San Andrés Island is part of the eponymous municipality in Colombia.
San Andrés is the southern part of the archipelago; the island has an original shape of a seahorse and is surrounded by small coral islands. The island is located in the south-western part of the Caribbean Sea near the coast of Nicaragua, at a distance of approximately 1203 kilometers north-west of the country’s capital, Bogotá. Absolute elevation - 0 meters above sea level. Its length is 12.5
kilometers, its width is 3 kilometers. Around the entire island, there is a road 30
kilometers long.
The island’s capital is the city and port of San Andrés, the administrative center
of the department of San Andrés y Providencia. Here it is called El Centro. Here too
is concentrated all life - small shops, hotels, restaurants. Huge “Chevrolets” and “Cadillacs” from
the late sixties are in use, younger than Cuban ones and in better
condition - there is no stressful traffic
on the island. Everywhere Spanish signs
are duplicated with English: the native language of the residents of San Andrés is the so-called
Afro-English (sometimes this language is called “Jamaican English”),
but they also speak Spanish.
In 2000, UNESCO declared San Andrés a biosphere reserve; throughout
the world it is known as “Seaflower - biosphere reserve”. It includes
not only the islands, but also about ten percent of the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the department with the same name as the archipelago is located on the northern tip
of the island; it is here that a multitude of picturesque beaches, coral reefs,
gazeous and bays are found.
San Andrés is one of the best resort areas in the Caribbean Sea, and
the island’s natural beauty and charm are to a large extent untouched.
Turquoise waters, extensive coral reefs and abundant marine life - a paradise for
lovers of snorkeling. And the calm atmosphere of island life,
a friendly population, an adequate (though not cheap) tourist service,
duty-free shopping and overall safety make the archipelago an excellent
place to escape the hustle and bustle of the outside world.
ClimateThe island has a tropical climate with a dry winter and a rainy summer, which
borders on the tropical monsoon climate. The trade winds from the north begin to blow
at the end of October and last throughout November and December up to the middle of January; in addition
an easterly wind from the Caribbean Sea may also blow. The average air temperature
year-round is +28°С. The rainy season lasts from September to December, and
also from May to June; naturally during this time even if there is no rainfall,
the humidity level is quite high. The wettest months are October and November.
Overall, the climate on San Andrés Island is very pleasant; you can
spend time here wonderfully by swimming and sunbathing on the beach.
