Travel Guide San Andrés

The archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina is located 500 miles (800 km) off the coast of Colombia and 150 miles (240 km) off the coast of Nicaragua. San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina are the only inhabited islands of the archipelago, which has a total of ten islands and islets(cayos). These are postcard islands, with coconut palms, dazzling white sand under the sun, and a sea of seven colors The island of San Andrés (12 km long, 3 km wide), shaped like a seahorse, is the capital of the department of San Andrés and Providencia. The population is very mixed, reflecting an eventful history, with European (Spanish settlers and English or Dutch pirates) and African (slaves) origins. Later, from 1953, when San Andrés obtained the status of a free port and became a large commercial center, many Chinese and "Turkic" (Lebanese and Syrian) merchants disembarked. More recently, it is mainly Colombians from the mainland who are settling. The archipelago has about 50,000 inhabitants. The latter were severely affected by the passage of Hurricane Iota in November 2020, which devastated Providencia and caused heavy damage to San Andrés and the rest of the islands.San Andrés was discovered in 1527, on Saint Andrew's Day. It became part of Colombia in 1822. But Nicaragua claimed its rights over the archipelago for decades. After an arbitration procedure of several years, the International Court of Justice of The Hague decided in 2012 that the 7 disputed islets would remain under Colombian sovereignty, but that Nicaragua would receive half of the Colombian territorial waters, fishy waters where the populations have always fished. This is a blow for the local economy, as fishing provides a living for thousands of families on the island. But the main activity remains tourism. However, we can regret an abusive use of cement and concrete in the city, as well as the "tourist-catching" sites that can get boring in the long run. This does not prevent the sea from showing off its wonderful colors, and the stay from resembling the paradisiacal vacations one has always dreamed of!