Where We Be
| Flights to San Andres & Providencia |
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| Sunset view from our balcony. Providencia is far from posh, but if you like tiny laid-back Caribbean islands, this one's for you. |
| Providencia Island, Colombia |
| We saw this giant crab on the way back. Twice a year Providencia closes the entire ring road so lthousands upon thousands of crabs can safely migrate to the ocean and back. |
| Peaceful view looking back towards Providencia |
| Continuing along the paved path (past the bridge) brings you to the more residential side of the island |
| We spied this little fella along the way. Egrets, herons, pelicans, lizards, crabs, needlenose gar, and flying fish were just some of the wildlife sightings we had during our time on Santa Catalina. |
| Time to head back. Our trusty moto awaits on the other side of the bridge. |
| The footbridge -- essentially a series of pontoon bridges lashed together -- is charmingly askew in places |
| The last noteworthy stop we want to tell you about is Santa Catalina Island. It's an even smaller island than Providencia connected to it by a footbridge. |
| Posada del Mar has a travel desk where we were able to book a moto for two days -- and put the ~$45 cost on our credit card (most other places are cash only) |
| We made several circuits of the island over the next few days. One of the closest stops north of our hotel was Almond Bay (at the unmissable octopus sculpture). |
| The beach at Almond Bay is small and secluded |
| Another popular stop -- especially for drinks around sunset -- is Roland Roots Bar, a reggae bar on Manzanillo Beach on the southeastern side of the island |
| Manzanillo Beach is one of the prettiest beaches on the island. We walked up and down its entire length. |
| This beach at Freshwater Bay is just a short walk from the hotel |
| Hummingbirds flit from one flowering bush to another poolside |
| Pool with a view! Most of the time we had it to ourselves. |
| Posada del Mar also has a lovely pool to enjoy |
| There's a narrow stretch of beach to walk -- and a wider beach up ahead within easy walking distance |
| Posada del Mar is situated in the town of Freshwater Bay close to restaurants and a grocery. Lovely green mountains rise up inland. |
| The hotel sits super-close to the sea. Even with the windows closed we could hear the waves lapping against the shore. |
| The town of Freshwater Bay is on the island's western side -- so daily sunsets! |
| Looking for relaxing? This just might be the place! |
| Providencia is closer to Nicaragua than Colombia -- but flights are easiest from Colombia. Along the way you'll pass over some beautiful turquoise coral reefs. |
| The first of two flights lands on San Andres, the bigger and more commercial of the two islands |
| The second flight on a 19-seater lands at Providencia airport. The only other way to get to Providencia is by a long, choppy ferry ride. The challenges of getting here do help to keep tourist numbers down. |
| We had lunch twice at El Divino Nino on Southwest Bay. I had my first real Coke in three years here! We're vegetarian now but the fresh seafood combo plates looked excellent. |
| After lunch we went for a swim in the shallow waters of Southwest Bay and walked the entire length of the beach |
| Another contender for best beach on the island is Southwest Bay (on the southwestern side of the island as the name implies). It’s a nice long stretch of soft white sand. |
| Another great outing is Crab Cay (or Cayo Cangrejo) for snorkeling. See that tiny islet? That's it! The boat ride there and back will run you about 40,000 pesos (~$12) each. |
| The snorkeling at Cayo Cangrejo was fairly good -- we saw a sea turtle, puffer fish, parrotfish, etc. If the waters had been calmer we could have circled the islet and seen more. Definitely don't miss the short climb to the top for fantastic views of the "Sea of Seven Colors." I seriously regret not bringing my camera there! |
| We'll leave you with a final look at the sunset from the balcony of Posada del Mar |
| Manzanillo Beach is lovely in both directions -- here we're looking back towards Roland Roots Bar |
| The hotel includes a hot breakfast each morning. For dinner we enjoyed pizza at Blue Coral and veggie dishes at Rosa del Viento. |
| We visited this beach on the days when we didn't have a moto |
| Posada del Mar |
| Providencia by Moto |
| Catalina Island |
| Santa Catalina sits just north of Providencia. No motorized vehicles are allowed so it's super peaceful. But what really makes it fun is the flat concrete walking path that skirts the southern side of the island. |
| This makes it easy and pleasant to stroll along. Turn left at the end of the bridge to head towards Fort Warwick. |
| Along the way you'll have fine views of Providencia across the water |
| Just beyond the statue is Fort Warwick. Two cannons and a crumbled wall are all that remain. |
| It's the commanding view from the hilltop that's really worth seeing |
| From the fort you can look back towards the bridge connecting the two islands... |
| And forward towards Fort Bay -- a steep downhill descent from here |
| We walked down the stairs and reached this secluded spot. The snorkeling is said to be good here but unfortunately we didn't have our snorkels with us. |
| I did venture into the water for a quick swim. It was shallow but the temperature of the water was ideal. |
The tiny island of Providencia is in the running
for our favorite Caribbean island of all time. It’s
affordable, Spanish- and English-speaking,
beautiful, serene, tranquil, fun to get around by
moto, has enough sights to make it interesting,
offers great snorkeling, is joined by a bridge to
walkable Santa Catalina Island, and has decent
grocery and restaurant options. We also loved
where we stayed at Posada del Mar. Our room
was just “inches” (it felt like) from the ocean.
We had great fun exploring Providencia's ring
road by moto (scooter). It only takes forty-five
minutes to complete a circuit if you don’t stop --
but where's the fun in that? Some of the best
stops include: 1) walking across the bridge to
Catalina Island, 2) snorkeling at tiny offshore
Crab Cay (and climbing to the top for views of
the "Sea of Seven Colors," 3) visiting Roland's
Beach Bar, and 4) strolling along our favorite
stretch of beach at Southwest Bay. A two-day
moto rental cost us just 150,000 pesos (~$45).
for our favorite Caribbean island of all time. It’s
affordable, Spanish- and English-speaking,
beautiful, serene, tranquil, fun to get around by
moto, has enough sights to make it interesting,
offers great snorkeling, is joined by a bridge to
walkable Santa Catalina Island, and has decent
grocery and restaurant options. We also loved
where we stayed at Posada del Mar. Our room
was just “inches” (it felt like) from the ocean.
We had great fun exploring Providencia's ring
road by moto (scooter). It only takes forty-five
minutes to complete a circuit if you don’t stop --
but where's the fun in that? Some of the best
stops include: 1) walking across the bridge to
Catalina Island, 2) snorkeling at tiny offshore
Crab Cay (and climbing to the top for views of
the "Sea of Seven Colors," 3) visiting Roland's
Beach Bar, and 4) strolling along our favorite
stretch of beach at Southwest Bay. A two-day
moto rental cost us just 150,000 pesos (~$45).
| Providencia has a genuine pirate history. Around 1665 the infamous pirate Captain Morgan based himself in Providencia for raids against the Spanish. |
| A short climb brings you to this statue of Mary |
| Robin makes the uphill climb in not quite record time |
| There are some fun restaurants along this beach. They're simple establishments with sandy floors and palm trees for shade -- but isn't that exactly what you're looking for in an island getaway? |
