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Travel Guide

How to get to Lake Guatavita

Posted on October 4, 2018
how to get to Lake Guatavita, what to do, hiking, nature, close to Bogota

Guatavita is a gorgeous town with two well-known bodies of water: the Tominé Dam (Embalse de Tominé), which is right next to the town, and Lake Guatavita (Laguna de Guatavita), which is about 20 minutes away. Lake Guatavita, the topic of this blog post, used to be the central part of an indigenous ritual that occurred when a new Chieftain (Cacique) was put in place. The natives would throw gold statues in the water, making it the site of the El Dorado legend. Because of that, the lake has been a point of interest since olden times, but is now visited because it’s beautiful and has a rich history. This is how to get to Lake Guatavita!

You might also be interested in “How to get to Suesca,” an adventurous town close to Guatavita.

How to get to Lake Guatavita

*The map to get to Lake Guatavita from Bogota is at the end of this post!

In Public Transportation:

  1. Starting in Bogota, take a bus to Guatavita. You can hop on at the Portal Norte, which is Bogota‘s North Bus Terminal. It costs $9,000 pesos ($3 USD).
  2. Tell the bus driver you’re getting off at the entrance to Lake Guatavita (but don’t say Lake Guatavita, say La Laguna de Guatavita!). Stay attentive to where you are and you’ll see a sign on your left that points towards the lake after you pass Sesquile.
  3. From there, there are 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) to the park, and you have three options: (1) walk, which could take about 2 hours, (2) pay for private transportation, which costs around $60,000 pesos ($20 USD), or (3) start walking and try to hitch-hike your way there.
  4. When you get to the park and pay the entrance fee, which is $12,000 pesos ($4 USD) for Colombians and $17,000 pesos ($6 USD) for foreigners, the guides will wait until there is a big enough group for the 20 minute guided hike to Lake Guatavita.
  5. To get back, you can take a bus where the bus dropped you off before in the opposite direction. Another option is to take the same bus to Guatavita, get to know the town and then take a bus straight to Bogota from there.

In a Car:

With a GPS: enter “Lake Guatavita” in Google Maps or Waze and follow the instructions.

Without a GPS:

  1. Exit the city going north and stay on the road to Tunja, not the road to Chia.
  2. Shortly after passing the second toll from Bogota, you’ll see a sign that says Guatavita and Suesca are to the right. Turn right after the bridge and you’ll get to a round-about. Enter the roundabout and take the following exit following the signs to Guatavita. Stay right.
  3. At the following intersection, turn right to get on the road to Guatavita. Stay on the main road to pass through Sesquile.
  4. Soon, you’ll see the road to Lake Guatavita on your left. Stay on that road all the way to the park entrace, following the signs to the Lake.
  5. Once you get to the park, park your car and pay the entrance fee, which is $12,000 pesos ($4 USD) for Colombians and $17,000 pesos ($6 USD) for foreigners, the guides will wait until there is a big enough group for the 20 minute guided hike to Lake Guatavita.

What to do at Lake Guatavita

Take pictures: Lake Guatavita is one of the most beautiful, unique places close to Bogota. The lakes and all of the landscape around it are too picturesque. You just have to take pictures to remember the place.

Go to Guatavita and the Tominé Dam: Guatavita and the Tominé Dam are also gorgeous and totally worth visiting. The dam is right next to the town and both are just 20 minutes from Lake Guatavita.

Go to Sopó: a great plan for after the day’s adventure is to visit Sopó and eat at Alpina or, if you want some more adventure, you can go to Pionono Park on the mountain right next to Sopó. Click here to read more about this town and park!

Some things to know:

–          Make sure you take cash to pay for all of the products and services that don’t take cards (almost everything).

–          There are 2 tolls from Bogota to Lake Guatavita and 1 on the way back.

–          The park’s schedule is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day except the first day of each month.

–          The entrance fee to the park is $12,000 pesos ($4 USD) for Colombians and $17,000 pesos ($6 USD) for foreigners.

–          The bus to Guatavita costs $9,000 pesos ($3 USD).

–          The lake is 3,100 meters (10,170 feet) above sea level.

–          Rainy seasons are between April and June and October and November.

I hope this helped you learn how to get to Lake Guatavita, a great place for an outdoor adventure with a history lesson!

Another great place to eat and ride your bike is the Sisga Dam. Click here to learn more about this spot!

Travel Guide

How to get to Mongui

Posted on September 14, 2018
how to get to mongui, what to do, laguna negra, black lagoon, oceta paramo, laguna negra, paramo de oceta, hiking

As it turns out, “the world’s most beautiful paramo” (an alpine ecosystem in the Andes) is right next to “Boyaca’s most beautiful town!” Really, the Oceta Paramo and Mongui are known for that, respectively. Just knowing that makes Mongui a place to go, especially in December when the streets light up with millions of Christmas lights. A random fact: 25% of Colombia’s supply of balls comes from Mongui. So if you need a ball and want to travel, Mongui is the perfect place. This is how to get to Mongui.

You might also like: how to get to Isla Fuerte.

How to get to Mongui

*The map to get to Mongui from Bogota is at the end of this post!

In a car

With a GPS (highly recommended): type in “Mongui, Boyaca” in Waze or Google Maps and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

  1. Exit Bogota heading north. Stay on the main road, following the signs to Tunja or Sogamoso when the road may split.
  2. Right before Tunja, stay on your left. The road will split in two and the left-side road will take you to Sogamoso instead of straight into the heart of Tunja. There are signs, so be watching for them!
  3. Stay on this road, following signs to Sogamoso. You’ll go straight through Paipa. Stay on the main road.
  4. You will soon get to a round-about where a sign will indicate that you can go towards Tibabosa or Nobsa. Take the second exit, towards Nobsa, and stay on the main road.
  5. The exit to go up the mountain to Mongui will be on your right. The sign is right between the fork in the road, so be watching. It is right after a restaurant with blue windows.
  6. Drive up the windy road. From here on out I suggest you use the map below, because this could get confusing. When you get to the fork in the road with a virgin’s statue in the middle, go right and drive all the way to the Mongui’s main plaza.

On Public Transportation

  1. Go to Bogota’s Bus Terminal (search Terminal de Transporte on Google Maps or Waze) and take a bus from there to Sogamoso. It will cost about $25,000 Colombian pesos or $8.50 USD.
  2. Once you get to Sogamoso’s bus terminal, take a bus from there to Mongui.
  3. The bus drops you off at the main plaza.

What to do in Mongui:

Hike to the Laguna Negra (Black Lagoon) and the Ocetá Paramo:

As I said before, the Oceta Paramo is known as the world’s most beautiful paramo. Now, I haven’t been to all of the world’s paramos, but this one is the most beautiful I’ve seen. You can get there and to the Laguna Negra walking from Mongui or in a car, going around the mountain. We’ve camped 3 nights there and they have been some of the best camping nights in my life. You have to see this place, even if it’s on a day trip. We actually have an entire blog post dedicated to the lagoon. Click here to read how to get to the Laguna Negra!

Buy some balls:

Mongui makes 25% of Colombia’s balls and exports even more. At the main plaza, at least one in every four shops has balls hanging inside and outside the buildings. They’re really good, handmade, and the perfect souvenir with which to remember the town.

Go to Lake Tota:

Lake Tota is Colombia’s biggest lake, so it’s worth giving it a visit on your trip to or from Mongui. My recommendation is you go on the way to or back because it’s a good 50 km (30 miles) from Mongui and it can be a full-day activity. You can have a picnic, eat at a restaurant, walk around, fish, etc. You can also camp there, and let me tell you – the sunsets and sunrises at Lake Tota are dreamy! You have to take your camera.

Relax, walk around, be a tourist:

Other blogs will recommend you just sit back and relax in Mongui. And I would have to agree because it is so calm and quaint. What I disagree with is that there isn’t anything to do. Please, if there are mountains around you there’s lots to do! And relaxing and resting is so much more gratifying after an adventure.

Some things to know:

–          The drive to Mongui takes about 3.5 hours.

–          If you’re going to walk from Mongui to the Laguna Negra, I recommend you hire a guide because they know how to deal with locals who don’t like tourists.

–          Make sure you take cash to pay for the products and services you can’t pay with your card (most things).

–          Mongui’s famous balls are handmade.

–          Lake Tota is about 50 km, or 30 miles, from Mongui.

–          There are 3 tolls from Bogota to Mongui.

 

I hope this has helped you learn how to get to Mongui and that it motivates you to visit this lovely town!

If you’re interested in visiting a fun town close to Bogota, read this blog post on how to get to Suesca.

Travel Guide

How to get to La Chorrera

Posted on September 5, 2018
how to get to la chorrera, sixth tallest waterfall in Latin America, tallest waterfall in Colombia, el chiflon, choachi, hiking, green, beautiful

The sixth tallest waterfall in Latin America, at 590 meters, or 1,953 feet, is only an hour and a half from Bogota!! I had heard of the place, but I had never heard how special it was. But after someone told me La Chorrera was so tall, I went to see for myself the next weekend. What a spectacular place! The hike is beautiful, there’s water everywhere and even the car ride is amazing. The landscape and mountains look like Chiribiquete in the department of Guaviare. You have to go! This is how to get to La Chorrera.

If you like cloud forests, like the once you’ll find at La Chorrera Park, check out our post on Chicaque Park!

How to get to la Chorrera

*The map to get to La Chorrera from Bogota is at the end of this post!

In Public Transportation:

  1. In Bogota, take a Transoriente or Cootransfómeque bus on Calle 6 with Avenida Caracas (see on map below). The trip costs $10,000 Colombian pesos ($3.5 dollars) and it lasts an hour and a half. Buses leave between 5:15 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. every day.
  2. Tell the bus driver you’re going to the entrance to la Chorrera (“la entrada a la Chorrera”, in Spanish). Be looking for signs on the road anyway because the driver may forget.
  3. The entrance to la Chorrera is 4 kms (2.5 miles) of unpaved road until the actual park entrance. To get there, follow the main road, staying left every time it splits. Either way, there are signs that point your way to the park. If you feel lost, ask someone! Another option is to take a moto-taxi from where the bus drops you off. It costs $5,000 pesos or $2 dollars.
  4. Once you get to the park entrance, which is also the campsite, you’ll have to watch a video and pay $12,000 pesos ($4 dollars) to go to la Chorrera or $8,000 pesos ($3 dollars) to go to el Chiflon (another smaller waterfall). Go to la Chorrera and see both waterfalls… it{s so worth it!
  5. Follow the trail to the waterfalls. It’s impossible to get lost! *You can also pay $32,000 pesos ($11 dollars) to do the trail on horseback.

In a Car:

With a GPS: enter “Aventura la Chorrera Park” in Google Maps or Waze and follow the instructions.

Without a GPS:

  1. In Bogotá, take Calle 26 going East (towards the mountains) and follow it until it becomes the Circunvalar.
  2. On the Circunvalar, follow the signs that say Choachi is to the left. That left turn comes right after an Universidad Distrital campus.
  3. Shortly afterwards, there’s a confusing U-turn. Stay on the main paved road, don’t keep going straight.
  4. Follow this main road towards Choachi until you see an unpaved road to your left where there’s a little store with a big billboard on top of it.
  5. Turn onto this road and drive 4 kms (2.5 miles) to the Aventura la Chorrera Park entrance. To get there, follow the main road, staying left every time it splits. Either way, there are signs that point your way to the park. If you feel lost, ask someone!
  6. Towards the end of the road, you’ll get to a little store where you can park if your car isn’t ready for the toughest hill of the road. If there’s no problem, go on to the entrance, where you can park and camp.
  7. Pay $12,000 pesos ($4 dollars) to go to la Chorrera or $8,000 pesos ($3 dollars) to go to el Chiflon (another smaller waterfall). Go to la Chorrera and see both waterfalls… its so worth it!
  8. Follow the trail to the waterfalls. It’s impossible to get lost! *You can also pay $32,000 pesos($11 dollars) to do the trail on horseback.

What to do at La Chorrera

Walk to El Chiflón:

El Chiflon is another waterfall in the park that only seems small because la Chorrera is 590 meters tall. El Chiflon is actually quite imposing, since it’s 60 meters (200 feet) tall. The roar the falling water makes is music to my ears. This waterfall is only 15 minutes from the park entrance, and has a trail that goes behind it. You can also rappel from the top of el Chiflon, which means descending next to it attached to a rope with safety equipment. It costs $25,000 pesos or $8.5 dollars.

Get to La Chorrera:

Of course, if you’re going to La Chorrera Park, you have to go to la Chorrera! What’s crazy is that they do have a payment option that includes only going to el Chiflon. El Chiflon is awesome, but nothing like la Chorrera!! Even though the hike is longer (an hour and a half vs. 15 minutes), it’s worth it. Plus, all the best things in life come after having worked hard for them. Go to la Chorrera and you will not be disappointed.

Get to know la Cueva de los Monos (the Monkey Cave):

En route to la Chorrera, you’ll see a sign that point to a steep trail upwards. La Cueva de los Monos is at the end of that trail, about 6 minutes away. One of the park officials told us that, sadly, there are no monkeys. I would say there is no cave either, just a rock roof. I’ll also say, though, that it is beautiful and gives you another view of la Chorrera in the distance. So if your legs are feeling good, go here. If you don’t feel like it, you won’t miss out on much.

Take pictures:

This place, like any cloud forest, has a magical vibe because of the bright greens you see everywhere and the clouds that envelop the landscape. The park is a great place to take bright, happy pictures as well as dark, moody ones. It’s a great spot for a photo shoot.

Camp:

Camping at la Chorrera is amazing. The camping spot is at the park entrance, not the actual waterfall. Even so, you feel in the middle of nowhere and it’s exciting to know such a special waterfall is nearby. The park does not rent any equipment, so you have to take your own tent, sleeping bags, etc. It costs $10,000 pesos ($3.5 dollars) a night per person. The camping area has bathrooms, showers and grilling areas.

Eat a lot:

There are a lot of little shops before and at the park entrance, which is not a bad thing! You can buy snacks, cuajada with melao or blackberry sauce, arepas, empanadas and there’s even a Cuban restaurant with great dishes and mojitos. These are all things you should eat while in Colombia, by the way. Except the Cuban food, it’s not as much of a must.

Go up to the Statue of the Guadalupe Virgin:

On the way to La Chorrera Park, not too far from Bogota, you’ll see a road that goes up and to the right. It goes up to the statue of the Guadalupe Virgin. This statue is the one you can see from Bogota up on the mountain across from Monserrate. It’s a place not many people know and is as good a lookout point as Monserrate. Bogota looks amazing from up there. It’s worth getting up a little earlier to stick this place into the agenda.

Some things to know:

  • Make sure you take cash, especially small bills to pay buses and shops/services that can’t take your card (most places).
  • The Chorrera waterfall is the sixth tallest in Latin America and the tallest in Colombia.
  • The hike that includes everything (el Chiflón, la Cueva de los Monos, and la Chorrera) costs $12,000 pesos or $4 dollars.
  • Camping at the campsite costs $10,000 pesos or $3.5 dollars a night per person.
  • The bus ride to the unpaved road costs $10,000 pesos or $3.5 dollars per person.
  • The moto-taxi from the spot the bus drops you off to the Park entrance costs $5,000 pesos or $2 dollars.
  • The road to the park entrance is unpaved. Smaller cars won’t have trouble until the last hill. I recommend parking below, at a little store, if you have a low or old car. If you have a high car or a 4×4, go on ahead to the entrance!

I hope this blog post helped you learn how to get to La Chorrera and that you go!

 

If you’d like to know another special place close to Bogota, read our blog post on Suesca!

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Travel Guide

What to do on a Day-trip to Tayrona Park

Posted on June 13, 2018
what to do on a day-trip to Tayrona Park, hiking, beaches, adventure, caribbean

If you’re wondering what to do for a day on the coast of Colombia, my answer is that you need to go to Tayrona National Natural Park. It’s one of Colombia’s most popular, most beautiful parks. The landscape is amazing; standing on the beach you can see the landscape switch from ocean to beach to mangrove to jungle to mountains. It is one of the most diverse, unique places I have been, and it was bunches of fun even though it was just for a day! So here’s what to do on a day-trip to Tayrona Park.

What to do on a Day-trip to Tayrona Park

There’s a TON to do here, and you can browse activities here! These are some of our favorite things to do in Tayrona Park:

  1. Hike from the park’s entrance to Cabo San Juan. This hike will take you through some of the most beautiful coastal landscapes you’ve ever seen. It takes about 2.5 hours, although that can vary depending on the person hiking. Get to the “El Zaino” entrance (more info on how below), where you pay the entrance fee, find the trail to Cabo San Juan and just start hiking.
  2. Once you get to Cabo San Juan all sweaty and tired from hiking in the baking sun, the best thing to do is to get right in the water. Now, if you’re down for some adventure, there’s a pretty large rock in the bay that is perfect for diving. The rock is out a ways from the beach right where you get to Cabo San Juan. You have to swim there, do a little bit of easy scrambling to get on top of the rock and then jump the six feet down into the ocean below. I marked the spot on the map below so you can find it easily, and if you want to see it beforehand to recognize this diving rock when you go to Tayrona Park, check out our Youtube video below!
  3. Yet another activity you can do at Cabo San Juan is snorkel. The crystal clear, calm water makes for a great time enjoying the underwater world. This does mean you’ll have to carry your own mask and fins or rent them in Santa Marta or Taganga because there is no snorkeling service in Tayrona Park.
  4. Hike to Pueblito Chairama. At the far end of the Cabo San Juan campground, towards the mainland, you’ll find a trail that will take you on a mini-Ciudad Perdida hike (one of Colombia’s most popular multi-day hikes) to an abandoned, historical Tayrona tribe town. The hike is uphill and takes about 1.5 hours, which may vary. *Doing this hike along with everything else listed here might jam pack your day, making you rush from one activity to another, so if you were to discard any of the activities in this list I’d recommend discarding this one. Still, the hike is awesome, so do it if you can!
  5. When it comes to food, the one restaurant in Cabo San Juan can have long lines and low quality food and can sometimes run out of certain dishes because of the crowds during high season. At the same time, if you take food, you have to carry it and it’s rarely as good as a cooked meal. What I prefer, just for simplicity’s sake, is to brave the line at the restaurant.
  6. Unless you have your car with you, head back on a boat! After a long day hiking, diving, snorkeling, eating and relaxing on the beach, it might be hard to feel motivated to take the long hike back. I find that the most enjoyable way to get back is on a boat. It leaves from Cabo San Juan at the end of the day and you get to see the sun set in front of you as you ride to Taganga. You can buy tickets for the boat at Cabo San Juan. Buy them as soon as you get there! To buy them ahead of time, there’s a travel agency called Tayrona Taganga Express right when you enter Taganga where you can buy your boat ride ticket from Cabo San Lucas to Taganga or vice versa. I marked the spot on the map below! More info on prices later.
  7. And don’t forget to just relax on the beach, maybe take a nap in the shade! Enjoy!

How to get to Tayrona National Natural Park:

This blog post, what to do on a day-trip to Tayrona Park, is based on entering the park through the El Zaino entrance and then getting to Cabo San Juan. This is how you do that!

Get to the Entrance:

On a bus, you have two options. The first is to take a bus going to La Guajira from Santa Marta’s bus terminal (search for “Terminal de Transportes de Santa Marta” in Google Maps or Waze) and tell the bus driver to drop you off at the El Zaino entrance to Tayrona Park. Just say “Déjeme en la entrada el Zaino del Parque Tayrona.” It costs $12,000 pesos ($4 dollars). The second option is to get your hotel or hostel to set you up with transportation. This will cost a little more, but involves less planning.

In a car, you’ll want to get on the Troncal del Caribe road, which is the main road that crosses the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Follow the signs to La Guajira, which will be east. The Zaino entrance is the last one going west to east, so it will be about a 50 minute drive there from Santa Marta. There are no signs until you’re right at the entrance, so be watching for it on your left. In addition to the entrance fee (info on that below), you’ll have to pay $13,000 COP ($5 USD) for the car and $9,000 COP ($3 USD) for a motorcycle.

Get to Cabo San Juan:

From the El Zaino entrance, you have 4 options.

  1. If you’re renting a car, follow the road until you reach the parking lot. A day of parking costs $9,500 COP ($3.25 USD) for a car and $7,500 COP ($2.50 USD) for a motorcycle. From the parking lot, find the trail with the ocean on your right and start hiking! (You can hire someone to get you to Tayrona Park here.)
  2. Then, you can take a small bus owned by the park from the entrance all the way to where the road ends. The bus costs $3,000 pesos or $1 dollar. Find the trail from wherever it drops you off with the ocean on your right and start hiking!
  3. You can also ride a horse all the way to Cabo San Juan for $40,000 pesos ($14 dollars). This way, you get a guide to explain things as you ride and get to enjoy the hike while sitting down. It’s a pretty awesome deal!
  4. Walk from the entrance all the way to your destination. Walking to Cabo San Juan takes about 2.5 hours. The trails are amazing, easily identifiable and include some of the most beautiful hiking I’ve ever done.

Here’s the map to get there from Santa Marta – I indicated three spots on the map too: Pueblito, the Diving Rock and the travel agency, Tayrona Taganga Express!

Some things to know:

  • You’ll most likely see monkeys and, if you’re lucky, alligators!
  • The times between which you can enter and exit the park are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
  • Some beaches along the trail have signs that prohibit getting in the water. This isn’t just to protect the area environmentally. Since those beaches are not bays, there are currents in the water that can sweep you away from the mainland into the vast ocean in a matter of seconds. So don’t get in the water at those beaches!
  • Get your yellow fever shot at least 10 days before going to Tayrona National Natural Park. If you’ll be in Bogota beforehand, you can get the shot for free at the airport.

Payment

  • Colombians or foreign residents below the age of 25 pay $10,000 Colombian pesos or $4 US dollars ($11,000 or $4.40 during high season) to enter the park.
  • Colombians and foreign residents above the age of 25 pay $17,500 pesos or $6 USD ($19,500 or $6.50 during high season) to enter the park.
  • Non-resident foreigners pay $44,000 pesos or $15 USD ($48,500 or $17 USD during high season) to enter the park.
  • High season is December 15 to January 30, June 15 to July 30, Holy Week and all Holidays.
  • Students get discounts, so take your student ID!
  • Make sure you take cash, because you can’t pay for anything with a card at Tayrona Park, and that it is in Colombian pesos.
  • The boat ride costs between $35,000-$45,000 pesos ($12-$15 USD). If you’re not staying in Taganga, take a bus (less than $2,000 Colombian pesos or 0.75 US dollars) or a taxi (about $40,000 Colombian pesos or $13 US dollars) to Santa Marta.

I hope this helps you figure out what to do on a day-trip to Tayrona Park! If you’re staying in Taganga or Santa Marta, check out this blog post about what to do while you’re there and some things that are good to know!

Another place you have to visit on the Colombian coast is Isla Fuerte. This island vacation spot isn’t as well-known as Tayrona or that part of the coast, but it is a totally unique, remote and gorgeous destination. Read about Isla Fuerte here!

Travel Guide

What to do in San Andres, Adventure Edition

Posted on May 3, 2018
fit, strong, what to do in san andres, adventure edition, scuba diving, beach, ocean, caribbean

I’m so glad San Andres is Colombia. I say this because it is a tiny island that is a full 800 km (500 miles) from mainland Colombia. The island is surrounded by “the sea of seven colors”, a visual effect created by the sea-bottom’s varying depths and huge, expansive coral reefs. Clear, calm waters, beautiful beaches, chill vibes, and great diving make this island a paradisiacal vacation hot-spot. Lala and I had our honeymoon here! I’m going to let you know my favorite way to adventure in San Andres. Read this travel guide if you like doing exercise, enjoying nature and feeling fulfilled! Let’s get into it – this is what to do in San Andres, adventure edition!

If you’re looking to have a classy, super relaxed vacation, read our post “What to do in San Andres, Tourism Edition.”

What to do in San Andres, Adventure Edition

  1. Rent bikes.

The best way to move around in San Andres is on a bike. When we go to San Andres, we bike all the time—to the city, the lagoon, the beach, you name it! San Andres isn’t nearly as small as the other paradisiacal islands surrounding it, but biking is the best way to get to know the place and get some great exercise while you’re at it. You can park them practically anywhere you go. There once was a study that showed cyclists are the happiest athletes. And who isn’t happy vacationing on an island? Biking is a must. Our friend Konan, whose contact info is below, can get you what you need, but so can hundreds of other companies and people!

  1. Scuba dive.

Because you can’t go to an island in the Caribbean and NOT scuba dive!! This place has incredibly clear water, and the underwater world is as colorful as it gets. San Andres’ main attraction is the sea itself. No, scratch that, it’s a DESTINATION! Here’s my view on diving: it may sound scary before doing it, since the ocean is enormous and unknown. But scuba diving is the most relaxing and impacting thing you can do on the island. We’ve gone diving with Sharky Dive Shop or Karibik Diver, and we’ve enjoyed both experienced a ton!

  1. Snorkel.

Because if you don’t want to scuba dive, at least you can go snorkeling in crystal clear water. Actually, when we’re not diving, we’re snorkeling. The depths (or shall I say shallows?) of San Andres are something everyone needs to experience. What I love about San Andres is that the visibility is so perfect, the water so clear, that you can literally float, look down, and see the world beneath you without a problem. If you have your gear, get in the water anywhere and enjoy the reefs! You can see tons of colorful fish, and there’s large sting rays and sharks if you’re lucky. Our contact Konan is a snorkeling pro, and any dive shop will rent you some gear or guide you on a trip.

  1. Go to the Rocky Cay Wreck.

Rocky Cay is a Cay that is about 100 meters (300 feet) from the San Luis beaches. It’s a small islet with a few trees and clear water. Even though it’s pretty far from the shore, you can walk to the cay because the water never gets above your neck. Further on from the cay is and enormous, decomposed wreck where the water is 20 to 30 feet deep. You used to be able to jump from the top of the wreck into the sea, but a few hurricanes hit recently and made it pretty dangerous. I was thankfully able to do it beforehand, though!

  1. Find Lodging far from Downtown.

San Andres looks like this: the Northern tip is the touristic downtown, much like any other downtown: loud music everywhere, restaurants, hotels, and crowds. Though it can be awesome, we honestly prefer being able to choose when we want all of that – and we like sleeping well. The western or south side of the island are best for being away from the party tourism. There are some great hotels and hostels that feel secluded and outdoorsy. We’ve stayed at the Sunset Hotel, and its great. The only problem on the western or south side is that there are few sand beaches: it goes from spiky coral beaches to the ocean. It makes for great snorkeling and diving, though!

The eastern side of the island is where most locals live, in the city of San Luis. There are some great AirBnBs, and you don’t get crowds quite like you do in the north. Also, there are some great beaches on the eastern side, and the ocean has a lot larger waves. Our recommendation is to find a hostel on the western side or the eastern side. That way, you’re close enough to everything to bike everywhere, but also far enough away from crowds and partying to have peace and quiet.

  1. Surf.

You can surf in San Andres if you travel between November and February or June and September (hurricane season). San Andres is perfect for beginner or amateur surfers because the water is calm and the waves are generally small. Some surf spots are El Paraíso, Yelllow Moon (La Perla Bar), and Punta Sur. Most of the surfing is over coral reefs, except Punta Sur, which has a sandy bottom, so that’s the best place to learn. That being said, it is very expensive.

  1. If You’re Going Shopping…

Do it right! Go the day you’re leaving; maybe even after dropping off your bags at the airport! There’s a room at the airport where you can leave your bags if you can’t check them yet – the perfect solution if you have to check out of your hotel way before your flight. The airport is only a few blocks from the downtown area. San Andres has some really good products to offer, and it’s known for having great prices because of reduced taxes. Fun fact: there are malls called San Andresito in Bogota named after the island and its great prices. What is cheaper in San Andres is perfumes and alcohol.

A video for you to SEE what there is to do!

How to get to San Andres:

The only way to get to San Andres is to fly from Colombia, Panama or Costa Rica. There’s also a direct flight from Miami!

You can sail there, of course, but no one does because of the Pirates of the Caribbean. Seriously though, there’s pirates.

Some things to know:

–          You need to get a tourist card that costs $108.974 Colombian pesos, or $38 USD, before flying to San Andres. Get it at the airport before flying to San Andres. You have to show it when you enter and leave the island, so keep it safe. Children below the age of 7 don’t have to pay it, as well as if you’re going to be on the island for less than 24 hours.

–          We know a great driver who has a big car and is extremely trustworthy. His name is Julio Machado. His telephone number is  (316) 622 8720 or (311) 874 6749.

–          Konan can take you snorkeling and can rent bikes and golf carts. Go ahead and contact him at +578 (317) 518-0579 or at konanparadise@gmail.com.

–          The North side of the island has buildings, more crowds, more restaurants and hotels, and calmer water. The South side of the island is less populated, there are less crowds, and the water can tend to be a little rougher (but in San Andres it’s never really rough!)

–          Take extreme care of your surroundings. San Andres is suffering overpopulation and pollution, and they’re connected. So please do YOUR part and throw your trash away, even returning with the trash you can take back to the mainland. Clear, perfect water will be worth nothing if it becomes a plastic grave for everything that lives in it.

I hope this has helped you know what kind of adventures you can have in San Andres!

Would you like to visit another Colombian island on the Caribbean? Check out our blog post about Isla Fuerte!

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