Johnny Cay: how to get there, what to do and what to know

Johnny Cay is the most famous cay in San Andrés and almost always the first outing on the island. It’s a Regional Park covered in palm trees, with a white-sand beach, palm trees painted in the colors of reggae and kiosks facing the sea, a few minutes by boat from the coast. Here’s what’s worth knowing before you go.

How to get to Johnny Cay

You get to Johnny Cay by boat. The tour leaves every day from the Toninos Marina dock, which you get to on your own: check-in is at 8:50 AM and the boat sets sail at 9:00. It’s about fifteen minutes of sailing across the sea of seven colors, and the boat lands directly on the cay’s beach.

At the dock you get your life vest and the safety briefing, and you pay the port tax in cash. At 3:15 PM you meet the guide again at the pier, and around 3:30 PM you’re back at the dock.

What to do on the cay

Your time on Johnny Cay is free time, so everyone spends it their own way:

• The trail: an ecological path that goes around the island among palm trees and coral formations, with iguanas sunbathing alongside. It’s photo time.
• The beach: white sand and warm, crystal-clear water. You can take a dip at the water’s edge or rest in the shade of the palm trees until it’s time to head back.
• Lunch: the kiosks by the sea serve fried fish, coconut rice, patacones (fried green plantains) and the traditional coco loco. You pay for it separately, ordering whatever you like.

What to bring

• Swimsuit and towel: your swimsuit on, a towel and light clothes for the transfers.
• Sun protection: sunscreen (ideally biodegradable), sunglasses and a cap or hat.
• Cash: for the port tax, lunch and a coco loco.
• Water shoes: if you’re going to walk through the coral areas of the trail.
• Waterproof case: for your phone. Lockers can be rented on the island for an extra fee.

Things to know before you go

• Park rules: to protect the ecosystem and the cay’s peace and quiet, Johnny Cay Regional Park doesn’t allow pets or the use of speakers.
• Landing is on the beach and the waves can be strong. For that reason, and under Port Authority rules, pregnant women and people with severely reduced mobility or in a wheelchair can’t travel.
• If you get seasick easily on boats, take a motion sickness pill about 30 minutes before setting sail.
• It’s suitable for all ages and for non-swimmers. Minors always go with an adult, and children ages 0 to 4 pay neither the rate nor the port tax, although they take up a seat on the boat.

Johnny Cay, the Aquarium and Haynes Cay on the same day

If you want to see more than one cay, the VIP tour leaves from the same dock at 9:00 AM and returns around 4:00 PM. It spends two hours at Johnny Cay, two at the Aquarium and two at Haynes Cay, linked by a floating bridge, and one hour through the mangroves and the bay, with Johnny Cay admission included. To see what the Aquarium and Haynes Cay are like, read our guide to the Aquarium and Haynes Cay.