1. Hill Botanical Gardens San Andrés

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

For nature enthusiasts, Hill Botanical Gardens San Andrés is a must-visit attraction. All the gardens here are lovely and well maintained. If you want the full experience, there are free tours available. You can learn about all the plants and their history. While this attraction has so much to tell, it’s also an ideal destination if you want to take a break from the chaos of everyday life in the city. Take a relaxing stroll around the lush forest, learn something new about native plants, and get to the top of the main building for breathtaking views.

Hill Botanical Gardens San Andrés

Address: Av. Loma Barrack, San Andrés, San Andrés y Providencia, Colombia

Website: Hill Botanical Gardens San Andrés

Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 9am - 5pm (closed on Sun)

2. Playa Charquitos

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Apart from eclectic food scenes and thrilling activities, San Andrés is also famous for its stunning coastlines. Often referred to as “Sea of Seven Colors” by the locals, you can never go wrong with visiting this charming coastal town if it’s the beach you are after. One of the stunning beaches here is Playa Charquitos. It boasts many coral reefs surrounding the calm waters. You can enjoy its tranquility no matter the time of the day. Playa Charquitos is not the best place for water thrills such as scuba diving and surfing, but the views and its beauty made up for it.

Playa Charquitos

Address: 01, San Andrés, San Andrés y Providencia, Colombia

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

3. San Andrés Ecological Park

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

One of the best things about visiting San Andres is that you are never short when it comes to family-friendly destinations. If you’re planning on a family trip, there are tons of fantastic places you can visit in this charming town. Parque Ecologico is one perfect example of an excellent place to go with your family. It’s a small park containing native plants and serene areas where you can meditate and recharge. Its location is near the airport and the beach. There are also exercise machines that you can use in the surrounding area. The views are excellent and the air is cool.

San Andrés Ecological Park

Address: Cl. 3, San Andrés, San Andrés y Providencia, Colombia

Opening hours: 7am - 6pm (daily)

4. Parque Nacional Manglares de Old Point

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Reconnect with Mother Earth in a dreamy location that looks like it’s straight out of a storybook. Parque Nacional Manglares de Old Point is one of the most beautiful parks in Nogales, and it is teeming with life. It features an impressive mangrove eco-system that keeps nature’s balance. You will find different mangroves in the park, including black, red, white, and button mangrove. Also, you will find a picturesque estuary that is home to wildlife. There are also lagoons and dry forests in the area.

Parque Nacional Manglares de Old Point

Address: Via San Luis, Bigth, Km 26, San Andres Island. San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina.

Website: Parque Nacional Manglares de Old Point

Opening hours: 9am - 5pm (daily)

5. Morgan Cannon

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Morgan Cannon, also known as Plaza Canon de Mogan, is a bustling and vibrant urban area in San Andres, where culture, art, and cuisine merge. It is surrounded by shops and dining spots and accentuated with fascinating sculptures. Scattered across the plaza are statues of Colombian locals in traditional clothes, pirates, sea animals, and more. It has benches where tourists can rest after a long day of shopping and dining. The best thing about it is that it is set right in front of the beach, providing visitors with picturesque water views and cool air.

Morgan Cannon

Address: San Andrés, San Andres and Providencia, Colombia

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

6. Big Pond

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

For adventurers and thrill-seekers, Laguna Big Pond is a must-visit destination. Its location is in the heart of San Andres Island that is brimming with wildlife, such as alligators, iguanas, turtles, and birds. Apart from getting acquainted with animals, you can also indulge in a horse riding experience while you’re here. If you want to learn something about its history, the locals are pleasant enough to tell you the details about it.

Big Pond

Address: San Andrés, San Andres and Providencia, Colombia

7. West View

In West View, visitors can snorkel and enjoy the water and local aquatic life. Dive off of the pier into the deep blue waters and swim with the tropical fish. Visitors have said this is “better than an aquarium,” as you are surrounded by so much aquatic life while swimming here. Attendants will give you a piece of bread to feed the fish (pro tip – feed the fish under the water, they might even take it from your hand), and you can rent snorkeling equipment.

There are also two ladders, a water slide, and a diving board. The water is fairly deep here – about 10 m (32 feet). There is even an activity for an extra fee where you can walk along the floor in a diving helmet. This place is often crowded, so try to get here early in the morning or later in the afternoon.

West View/La Piscinita Natural

Website: West View

8. Hoyo Soplador

Hoyo Soplador, or “blowhole,” is a naturally occurring phenomenon on the south end of San Andres. At times when conditions are right, visitors will enjoy seeing water shoot up to 20 m (64 feet) into the air. This occurs when waves crash against naturally occurring underground tunnels in the coral reef and force the water up through a hole in the coral rock.

If the water is not blowing, it usually means the tide is low, but there is still something fun to do. Natives are almost always around to guide locals to swim in the cave where the water enters the blow hole. With proper guidance, you can actually swim underneath the blowhole and look up into the sky.

Hoyo Soplador

Website: Hoyo Soplador

9. Cayo Bolivar

Cayo Bolivar is a set of islands located about 15 miles (28 km) from the main island of San Andres. These islands are protected by a barrier reef, which essentially creates a huge natural swimming pool with calm waters and several natural reef barrier patches within. These islands are noted to be even more beautiful than San Andres, with clear waters and white beaches.

You can spend your day here swimming, snorkeling, watching the migratory birds, seeing the notorious blue lizards, or visiting dive sites outside the reef. Visitors can also swim with the nursery sharks that live around the island, or fish outside the barrier reef. The islands are accessible almost year round.

Cayo Bolivar

10. Cayo El Acuario

The main attraction of this island, located East of San Andres, is found in its name – “aquarium.” Here you will find an abundance of fish and other aquatic life that you can see and snorkel with. The waters are shallow and warm and full of life. You can even walk from island to island, wading 800 to 1,000 feet (243 to 304 m) in 4 feet (1.2 m) or less high water, surrounded by fish the entire time. You might even see some manta rays! This island is small and very popular with tourists, so try to visit on a weekday to avoid over-crowding.

11. Johnny Cay Regional Park

About 1.5 km (0.9 mi) North of San Andres town, this protected 9 acre (4 hectare) coral islet sits in splendor, covered in coconut groves and surrounded by a white sand beach. Here visitors can enjoy sunbathing, restaurants, live music, and a relaxing and fun beach time on a beautiful island backdrop. More adventurous guests can walk through the coconut groves and make friends with the 500 iguanas that inhabit the island. Swimming is not encouraged here as the currents can be dangerous, but there is still plenty of fun to go around.

Johnny Cay

Website: Johnny Cay

12. Playa de San Luis

This beach is known for being a much more peaceful area of San Andres. Less crowded than a lot of other beaches and small islands in the area, here you will find tranquil white sand beaches and light blue water without a lot of vendors, restaurants, and tourists. You can experience one more of the waters with the “seven shades of blue” San Andres is known for while enjoying a drink on the beach or wading into the shallow water. If you want to see more wildlife, you can snorkel out beyond the reef and see a lot of amazing corals and fish.

Playa de San Luis

Website: Playa de San Luis

13. Rocky Cay

Rocky Cay is a splendid and relaxing beach that also offers visitors a lot of activities. You can walk out to a small island in the sea, see mangroves and the aquarium, and even touch starfish and stingrays. Guests can also take the “7 colors” tour and see many colored fish and a beautiful manta ray named “Lolla.” If you rent snorkeling equipment, you can snorkel around a shipwreck, exploring the ancient ship and all the life around it.

14. Playa de Spratt Bight

Playa de Spratt Bight is located in town and is lively and active. Boats leave here to go to Johnny Cay (which you can see from the beach), and it is near all the resorts, restaurants, and vendors in the center of town. You will encounter a lot of people having fun here, playing music, and enjoying the water. The sand is soft, the water is blue, and all the shopping and dining you could want is within walking distance.

15. Morgan's Cave

Morgan’s Cave is a small historical park that has been reconstructed. Local guides will take you on a tour through coconuts, discussing their many uses and tell you about people who lived here a few hundred years ago. Finally you will see some local dancers who will perform traditional dances of the natives of San Andres. The cave itself is pirate themed, and you can learn about Morgan’s history here.

Caribbean island paradise

Soak up the sun, see various beautiful beaches, and get up close and personal with the local aquatic life. San Andres is a great place to spend a relaxing vacation.