Travelling to Isla de Providencia is a small adventure but you will end up in a small paradise. The island is inhabited with only 5.000 people, which makes it a safe heaven for escaping the tourist on San Andres. Getting there is possible by flying, sailboat charter or by cruise ship. The easiest and fasted way is by plane, most adventures by sailboat and the most relaxing by cruise ship.
Flying to Providencia Colombia
The islands Santa Catalina and Providencia are both served by the airport of El Embrujo Airport (IATA: PVA). The airport is build in 1970 but was operational for passenger’s flights from 1984 when it was rehabilitated. The first airline company that was flying on Providencia was SAM airlines, which stands for Sociedad Aeronáutica de Medellín. As the name implies the planes were flying from Medellin to San Andres and Providencia. But this airline ceased operations in 2010 and was replaced by the government owned Satena airlines. Satena airlines only flies from San Andres to Providencia, this is a typical flight of around 15-20 minutes and a return ticket will cost you around 300.000 pesos or US$ 120. If you are staying in a Decameron hotel or any places affiliated to them you can also book charter flights with their own planes, the prices average the same as Satena. More frequent flights can be booked by Searca, which flies 2-3 times a day to Providencia. You can also take an early Searca flight and fly back in the afternoon This one-day trip to Providencia and Santa Catalina will be enough to see the whole island but you will have to come back to relax and enjoy the beach.
Sailboat charters to Providencia
Sailing to Providencia or Santa Catalina is one of the adventures you should do when you like to have some action in your life. You will sail within 2-3 hours from San Andres to Providencia over open water, which can be relatively rough. These sailboat charters are available everywhere on San Andres and will cost you on average 160.000 pesos or US$ 50-60 for a return ticket. Since you don’t have to wait in line at an airport it might be even faster to go by boat to Providencia.
Cruise boats to the archipelago
The islands of San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina are located in the Caribbean Sea and are often visited by cruise ships. These cruises can be booked from the mainland and will visit multiple islands in the Caribbean. They are the slowest but most comfortable way to get to the islands of the archipelago. Prices average depending on the length of your journey and the luxury of your ships cabin. Some cruises even offer five start cabins that facilitate all the luxurious of a top-notch hotel. When you are on the cruise you can expect stunning views over the islands and enjoy the calm but beautiful Caribbean Sea.
One company providing populair cruises within Colombia is Tui.co.uk.
Take care when travelling
When you are going by sailboat or boat charter to Providencia then you should watch out for scams and crappy boats. Some tour operators might be really cheap but if their boat is sinking with you then you will miss all the fun on Providencia and won’t be able to spend the extra money you earned on the bargain. Ask your local stay about where to book the best charters that are reliable and safe.