The archipelago of San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina is located northwest of Colombia’s mainland, in the Caribbean, and was declared by UNESCO as Biosphere reserve in 2001. It was first settled by English in 1630. In 1670 the infamous pirate Henry Morgan established his base on the island of Providencia, and there are legends that some of his treasures remain buried there. The average water temperature year-round is between 27 and 29ºC.

San Andres is the largest island in the archipelago and its administrative and financial centre. It is well-known for its beaches, some with pink coral in the sand, the seven-colors sea with its clear turquoise blue waters in varying tones, and its main points of interest, such as Johnny Cay, a ten-minute boat ride from San Andres, Morgan’s Cave and San Luis.

Providencia offers similar beautiful sceneries with the second largest coral reef in the northern hemisphere. The island is known for its colonial history, its Caribbean-style colorful wooden houses and its tranquility. The island is 20 minute-flight, or 8-hour boat ride, away from San Andres. The 17sq-km of bays found here make this an ideal location for enjoying the sea and the beach, perfect for relaxing or water sports such as scuba diving or snorkeling. Santa Catalina is much smaller island, connected to Providencia by a colorfully-painted wooden bridge. There are 57 different types of coral here, 12 species of mangrove, three types of marine plants and four types of sea turtles that lay their eggs in this area.