Pure Caribbean - the island of Providencia

After months in the Andes and several rainy days recently in Peru, we are heading straight towards sun, beach, and palm trees: Providencia, here we come 😎🌴🥥 Almost 4 weeks in the Caribbean, celebrating Christmas and New Year.

The idyllic Caribbean island of Providencia is still a hidden gem. It belongs to Colombia but is located just before Nicaragua, in the region of Central America. There is the third-largest coral reef in the world!

The journey from Cartagena takes us first to the larger neighboring island of San Andres. We briefly encounter stress at the airport because without a return ticket we aren’t allowed to check in!

On both islands, Spanish is spoken, but also Creole (a mix of English with African languages and Spanish). Many residents (the Raizals) are descendants of former slaves who were brought from Africa by the Spaniards.

We only stay a few days on San Andres. The city in the north is not very pretty and quite touristy, but in the south of the island, we find beautiful beaches. This is where we spend Christmas. Unfortunately, the weather does not cooperate, as it rains a lot. However, the sea is really warm, so we rush to the beach during the rain breaks!

At the beach, we discover our absolute favorite drink: Limonada de Coco - ice-cold lemonade from fresh coconut refined with lime 😋 Together with it, we have Patacones (fried green plantains).

 

Next, we continue to Providencia, where only a few tourists stray. About 5000 people live dispersed across the island. The houses and fences are painted in very colorful shades, which is uplifting 😊

In 2020, Hurricane Lota unfortunately destroyed the entire island overnight, two people died, and 98% of the houses, streets, etc. were destroyed. The residents had to rebuild everything completely new. They received support from the government with workers and money. By now, most of the buildings are back up. Today, one can only guess how terrible the catastrophe must have been. 

We rent a small apartment in Old Town in the west and explore the island on a scooter. There are several very beautiful beaches, which are very natural with palm trees, white sand, and turquoise water 🤩

We chill and enjoy the island vibe! Especially the three beaches Almond Beach, South-West-Bay, and Manchaneel-Beach have captivated us 

On the beaches, there are small beach bars. Limonada de Coco, fresh coconut water, or a delicious cocktail, everything is fresh!

 

Besides beach time, we also go diving in Providencia - for the first time! With the cheerful and very relaxed diving instructor Malcon, who runs a small dive school in Old Town, we embark on the adventure: scuba diving in the open sea. We are respectful, but if not here, where and when then? 🤷🏻‍♂️

After a brief introduction and practice phase in a cove, we are off 😊 

Providencia is ideal for diving due to its clear and warm waters. Additionally, the special thing here is that beside colorful fish, rays, and others, one can also easily spot reef sharks 😮 This even happens on our first dive!

We feel safe while diving with the experienced Malcon and trust him. He does not dive with large groups and maintains a ratio of 1:2! He doesn’t attract the sharks with fish but knows exactly where to find them. We undertake several dives with him and slowly get better at equalizing pressure and coordinating our breathing.

Besides diving, snorkeling conditions are also very good, e.g., on the smaller island of Santa Catalina. It is very quiet and without traffic; we can easily walk over the love bridge from Providencia 🥰

With the experienced and likable guide Rudolfo, we embark on a hike to the highest point of the island; the ascent is more technical and strenuous than expected!

Rudolfo also organizes a ride for us through the hills down to the beach. His horses are very gentle! 

After about 3.5 weeks we sadly depart from Providencia! We have gotten to know our hosts Sasha and Martin, the dive instructor Malcon, and many other friendly people! The island has a unique atmosphere. Unfortunately, we had a bit of bad luck with the weather as the rainy season was postponed for weeks; climate change is everywhere 🙏🏻 For lovers of fish and seafood, it surely is a paradise! 

Next, we head to the Colombian mainland, first stop: Cartagena…