Things to Do in San Andrés Island, Colombia

San Andrés rewards an itinerary built around the water. The island is small - you can drive the whole circumferential road in two hours - but the marine environment surrounding it is large enough to keep divers and snorkellers occupied for days. Add the cays, the cultural stops, and the stretch of coastline that suits those who just want a chair in the sand, and you have more to fill a week than most people expect from a 13 km island.

Sea of Seven Colors Boat Tour

This is the defining San Andrés experience, and genuinely lives up to its billing. The lagoon system between the island, Johnny Cay, Haynes Cay, and Acuario creates a water colour gradient visible from above and beautiful at surface level. Most tour circuits depart from Puerto Nuevo pier (near the town centre) daily from around 9am and include three stops over three to four hours.

Standard circuit: Johnny Cay → Acuario (for snorkelling) → Haynes Cay (for lunch, if included). Cost: approximately COP 60,000–90,000 per person. Operators at the pier sell tickets directly; you don’t need to pre-book unless visiting during peak periods.

Private speedboat: Available for approximately COP 400,000–800,000 for the boat (negotiable with 4+ passengers). Useful if you want to linger longer at Acuario or visit smaller cays not on the standard route.

Bring reef-safe sunscreen, a waterproof bag for your phone, and cash for food and drinks at the cay stops.

Johnny Cay

A 2-hectare palm-covered islet rising from the turquoise lagoon, Johnny Cay sits about 1.5 km north of San Andrés and is included on virtually every boat tour. The beach wraps around the entire islet. On weekends it gets genuinely crowded - the combination of reggae from the beach bars and Colombians on holiday creates an atmosphere more party than tranquil. If you want the calmer version, visit on a weekday morning before the tour boats arrive in force.

Wildlife note: Johnny Cay has an endemic iguana population. The iguanas are accustomed to people and not bothered by tourists, but feeding them is discouraged.

Acuario and Snorkelling

The shallow reef area called Acuario (officially Haynes Cay reef zone) is the best place to snorkel without prior planning. The water is 1–3 metres deep over the reef, making it suitable for swimmers of all levels. Nurse sharks rest on the sandy bottom and are used to snorkellers - most tours include a photo opportunity with them for an additional tip to the guide (approximately COP 10,000–20,000).

Snorkelling kit: If you’re not on an all-inclusive tour, you can rent mask, snorkel, and fins from operators at the pier for approximately COP 20,000–30,000. The equipment quality varies - if you plan several days of snorkelling, bringing your own mask is worth it.

Diving at West View

West View is the island’s main shore-accessible dive site, on the less-developed western coast. The reef here starts at about 3 metres and drops off to walls at 20–30 metres. Nurse sharks, eagle rays, and barracuda are common at depth; the shallower zones have healthy coral gardens.

Dive operators at West View: Banda Dive Shop and Sharky’s Dive Shop both operate here. Discovery dives (no certification required): approximately COP 180,000–220,000 per person as of 2026. PADI Open Water courses: approximately COP 800,000–1,000,000. Advanced divers can book guided two-tank dives from approximately COP 250,000.

West View also has a small beach and a wooden platform structure built over the water. Even if you don’t dive, the snorkelling directly off the platform shows the shallow reef clearly.

Morgan’s Cave (Cueva de Morgan)

A sea cave on the island’s western shore, historically (and likely apocryphally) associated with the pirate Henry Morgan, who used the San Andrés archipelago as a base of operations in the 17th century. The cave floods at high tide, which means visits are timed to low tide. The site includes a small museum about the island’s pirate history.

Entry: approximately COP 15,000–20,000 per person as of 2026. Located on the west road, accessible by golf cart or motorbike from the town centre in about 15 minutes.

The Hoyo Soplador (Blowhole)

At the island’s southern tip, the Hoyo Soplador is a natural blowhole in the rocky shoreline - when wave conditions align, water jets vertically through a crack in the coral rock, sometimes reaching 20 metres. The effect is tide and wave-dependent; southerly swells produce the best shows. Entry is free; a small souvenir market operates around the site. Worth a 20-minute stop during your golf cart loop.

Beaches for Independent Time

Sound Bay (Bahía Sonora): Quieter than North End, popular with locals on weekends. Small restaurants serve rondón (the local coconut-milk fish stew) and grilled fish. Snorkelling is possible from the shore.

Rocky Cay: A short water taxi ride from near North End Beach (COP 5,000–8,000 per person return). The islet has calm water on one side for swimming and more exposed reef on the other for snorkelling.

West View beach: Less crowded than the north end, better for a quiet afternoon. The beach bar serves cold beers and fried fish.

Cultural Stops

Casa Museo Isleña: A restored Raizal home that functions as a cultural museum, showing the traditional architecture (wooden houses on stilts), domestic tools, and the Raizal way of life before mass tourism. Entry approximately COP 8,000 as of 2026. Located in the La Loma neighbourhood in the island’s hilly interior.

La Loma neighbourhood: The elevated interior of the island where much of the Raizal community lives. The First Baptist Church - founded in the 1840s - is the island’s oldest standing building and worth seeing from outside. The views down to both coasts from the ridge road are the best on the island.

Practical Tips

• Boat tours run best in the morning: Sea conditions deteriorate by afternoon in the wet season. Book the 9am departure.
• Sunburn risk is high: Equatorial latitude, Caribbean reflection, and boat exposure combine fast. Factor-50 reef-safe sunscreen from the first day.
• Cash for the cays: Card readers are unreliable on Johnny Cay and Haynes Cay. Bring COP 50,000–100,000 for food and drinks.
• Negotiate golf cart rentals in person: Prices at the rental shops vary and are negotiable, especially mid-week.