How to get to Providencia and Santa Catalina and what to do

The island of Providencia , also known as Old Providence is one of the three islands that are part of San Andrés , the main one and the other is Santa Catalina . Providencia is a beautiful island full of beautiful colors, dazzling landscapes and the best Caribbean environment. On this island was supposed to be located the den of Pirate Morgan, reason for which, this character is present in many of the stories of Providence .

You may be interested: Tips and recommendations to visit San Andres Islands in Colombia.

Visiting Providencia is a wonderful experience where the eyes are dazzled by its waters of seven colors, underwater landscapes full of life, coral reefs that distill green and that become home to thousands of small colorful fish. So if you are traveling to San Andrés you can not leave Providencia on your itinerary . Then find how to get to Providencia and of course the best things to do on the island.

How to get to Providencia?

Providencia 93 kilometers away from San Andres Island, so to get there you have to get to San Andrés first and then start your adventure to Providencia , for which you have two ways to get. One is to take a flight with Satena to Providencia Island , which will take you 10 to 15 minutes, and the other option is to take a Catamaran from San Andrés to Providencia , which takes almost 3 hours.

You should bear in mind that flights in Satena to Providencia can be quite expensive, exceeding COP 400,000. The Catamaran, on the other hand, is much cheaper than the first option, the round trip trip to Providencia from San Andrés can cost you 275,000 COP if you buy it from the company's website, otherwise it will cost you approximately 295,000 COP.

What to do in Providencia?

In Providencia there are plenty of mountainous landscapes mixed with exuberant nature and the most beautiful colors of the Caribbean, it is a smaller island unlike San Andres, but in Providencia there is much you can do , activities that include snorkeling, hiking, diving and kayak for example.

The beaches of Providencia are open to the public in their entirety and all have hammocks for the enjoyment of tourists totally free. All the beaches are beautiful, but the one that you can not miss is the Manzanillo Beach , since in addition to beauty at night they light fires and the Caribbean rhythms fill the atmosphere making you live an authentic Caribbean night.

Another mandatory site to visit in Providencia is McBean Lagoon Natural Park and Cangrejo Cay ; which is inside the park. In this park is the third longest barrier reef in the world, which is why Unesco included it in its list of Biosphere Reserves in Colombia . Cayo Cangrejo in Providencia is a beautiful 360 degree viewpoint with an approximate height of 30 meters where you can contemplate in all its splendor the sea of seven colors for which San Andrés is famous. To get to the McBean Lagoon Park you must take a boat from Providencia and on the way you can admire other beauties such as the Cay de los Tres Hermanos and the Cabeza de Morgan . In this place you will not only be able to admire the beauties that are on the surface but you can also immerse yourself and appreciate the spectacular marine life.

What else to do in Providencia?

Another place that you can not miss is the Mirador el Pico, ideal for people who want to trek in Providencia . It is the highest mountain on the island and can take up to three hours to climb, but its worth it when you get an entire San Andres Islands view from the top. It will leave you without words.

It may interest you: The best routes for trekking in Colombia.

You can also get to Santa Catalina from Providencia , just crossing the Puente de los Enamorados; a beautiful structure dating from the 1800s and where the islanders gather to watch the sunset and have a couple of beers. In Santa Catalina you can see canyons from the colonization period, the Morgan Cave , Fort Bay and Cabeza de Morgan.

Another of the most famous attractions in Providencia is to visit Cangrejo Cay , an isthmus very close to the island which is reached by boat and is considered a paradise for snorkeling, you can also climb to the top and have another beautiful view of the sea of seven colors.

If you want to integrate more with the life of the islanders you can go fishing with one of them and have another vision of Providence . On the other hand there are boat rides around the island to get to know it from its surroundings or rent a golf cart, motorcycle or bicycle to get to know it from the inside.

If you are planning your trip to San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalin you can not stop reading these tips that we have prepared for you. And if not, enter our blog and discover more amazing destinations.