South America - San Andres, Colombia - any experiences...?

Some friends are suggesting we have a beach vacation in San Andres, Colombia. Wondering if any FTers have experiences with this destination....?

Thanks,
Gaucho100K

San Andres would be a great spot for a beach vacation. Was there in August and had a great time. If you are looking for an even more paradisical beach vacation though, I'd suggest hopping on a "TurboLet" for the 25 minute flight over to Providencia - like going back in time to the Caribbean of 60 years ago!

Anyway back to San Andres the one thing it is lacking is good high-end accomodation. There are some fairly large all-inclusive resorts on the island, the better (known) ones run by Decameron but from what I was able to read none of the Decameron properties are that good. All, of course, cater to package deal tour groups. As for the independent hotels in the ugly cinder-block building town center, they are doubtless even worse.

The biggest hotel on the island is GHL's Sunrise Beach and I've heard that it's actually not too bad - though its outward appearance is a concrete monstrosity.

As for me, I stayed at a 5 (or was it 6?) room small boutique hotel called Casa Harb. Casa Harb is undoubtedly the most "luxurious" hotel on the island but don't expect a Four Seasons, St. Regis or Rosewood experience... The quirky Asian-themed decor is very stylish and sexy; the small patio pool just oozes ambiance; the service is quite good; but for some reason my overall impression of Casa Harb just left me thinking the place wasn't quite what it could/should be for the price. Beds are merely adequate, i.e.

There is a place somewhere on the SE side of the island that looked like it might also be a decent choice for high-end independent accomodation. Forget the name of that place but if memory serves it was a mix of a small number of hotel rooms with a house that could be rented (check it out if you are traveling with a group of friends).

For swimming even the beach right in the town center (Bahia Sardina) is great. Boat trips to Johnny Cay and El Acuario are must-dos. I didn't get to see the inland part of the island but would like to go back and explore more. For me, ADZ was merely a diversion on the way to my main destination, Providencia. For the HMCG (high-maintenance Colombian girlfriend), PVA was a little too slow and laid-back for more than a few days there but I could have spent a week or more on Providencia just snorkeling, swimming in the clearest turquoise water I've ever seen and gorging on fresh seafood!

Best meal we had on San Andres was at La Regatta restaurant. Other than La Regatta, no restaurants on ADZ really stand out in my mind.

Oh and the shopping on ADZ is worthwhile: the whole island is a tax-free zone so deals looked to be pretty good, even at the less attractive USD/COP exchange rate from back in August. On my next trip I'll make sure to have room in my suitcase to bring some bargain-priced booze back to the States.

Thanks very much for the great report... looks like we will skip this location. Airfares up to Colombia for the dates we need are from another planet.... it looks like I will be heading to the North of Brazil instead....

Cheers from EZE,
Gaucho100K

Though I read you probably go to Brazil, I mention just in case for a next opportunity, that some colombian friends recommended me Cartagena instead of San Andres. I'm still not sure if it would be the best choose, but I'll go to Cartagena on jan.25, not because of the recommendations but because of the air fares and schedules, (just 4 days), via Copa (from Lima Peru)

About which is better, I guess it depends on what you are looking for (nature, beaches, snorkel.. or fun, nightlife, history, colonial architecture plus some beaches).

Thanks.... looking for a good place to go with kids...... will think of Cartagena for the next beach vacation.

Thanks very much for the great report... looks like we will skip this location. Airfares up to Colombia for the dates we need are from another planet.... it looks like I will be heading to the North of Brazil instead....

Sorry that you won't be checking out ADZ on this trip but hope you can get there at some point in the future. It is worth a visit, especially if you can squeeze in a side trip to PVA, a truly amazing place.

For future reference, that other high-end looking independent accomodation I was tying to remember on the SE side of San Andres is called Playa Tranquilo. Based on their website, looks like the house/apartment setup would be well suited to a group of families traveling together. For a couple, I'll stick with my recommendation of Casa Harb, in spite of it being overpriced.



Though I read you probably go to Brazil, I mention just in case for a next opportunity, that some colombian friends recommended me Cartagena instead of San Andres. I'm still not sure if it would be the best choose, but I'll go to Cartagena on jan.25, not because of the recommendations but because of the air fares and schedules, (just 4 days), via Copa (from Lima Peru)

About which is better, I guess it depends on what you are looking for (nature, beaches, snorkel.. or fun, nightlife, history, colonial architecture plus some beaches).

Good summary. ADZ and CTG are completely different types of destinations. CTG is definitely the choice for history, architecture, and fine dining. The beaches right around CTG, however, are unattractive, rocky and loaded with aggressive vendors. I like CTG a lot but I would not go there if I was looking for a beach vacation. ADZ, on the other hand, is nothing but beach/water related activities.

I think Copa Colombia (aka AeroRepublica) flies ADZ-CTG a few times a week so I suppose one could do both on the same trip and get the full Colombian caribbean experience!