Taking advantage of the long Labor Day weekend, I escaped from the sweltering heat of Cartagena and flew to San Andres Island, a small island off the coast of Nicaragua, but the territory of Colombia. San Andres is very popular with Colombian tourists but most people outside of Colombia have never heard of it - and thankfully they haven't - because it's paradise.
The first day, I took a short boat ride to El Aquario, a small man-made island where I spent some time snorkeling and even kissing a sting ray. The second day was much more intense. Boarding a speedboat, I and 29 others took an arduous 1.5 hour journey, smashing through 10-15 foot waves most of the time, to get to Cayo Bolivar - an island about the size of someone's backyard in Connecticut. By the time we arrived, three people had vomited from seasickness but the intense trip was well worth it. The government limits the # of people who can visit the island each day to 100, and thankfully, we were the only boat. There are no vendors, no restaurants, no hotels. In fact, for lunch, the captain of the boat spent the morning fishing for us and we enjoyed grilled sea bass.
The third day I traveled from San Andres Island to Johnny Cay and Haynes Cay - two very small islands off the coast of San Andres. These two islands offered visitors the opportunity to snorkel, swim or just relax.
Each island had its own unique distinction and, as the pictures above demonstrate, its own visual identity. Colombians often joke that when the Gods go on vacation, they go to San Andres, and I can see why!
Click here for more pictures from this whirlwind adventure!
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