. I never went to the other beach on the other side of the island as I did not feel like rattling around in a golf cart.

I should mention, there is smaller island nearby called Providencia but you have to take a small plane to get there. There might be occasional ferries but don't know much about the beaches. Everyone I met who went there liked it.

I read an interesting article about this island recently. Apparently, there are some rival families on the island who are heavily engaged in assisting drug runners who ply these waters. Many small craft boats go offshore to meet larger boats to provide fuel and other provisions. This is where the competition gets fierce between these groups. According to the article, there is a Wild West attitude on the island and law enforcement, such as it is, provides additional cover to the families. There have even been some assassinations between these rival groups. Some of the drug money is washed through the many jewelry and gold stores in the town though as a tourist you would not be aware of anything untoward going on.

Having been to San Andres many times and Johnny Cay and Providencia I'm a little confused about an upscale hotel on Johnny Cay. I have never seen that anywhere on the Cay. I like Providencia, but I am a scuba diver, lot's of dive sites and reefs, but it's rustic with little modern conveniences and not for everybody. The internet and cell phone signal is practically non existent. I stayed at the Hotel Blue which is widely accepted as the best hotel on the island, however be warned it's built on the side of a hill overlooking the ocean with great views but with no elevator and hundreds of steps, I doubt I would stay there again. I highly recommend renting a mule for your entire stay, if you can afford it. I usually stay in the Sarie bay area, it's quiet but only a short ride into el centro. Finally, take your company with you. If your into fishing and diving you can have a great time alone but it may prove difficult finding some company.

[Quagmire1974]

Hey fellas,

I read the recent responses and everyone is pretty spot on about San Andres. Here are a few thoughts that have come to mind.

Before you choose a hotel on San Andres, do a lot of research on TripAdvisor. My impression of the hotels while I was there is that they had been built two or three decades ago and hadn't been renovated or maintained properly in years. In fact, the state of the hotels is what made me choose Playa Tranquilo, which bills itself as a bed and breakfast.

MrEnternational, don't overthink San Andres, just go. The popular nickname for the area around the island is "The Sea of Seven Colors," and the water is clear, warm, and multihued, with green and blue colors. The sand on the northeast side of the island is deep and soft, and is even better on Johnny Cay.

Consider a day trip to Cayo Bolivar (Google it). There are businesses on San Andres that sell day-trip packages, which usually include transportation, food, and drinks. Shop around for the best set-up. Tomasb also mentioned Providencia, which I've always heard spoken about very fondly by people who have been to that island.

You also have El Acuario (Google it) on San Andres. An excursion to this small spot is usually combined with Johnny Cay, so what happens is that you'll be dropped at El Acuario for about two hours in the morning, then picked up by the same boat and taken to Johnny Cay for the remainder of the day. But, you can also go directly to Johnny Cay with a different water taxi and skip El Acuario altogether.

And finally, I said it before and I'll say it again: pick up a copy of Lonely Planet Colombia before you leave for San Andres. Day trips, restaurants, hotels, all of that will be covered in the San Andres and Providencia chapter of the book. Supplement the information in the book with TripAdvisor, which has quite a few (albeit dated) threads in their forum.

[Tomasb]

I think you will find mainly Colombians there as they are rather pleased to have their own tropical island in the Caribbean as they don't have to leave the country. As another poster mentioned, the hotel quality is quite low. Certainly no 5 stars and most of the others appeared dated from what I could see.

Regarding the beaches: the main beach is in the center of town. There are quite a few shade trees so you don't have to broil under the noon day sun, but I did not find the water quality all that great as there are many small craft in the area though they do have buoys to separate the boats from swimmers.

The other beaches are further down the main and only road. The first one (Jony Kay), which another poster mentioned, is not bad and there is a small island atoll you can wade out to in low tide. But expect a lot of other tourists to share your slice of paradise after the wade. I stayed at a small hotel here on this beach. There is some sort of 'upscale' hotel on Johhny Kay beach that markets itself as a four star but I judged it to be a three star on my one visit. I recall it was part of a South American chain of hotels. There is one other beach about another ten minutes or so up the road. The water quality was good but it had this weird flat rock making access a bit difficult. And I agree, if you have a chica who you previously know and like, it is a nice place to chill out, however, I don't think that I would just figure that I would someone there, like at one of the casas.

That's a crapshoot and if you don't find someone to your liking you are SOL. It's a lonely place for a sole monger. I never went to the other beach on the other side of the island as I did not feel like rattling around in a golf cart.

I should mention, there is smaller island nearby called Providencia but you have to take a small plane to get there. There might be occasional ferries but don't know much about the beaches. Everyone I met who went there liked it.

I read an interesting article about this island recently. Apparently, there are some rival families on the island who are heavily engaged in assisting drug runners who ply these waters. Many small craft boats go offshore to meet larger boats to provide fuel and other provisions. This is where the competition gets fierce between these groups. According to the article, there is a Wild West attitude on the island and law enforcement, such as it is, provides additional cover to the families. There have even been some assassinations between these rival groups. Some of the drug money is washed through the many jewelry and gold stores in the town though as a tourist you would not be aware of anything untoward going on.

[Vitrea]

Aruba is a fantastic option. I did it twice in 2016. I don't mind the price as much but lack of consistent non stop flights is a bummer. Even Curcao flights are seasonal.

There's Isla Grande in Cartagena along with some other islands. The thing about Cartagena is that the river lets out into the ocean so the beaches by the city have this greenish tint. But if you take a boat out to an island it gets better. I've been told that Santa Marta has the best beaches but I've never been.

BTW, if you have a bigger budget and you are willing to ship a girl out Aruba is close by and has the best beaches and night life out of anything in Colombia.

[YippieKayay]

Thanks brothers. I was definitely planning on going to San Andres for beaches. I guess that would have been a bust. Glad you guys saved me the money and trouble. So is it that Playa Blanca is the best beach in Colombia? I was not impressed with Santa Marta nor Cartagena being told by different people that each was the best beach in the country. I was hoping that San Andres would finally be that place. What is the draw of the place in that case?

There's Isla Grande in Cartagena along with some other islands. The thing about Cartagena is that the river lets out into the ocean so the beaches by the city have this greenish tint. But if you take a boat out to an island it gets better. I've been told that Santa Marta has the best beaches but I've never been.

BTW, if you have a bigger budget and you are willing to ship a girl out Aruba is close by and has the best beaches and night life out of anything in Colombia.

[Vitrea]

When you google image search San Andres beaches most photos are quite lovely. I have been to Santa Marta (beaches are dark grey and not appealing) Tyrona (Beaches are so so. Sand is not soft) and playa Blanca, which is decent. The question is it worth the extra 1 hour of flight time to San Andres as opposed to a 30-40 min speed boat / 1 hour bus to Playa Blanca.


Also, the resort options are limited in San Andres. The one 5 star, which also looks a bit dated is sold out for May!

Thanks brothers. I was definitely planning on going to San Andres for beaches. I guess that would have been a bust. Glad you guys saved me the money and trouble. So is it that Playa Blanca is the best beach in Colombia? I was not impressed with Santa Marta nor Cartagena being told by different people that each was the best beach in the country. I was hoping that San Andres would finally be that place. What is the draw of the place in that case?

[Mr Enternational]

Thanks brothers. I was definitely planning on going to San Andres for beaches. I guess that would have been a bust. Glad you guys saved me the money and trouble. So is it that Playa Blanca is the best beach in Colombia? I was not impressed with Santa Marta or Cartagena being told by different people that each was the best beach in the country. I was hoping that San Andres would finally be that place. What is the draw of the place in that case?

[Quagmire1974]

I am writing this in hopes of reviving this dead thread. How come guys are not reporting about this Atlantic jewel. I am sure plenty of mongers on this forum have visited it, albeit with their 'girlfriend" . I am sure there is something interesting or fun to learn. Beaches, bars, clubs, casas. Any updates anyone?

I am going in a couple of weeks and I want to know from veterans travellers here where is the best beach or another romantic spot on the island to have sex?

And their two favorite dinner restaurants.

Hey Vitrea,

Nice to cross paths with you again. [Deleted by Admin]

Anyway, I was in San Andres in September 2012. I discovered the island by accident one day as I was looking at an atlas.

Not sure if you have a hotel yet or not, but I stayed at a place called Playa Tranquilo. Just do a Google search for "Playa Tranquilo San Andres" and it'll pop up. The nicest accommodation there is the big house that's behind the swimming pool. The only downside to the place is that it's on the more remote side of the island, so you would definitely have to rent a car or golf cart or make sure you budget money for taxis, which were expensive at the time (and likely still are).

The nicest beaches on San Andres are on the northeast side of the island (near the airport) and the east side of the island near San Luis. The absolute best beach is on a small island called Johnny Cay that is accessible by water taxi.

The casa I visited while on San Andres was a place called Sexy Bar (near the airport). It's small, with a bar and seating area and a few bedrooms down a hallway. I think I paid 120,000 COP for 30 minutes. I remember being told that there were two other casas called Elefante and Recife, but I didn't get a chance to visit those.

My advice to you is to pick up a copy of Lonely Planet Colombia. As Tomasb stated, yes, San Andres is very small, but the book will help you make dining and excursion plans while you're on the island.

And no offense to Tomasb, but I absolutely would go back to San Andres and hope to in the future. It's a tropical paradise that's busy during the day and largely shuts down at night, so it's the perfect place to relax and decompress with a chica.

Have a safe and fun time, and let us know about your trip when you return.

[YippieKayay]

Airline prices and hotel prices are same and Cartagena is better for night life but the beaches there suck so bad.

Beaches in Cartagena are about a half hour away by speedboat. Or you can pay less and take an hour or so by bus to Playa Blanca. At those beaches you need to move away from everyone else and bring your own drinks / food otherwise you'll be harassed by touts all day long.

[Vitrea]

Thank you. I will be taking a girl from MDE so finding company is not as issue. Sounds like I could get bored as mid week night life seems non existent. Hmmm.

Airline prices and hotel prices are same and Cartagena is better for night life but the beaches there suck so bad.

I visited the island several years ago with a couple of girls from MDE in tow. That turned out to be a bad idea so I set them adrift within a couple of days. It's really a pretty dead place and very small. There are precious few beaches and most of the island is ringed by volcanic rock formations.

There was a disco open on weekends in the main town. But don't think they were open during the week. Your best option is a club a bit outside the town near the airport. There were quite a few girls there, many attractive, though they seemed to hang out with their columbian buddies. I rented a gal from MDE for the night and the following day. We took a golf cart the next morning and circled the island, which took about two hours though we stopped for lunch at some lobster snack with outrageous prices. There was one beach we stopped at that was decent but really it's hard to imagine someone going there for the beach. When we got back to my room, I had one more round with her and sent her back to the club.

I did happen to meet a local professional women, quite attractive, who was eating at a nice Italian restaurant in the main town. She traveled to Cartagena frequently for work and we met there later on in my trip but that type of random encounter would be a one-off there under most circumstances.

I, for one, would never go back.

[Tomasb]

I visited the island several years ago with a couple of girls from MDE in tow. That turned out to be a bad idea so I set them adrift within a couple of days. It's really a pretty dead place and very small. There are precious few beaches and most of the island is ringed by volcanic rock formations.

There was a disco open on weekends in the main town. But don't think they were open during the week. Your best option is a club a bit outside the town near the airport. There were quite a few girls there, many attractive, though they seemed to hang out with their columbian buddies. I rented a gal from MDE for the night and the following day. We took a golf cart the next morning and circled the island, which took about two hours though we stopped for lunch at some lobster snack with outrageous prices. There was one beach we stopped at that was decent but really it's hard to imagine someone going there for the beach. When we got back to my room, I had one more round with her and sent her back to the club.

I did happen to meet a local professional women, quite attractive, who was eating at a nice Italian restaurant in the main town. She traveled to Cartagena frequently for work and we met there later on in my trip but that type of random encounter would be a one-off there under most circumstances.

I, for one, would never go back.

I am writing this in hopes of reviving this dead thread. How come guys are not reporting about this Atlantic jewel. I am sure plenty of mongers on this forum have visited it, albeit with their 'girlfriend" . I am sure there is something interesting or fun to learn. Beaches, bars, clubs, casas. Any updates anyone?

I am going in a couple of weeks and I want to know from veterans travellers here where is the best beach or another romantic spot on the island to have sex?

And their two favorite dinner restaurants.