The small town of La Loma is the second largest village of San Andres. The town is located slightly on the north side of the island just a few miles/km away from San Andrés El Centro. The fairly central location on top of a small hill gives this town a stunning view all over the island and the beautiful Caribbean Sea.
La Loma is one of the more traditional villages on San Andres where the locals actually live. The natives or Raizel people are far descended of the Afro-Caribbean slaves from back in the days; they have migrated from Jamaica and other nearby Caribbean Islands. The main language here is English and Creole.
Why visit La Loma?
Walking around in La Loma brings you back in the time of the colonial settlers. It is a traditional village that is full of old wooden houses and a big white church. The Baptist Church is one of the highlights in La Loma for tourist to visit. The old Baptist Church was founded in 1844 and rebuilt in 1896 after some storm damage; it is still one of the most traditional architectures of the island.
Another great (probably the best) highlight of La Loma is the viewpoint near the end of the town. This viewpoint gives you a stunning view over the island and the Caribbean Sea. The locals call it a magical spot where you can see the seven-colored sea because of the shades of blue and green.
If you travel to La Loma don’t expect it to be a daytrip, after an hour or two you have seen the entire village and there is not much else to do besides getting local refreshment at a restaurant. The locals are friendly as long as you respect their privacy and the island.
Direction to La Loma
Since the island of San Andres is so small La Loma isn’t hard to find. If you leave the main town San Andres “El Centro” drive north and you can’t miss the red roof of the Baptist Church and little white wooden houses. The signs on the road will guide you there. Another option is taking a local bus that will bring you there in about 15 minutes. But you probably just want to jump on a golf cart and get pass through it on your way to La Piscinita or El Hoyo Soplador.