I’m currently sitting in my cozy mountain home in Colorado. Colorado weather in the spring is best described as temperamental. A few days ago it was a balmy mid 70’s until we were hit by a snowstorm that dropped about half a foot of snow on my driveway. It makes me long for summer weather, a taste of which I’d just gotten when Sean and I decided to take a trip to Providencia, Colombia at the end of March.
Getting There
Getting to Providencia is not for the faint of heart. From Denver, it took us around 36 hours and 4 planes. There are no direct flights to Providencia from… well, basically anywhere. We caught a midnight flight to Atlanta, got to Cartagena by the afternoon, and by evening, we’d landed in Providencia’s much bigger, louder, and crowded cousin, San Andres. From there, you can grab a half hour flight for a couple of hundred dollars or take the ferry that will set you back $100, about four hours, and, based on the accounts we’d read, likely the contents of your stomach.
Since we had limited time, we decided to take the plane. Seating about twenty people total, this was easily the smallest plane I’ve ever flown in. They had us check our carry-ons since there were no overhead compartments. Seeing how small the plane is, checked luggage is extremely limited, so if you’re headed to Providencia, pack light! Click here for a few recommendations on packing light!
Where to Stay
We stayed in an amazing airbnb in Lazy Hill,. Here, most of the houses are built into steep hills overlooking the coast. There are a few small hotels on the island, but the best places to stay are the posadas. These usually consist of a room or apartment in someone’s home. Mr. Cuil’s posada was a separate apartment with fantastic views and its own kitchen.
Mr. Cuil, a retired science teacher, is an excellent host. On an island of only 5000 people, we were told that everyone knows everyone else. Our instructions upon arriving was to just walk up to a taxi and let them know that we’d like to be taken to Mr. Cuil’s place. Sure enough, our taxi driver ended up being one of Mr. Cuil’s students!
In addition to providing an amazing place to stay, Mr. Cuil made all of our arrangements for day trips and rentals. Having lived on the island his whole life, he gave us some great tips and information so we could make the most of our trip. He even cut and opened a fresh coconut for us from one of his trees!
Awesome views from the dining room of our Airbnb. 
Indoor hammock, perfect for curling up and reading a book!
Providencia is a vibrant community with colorful houses and a vibrant culture all its own. Historically, Providencia was first established as a English Puritan colony called Old Providence, and many of the people who live here are the descendants of slaves. Although it is technically a part of Colombia, most of its inhabitants identify as Caribbean. Islanders speak English or Creole, in addition to Spanish. There is also a large Rastafarian population. Visiting Providencia feels as if you’ve left Colombia and been transported to the Caribbean.
What to Do
If you are hoping for a vibrant nightlife, huge hotels with amenities, family entertainment, and crowded beaches, your best bet is to stay in San Andres. However, if you’re hoping for a slower pace and lazy afternoons reading or hanging out on the beach, Providencia may be more your speed.
The biggest draw in Providencia is diving. Providencia sits alongside the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO protected marine area. Divers and snorkelers alike will enjoy the expansive coral reefs
Snorkeling with Captain Hippy
Since Sean and I don’t dive, Mr. Cuil arranged for us to take a day trip with his friend, Captain Hippy, to do some snorkeling. We paid Mr. Hippy about COL$300,000 (or about $100) to have a private boat tour. He was able to take us to some of the best snorkeling spots along the reef.
Everyone on the island has their own nickname. Hippy earned his nickname when he was a young, long-haired teenager. First we got a tour of the island from the boat. Then Hippy took us to Crab Cay. The reefs here are part of a national park, so we paid a few pesos entrance fee. On the small island, we hiked to the top of Crab Cay for some pretty incredible views of the reef and aqua blue water!
This was the best place I’d ever snorkeled. Hippy took us to three different locations where we saw tons of colorful fish and coral, as well as sea turtles and even a barracuda!
Providencia’s Beautiful Beaches
The island is small, so it’s easy to get to the various beaches around. My favorite beach was Southwest Bay. It is a long beach dotted with various beach bars (like Serenita Beach Bar) and restaurants. If the shore gets to hot, and it probably will, there are hammocks and chairs hiding in the palm trees.
We found ourselves returning to this beach again and again. It is the perfect place to take an afternoon swim or grab a sunset dinner. We grabbed ours at a restaurant called El Divino Nino.
There are many other, smaller beaches, like Freshwater Bay beach, next to Ms. Elma’s. Near our airbnb is the tiny Almond Beach, where people were having a dance party at noon on a Sunday.
Mazanillo Beach & Roland’s Beach Bar
We also really enjoyed Mazanillo Beach, next to Roland’s Beach Bar. It’s a little further off the beaten path than many other places on the island. When we got there around lunch time, Roland’s bar was packed with people lunching, drinking, and lounging.
Roland himself greeted us an welcomed us to his bar. There are plenty of hammocks, lounge chairs, and picnic tables where people were enjoying the music and cocktails. Roland serves food as well as cocktails, so it was the perfect place to curl up with a book for a few hours. There’s even a swing hanging from one of the palm trees!
We were planning to return and check out the night life, but we changed our mind after getting into our golf cart. We had parked our golf cart on the road, since the path to the beach seemed to be blocked. When we returned, instead of over a half of a tank, our fuel gauge was now almost empty.
With only one gas station on the island miles away, we had to change our plans. The ride there was pretty stressful, not knowing if we’d make it before running out.
This colorful critter kept stopping by to say hi. 
Somehow I always end up befriending beach dogs.
Everyone we had met on the island seemed pretty helpful and friendly, so we wanted to believe that there was just something wrong with the fuel gauge. However, everyone we spoke to seemed fairly confident that some of the guys at Roland’s bar had siphoned the tank. Apparently this was not uncommon. We still enjoyed our time there; however, if we ever return, we’ll be sure to keep our vehicle in sight.
Exploring the Island
There are few cars on the island, so most locals and tourists use mopeds or golf carts to get around. Mopeds are about COL$70,000 a day (about $25), while golf carts are around COL$150,000 (or $50 a day). Mr. Cuil was able to arrange all of this for us. After a traumatic incident in Bali a few years ago, I refuse to ride a moped with Sean, so we settled on a golf cart. Our first day, we circled the island twice, stopping frequently to check out the beaches and soak in the views.
Since we were visiting in the middle of the dry season (March), it was very sunny. It was also very hot. We ended up foregoing the hike up the mountain in the center. Instead, we enjoyed some light hiking/ walking around Catalina Island.
Catalina Island is a small island attached to Providencia by a long and colorful bridge called Lover’s Lane. Near the entrance we found Di Dak Coffee House, a great place for take-out coffee and other to-go items like pastries and sandwiches. Their food, especially the bread, is great.
On Catalina Island, you’ll find some great places to explore, including the old Fort and Morgan’s Head. Here, visitors and locals enjoy swimming in the crystal clear swimming holes.
We also had our best meal during our stay in Providencia here. Don Olivo is a small ocean-side restaurant that serves up some delicious food. The owners serve food on their deck right out of their house, and the wife was barefoot the entire time. We both ordered small cold seafood plates, which were fresh and well seasoned. I wish we’d had time to go back and try some of her other dishes!
If you visit, make sure you ring the bell instead of just walking up to the house. They’ve been known to turn guests away when they don’t follow the directions!
A Few Other Tips
Flying Here
You’ll have to fly from San Andres to Providencia through Satena Airlines. They only have one or two flights a day, and these flights can be cancelled if the weather isn’t cooperating. Flights are cheaper for Colombian residents, and these are the rates you’ll see when you first start to book. Don’t be surprised if your flight as a tourist is about twice that amount.
In addition, in order to fly to San Andres and Providencia, you’ll need to purchase a separate tourist card (about $25). Make sure to hold on to these cards as you’ll need it to continue on to Provi8dencia.
If you have time to kill while waiting for your flight to Providencia or from San Andres, I highly recommend exploring! The beach is only a five minute walk from the airport, and you’ll have much better views and food available to you. We ended up grabbing a meal and a drink at The Islander both ways.
Money
Most restaurants took credit cards, but for smaller purchases and other expenses, you’ll need Colombian pesos. There was only one working ATM machine on the island while we were there, and it only allowed you to withdraw 400,000 pesos at a time, so you’re much better off getting cash at the ATMs at the airport in San Andres.
Off the Grid
Providencia is off the beaten path, so you may have to temper your expectations if you’re used to luxury and hotel-level comfort. We loved our posada, but we only had air conditioning available in the bedroom, and the beds were extremely hard. Most places on the island do not consistently have hot water (though it’s so hot that you you’ll likely not miss it as much as you think). In addition, we never found a place that had wifi, but we usually had limited data in town.
A large part of the charm of Providencia is the fact that its remote. We had less amenities, but we also dealt with far fewer crowds. If you visit Providencia, embrace the island life by relaxing and unplugging!
