PROVIDENCIA: A WEEK IN COLOMBIA'S BEST-KEPT SECRET
Update: Providencia was devastated by a hurricane in 2020. When planning your trip, it’s best to seek out advice from the Columbian government to confirm travel.
The kind of island where everyone knows everyone. Providencia in Colombia is a world away from the chaotic life of a busy mainland city. Stretching 17km in circumference, it takes no more than an hour to drive around the island at a chilled pace.
Fresh seafood, exotic fruits and beaches vacant with soft white sand running through your toes; it's easy to come here and not want to leave.
I spent a week on Providencia. Flying from mainland Colombia and stopping in San Andres, it's not the cheapest place to visit. So it's worth spending an extra few days to make it worth your while.
Many visitors are under the impression that as it’s a small island there won’t be much to do. Whilst you can stop off at every beach in a day, Providencia is the kind of place to kick back and enjoy some downtime. Sip on a coconut and chill with a good book on the beach without hoards of tourists.
I spent my mornings on Freshwater bay reading Becoming by Michelle Obama. Followed by afternoons dining on a hearty meal at Divino Nino and relaxing in Southwest Bay.
I explored the waters of Crab Cay, White Shoal and Santa Catalina. Then hiked little mountains and wandered the island with my buggy stopping off where ever my heart desired.
If you are into a more active holiday, there are loads of fun things to do. Here are a few mentioned above and more:
Hiking The Peak in Providencia
To get a spectacular panoramic view of the island, hike The Peak. It's around 1 to 1.5 hours up through forests.
Go early. And take a lot of water. It gets pretty hot around midday for hiking. The trail is well indicated so you don't need a guide unless you'd like one. It's free to do. You just need to register with the woman at the gate before you enter.
Panoramic views Providencia
Views from the top!
Snorkelling around Providencia
With crystal clear waters lining the shores of the island, Providencia is a snorkelling haven. Turtles, manta rays and wonderful sealife roam the waters and there are plenty of opportunities to see them.
Crab Cay
Number 1 place for snorkelling on the island, even on a cloudy day the water is sparkling.
The best part is that it's easy to get there solo. Head to Deep Blue hotel and one of the staff will organise an express boat for you. There is no set time, even if you're one person, the boatman will take you over.
The handy thing about going without a tour is that you can go at a time where there are fewer crowds. In general, the tour groups arrive around the same time at 11 am and leave around 2 pm.
If you go before or after these times, you're likely to snorkel without the hoards of tour groups. The other advantage is that your time isn't limited. So you can enjoy the sea life for as long as you like. Or until the park closes.
Park entry into Crab Cay: $18,000 COP
Price of the express boat from Deep Blue Hotel to Crab Cay return: $40,000
Departure time of boat: Anytime between 8 am to 4 pm. The last boat will bring you back at 4:30 pm.
Snorkel hire: $10,000 COP from Deep Blue
Providencia Colombia
Crab Cay
If you do want to take a tour, often the tours will add other perks, the prices range by a large margin, so shop around! I received quotes for island tours from $50,000 to $85,000 to $100,000 COP.
There’s a boat that leaves from Agua Dulce (freshwater bay) every day at 10 am. Price of the tour is $50,000 and includes crab cay. For a lot of the tours, the guide provides transport alone. But, there are tours available if you'd like a guide to come snorkelling with you. Ask around :).
You can also rent a kayak from Deep Blue to many of the snorkelling hotspots including Crab Cay. The daily cost is $60,000 COP per kayak.
Exploring Crab Cay
White Shoal
Not far from Crab Cay, is White Shoal also great for checking out underwater life. It's a little further out, so you either need to take a tour or you can hire a kayak to the spot.
In a kayak, it takes around 20 minutes. The tides are a little stronger, so you may want to take some flippers. To head to White Shoal, go towards the Three Brothers Keys and you should see a yellow buoy you can tie your kayak to. And then jump in.
I went without flippers and found it pretty difficult to swim against the tide.
Mcbean Lagoon
Believed to be an amazing spot for snorkelling. After three hours of kayaking, it's a bloody hard lagoon to find!
Directions we received (after the kayaking). Head to the end of the lagoon towards the Three Brothers Keys islands. You'll see a white buoy. There's an entrance to the lagoon. Kayak down and go through mangroves. It's beautiful.
If you do decide to go, get some good directions. The reason why we ended up at White Shoal was that the boat guys sent us to the yellow buoy. Look for the white buoy for Mcbean Lagoon (we never found it).
It seems Mcbean Lagoon is a bit of an enigma on the island. Many of the locals haven't even been there and they seem as confused by the road signs to Mcbean Lagoon as we are. The only way to get there is on a kayak.
Santa Catalina Island
The bays around Santa Catalina are great for seeing some colourful fish. The water is calm and if you go past the first beach, there are some bays further along that are less busy in the mornings.
You can also rent a kayak to take you around the island for around $10,000 COP. You'll find the shop on Santa Catalina.
Santa Catalina Sunset
Watch out for the sandflies around 5 pm!
Sunset in Santa Catalina
The beaches in Providencia
There are four main beaches and a couple of others here and there. The main beach on the island is South West Bay. It's worth checking them all out if you have the time.
Almond bay
There's not a lot of shade on this beach until the afternoon and it's quite a small beach relative to the others. The water is clearer and there also more wind so it can be a little blustery at times.
I showed up at 3 pm in the afternoon to find that there was no one else at the beach. Even the barman had disappeared. It's great for chilling, has a nice vibe to it and even good for doing a spot of snorkelling.
Almond Bay!
Fresh Water Bay
Calm and quiet, there's no music blasting out on this one. I loved this beach for my morning reading, nestling myself under the shade.
South West Bay
The largest beach on the island, it's also the place to be for the Saturday afternoon horse racing. Also the social gathering of the week. If you’ve been on the island a few days, you’ll bump into everyone you’ve met during the week.
Pretty empty most of the time. For around 20 minutes, the whole island descends to place their bets on their winning horse.
The horse race lasts around 2 minutes. It's supposed to start at 1 pm, but to no surprise, it begins more towards 3 pm.
Otherwise a calm beach, there are many restaurants and bars with plenty of space to find your little chill-out spot. It's awesome for lunch and in the evening you can eat under the stars in front of the bonfire.
Beach time!
Playa Manzanillo
Most famous of Rolands bar, the beach has a fun vibe to it.
If I'm going to be honest, it's a bit of a stoners beach, so it wasn't my cup of tea. Still a nice beach.
Providencia beaches
Palm trees!
Hike to Morgan’s head in Santa Catalina
Famous for its pirates, if you're into hiking you can do a short hike to Morgan's head in Providencia. Named after the English pirate Henry Morgan, his legend lives on. If you're taking a tour around the island, you'll spot it too.
To get there, when you enter the island over Lover's Bridge, turn left. Keep walking, up the stairs, then down and then up the hill. Follow the trail. It's pretty obvious when the trail stops and you've arrived.
Morgan's Head
Other activities in Providencia
You can also go fishing and diving.
There's live music in the town sometimes on a Friday or a Saturday.
I'm sure there's more to do if that isn't enough!
Where to stay in Providencia
There are many accommodation options on the island but the good ones do get booked up fast. My advice would be to book as soon as you know you're going.
If you're thinking of staying at Deep Blue, you'll want to book far in advance. I didn't stay myself but thanks to some friends who booked the jacuzzi suite, I got to have a little nose around. They not only had a jacuzzi in their room but On a clear day, the views overlooking Cray Cay were divine!
The reviews vary on the service of the hotel. I ate there myself and the service was great, fast and with complimentary homemade garlic bread. The Caribbean soup was delicious! My friends who stayed there confirmed that's not always the case and it can be pretty darn slow at times.
Even so, if you do fancy lounging around, they have deck chairs overlooking the lagoon. A great place to chill for a few hours.
To find out more about the hotel, check it out here.
Views from Deep Blue
I stayed at a lovely Airbnb near the town, within walking distance to Santa Catalina. The main beach in Providencia is South West Bay and Fresh Water Bay has a lot of good restaurants. If I were to go again, I'd stay around there.
Saying that the island is only 17km all the way around. So it's pretty quick to get anywhere.
First time using Airbnb? Grab $40 off your first booking here!
Hotel Posada Enilda: For a mid-range budget, this cute hotel is closely located a stone's throw away from the beach. With bars and restaurants close-by check out prices and availability here.
Cabañas y Restaurante Miss Elma: For those of you preferring a humble abode right on the beach, prices start from around $100 a room based on two people sharing. Click here for more info on prices and availability.
Posada Santa Catalina: Located on the island of Santa Catalina, it's much quieter and away from the main beaches. It's great for those looking to really getaway to a secluded part of paradise. Check out prices and availability here.
(Those are affiliate links above!)
Getting around Providencia
For a small island, it's surprisingly a bit of a hassle trying to get from one place to another. There are no public buses like there is on San Andres, so you're left with fewer and more pricer options.
Rent a scooter
This is the more popular option, as it allows you to get around efficiently, using less gas and at a reasonable cost. Most posadas will help organise the rental for you. The road is a good road. In fact, there's only one road going around the island ;).
Prices are more or less fixed at $80,000 COP a day. If you do rent for many days you may be able to haggle a discount.
2. Rent a buggy
This is a pricier option but it's so much fun! If you're not comfortable riding a scooter (I definitely wasn't after my Lombok scooter accident), it's a great way to get around the island.
Prices start at $160,000 COP a day or $130,000 for 8 hours. You'll definitely be able to haggle a discount on this one if you rent three or more days! Your posada will more than likely help you organise this.
Providencia Buggy
Buggy or tank?
3. Moto Taxi
This is the cheapest way to get around, and really quick if you don't mind getting on the back of a motorbike.
My Airbnb host helped call one for me. Prices range from $5000-10,000 COP. So it's definitely a great option if you know you're going to the beach and won't be moving around the island too much.
On the beaches, there are often moto-taxi drivers who will ask you if you need a ride anywhere. Or you can just get the number of a reliable one from your host and call them as and when you need.
4. Rent a bicycle
This is an option. Not one I'd recommend given how hot it can get in Providencia during the day. It's also quite hilly in parts. Unless that's your thing.
A daily rental is $40,000 COP.
Southwest bay
Mornings!
Eating Recommendations
By far my favourite restaurant to eat in was Caribbean Place, located off Fresh Water Bay. It is a pricier option, but fresh fish was amazing. Sometimes packed, it can be better to make a reservation. The ambience is great with a musician or dancers on Friday and Saturday nights.
Divino Nino is also a good option, especially for lunch. Their seafood platters are of great value. Be sure to go hungry!
If you're heading to Santa Catalina, then Big Mama is a wonderful stopping point for lunch after a morning of snorkelling.
I'd also recommend eating at the hotel Deep Blue. Some of their dishes are unique for the island. (Affiliate link!)
If you do go out for dinner...
There is now a curfew on the island where the restaurants and bars by the beaches will close early at 8 pm. The last service at Deep blue is 9 pm and Caribbean Places closes at 10 pm. There aren't many options if you're going to eat later than that.
When to go to Providencia
March is dry season and the weather was great. October and November is the rainy season.
Around March/April and December, there can also be an influx of tourists from other South American countries.
How to get to Providencia from San Andres
There are many ways to get to Providencia, for which you can check out your options here.
The most popular route is to fly to San Andres and then either hop onto a ferry or fly for 20-minutes.
Happy in paradise!
Thoughts on Providencia
Honestly, my favourite island I've visited, even with one week I wish I had booked more!!
There aren't many solo travellers, mainly couples. So I was glad to meet up with some friends I had met in Patagonia.
Even so, you'll meet people on the island. Given that most of the local population speak English and Spanish, they're more than happy to have a chat.
Planning a trip or fancy a freebie? These are some websites and services I love:
Booking.com: For the best hotel deals! 🏝
World Nomads: Travel insurance on the go 🌎
Airbnb: For the best apartment deals!🏡
Affiliate links above!
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