Things to do in San Andrés: a 3, 4 and 5-day plan

San Andrés is small: you can drive the road that circles it in a day. What makes it big is the sea, with white-sand cays a few minutes away by boat, a reef you can see from the surface and party nights on the bay. This plan spreads the best of the island over three days and adds what you can do if you stay four or five.

The essentials in a minute

• With three full days you can fit in the classics—the cays, the Aquarium, the island tour and an underwater activity. With four or five, you add the pontoon, the sunrise at sea or a party night on the bay.
• Many outings at sea leave around 9:00 AM from the Toninos Marina dock, which you get to on your own. The port tax is paid in cash at the dock, and children ages 0 to 4 don’t pay it.
• You book with a deposit online and pay the rest to the operator on the day of the activity.
• If DIMAR closes the port because of the weather, you choose between rescheduling at no cost or a 100% refund of your deposit.

Day 1: Johnny Cay, the Aquarium and Haynes Cay

This is the day for the sea of seven colors. Johnny Cay is the most famous cay in San Andrés: it’s about fifteen minutes by boat from the dock and has a trail that goes around it among palm trees and iguanas, plus a white-sand beach where you can take a dip at the water’s edge or rest in the shade until it’s time to head back.

The other classic is the Natural Aquarium (Rose Cay) and Haynes Cay. At Haynes Cay you walk on the sea with the water up to your waist, and at the Aquarium you swim among schools of colorful fish with your life vest on. The Aquarium and Haynes Cay tour comes back through the mangroves and ends around 2:30 PM.

If you want all three cays on the same day, the VIP tour brings them together in seven hours: two at Johnny Cay, two at the Aquarium and two at Haynes Cay, linked by a floating bridge, plus one hour through the mangroves and the bay.

Day 2: the island tour

The ring road goes all the way around San Andrés, and you can travel it at an easy pace in a day. There are two ways to do it:

• On your own, by golf cart: it’s the beach cart travelers use to get around the island. The one Exploria rents is automatic; we bring it to your hotel at 9:00 AM and you return it at 6:00 PM or the next day. Whoever drives needs a physical, valid driver’s license.
• With a guide, on a chiva bus: three hours on a traditional open-air chiva bus with Caribbean music, stopping at the Casa Museo Isleña, Cueva de Morgan, the natural pool at West View and the Hoyo Soplador blowhole. It leaves at 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM, and admission to the Casa Museo Isleña, Cueva de Morgan and West View is paid separately, in cash (the Hoyo Soplador is free).

The route, the stops and what no one tells you about driving a golf cart are in our guide to touring the island by mulita. If there are two of you and you’d rather ride a scooter, there’s also scooter rental: an automatic scooter with two helmets, which requires a motorcycle license.

Day 3: the sea from below and from above

The third day is for seeing the reef up close, or the sea from the sky:

• Scuba diving: the PADI mini diving course is for beginners, with a lesson, practice and a guided dive on the barrier reef, and you’re picked up at your hotel. You don’t need to know how to swim, because the instructor is with you the whole time. It’s for ages 10 and up, and some health conditions rule it out (the tour page lists them).
• Semi-submarine: you see the reef without getting wet, through the glass windows of the cabin, with a show of divers feeding the fish and 30 minutes of snorkeling at El Palito. It leaves at 10:00 AM, 11:30 AM and 3:00 PM. It’s the Nautilus semi-submarine.
• Parasailing: you fly more than 100 meters above the sea of seven colors, and you take off and land on the boat, so you don’t need to know how to swim. It’s for ages 6 and up. Here’s the parasailing tour.
• Transparent kayaks: you paddle through the Old Point mangrove, watching the bottom beneath your feet. Coralina charges the park entrance fee separately, in cash. See what the transparent kayak tour is like.

If you have 4 or 5 days

With more days, you can enjoy the sea without rushing:

• Pontoon Bay Tour: seven hours around the bay on a covered pontoon with music and a cooler, with five stops at the Aquarium and Haynes Cay, Rocky Cay (with time for lunch), El Palito and the Old Point mangroves. It’s the most recommended option for children and older adults, because the pontoon is stable and has shade.
• Sunrise on a Pontoon: from 5:00 to 8:00 AM, with the sunrise in front of the Aquarium, guided snorkeling at Haynes Cay and an island breakfast, before the crowds arrive. If you’re staying in Centro, Sarie Bay or the airport area, you’re picked up at your hotel. It’s the Sunrise on a Pontoon tour.
• Combos: if you already know what you want to do, the San Andrés combos bring two or three activities together in a single booking, with the dates for each one.

San Andrés at night

When the sun goes down, the fun continues at sea:

• Night paddle board: you paddle in El Cove on a board with LED lights that light up the seabed. You’re picked up at your hotel at 5:30 PM, there’s a lesson with a certified instructor, and photos and videos are included. For that same night, book before 3:00 PM.
• White Night: a party where everyone dresses in white, sailing around the bay, with a buffet dinner on board, an open bar of national drinks and a DJ, from 6:30 to 10:00 PM. It runs every night except Sundays. See what the White Night is like.
• Party Yacht: two and a half hours of partying around the bay with an open bar of national drinks, a DJ and a light show, from 8:00 to 10:30 PM, every night except Sundays. No food is sold on board, so have dinner first. Here’s the Party Yacht.

With children or older adults

• The pontoon is the most comfortable option, because it’s stable, has a roof and there’s room to walk around.
• On the semi-submarine everyone rides seated in the cabin, with no effort at all.
• The island tour by chiva bus has no long walks.
• Johnny Cay and the VIP tour also work for non-swimmers. On Johnny Cay you choose whether to take a dip at the water’s edge, walk the trail or rest in the shade, and at the Aquarium on the VIP tour you float with your life vest or stay where the water comes up to your ankles.
• In most activities, children ages 0 to 4 don’t pay but do take up a spot, so include them when you book. There are exceptions and minimum ages. Scuba diving is from age 10, parasailing from 6 and paddle boarding from 5, and on the White Night young children pay for their spot. Each tour page lists its conditions.