Tours & Excursions in San Andres

San Andres is small enough that you can see the highlights in a few unhurried days, and most of them are cheap, informal and easy to arrange once you are on the island. Here is how the classic excursions fit together, split between the water and the land.

On the water: the cays

The island's headline trips are its boat days out to the coral cays, and most visitors do at least one:

• Johnny Cay - the palm-covered islet off Spratt Bight; the easy, lively, coco-loco beach day.
• El Acuario & Haynes Cay - the shallow 'natural aquarium' where you wade and snorkel between two cays; often combined with Johnny Cay into a full island-hop.
• Cayo Bolivar - the remote sandbar 17 nautical miles out, a full-day trip for calm-weather days and quiet-beach lovers.

To get under the surface rather than on top of it, see the reef sites on our diving and snorkelling guide.

On land: the Circunvalar loop

The best land excursion is simply to drive the Circunvalar, the coastal road that circles the island in about an hour without stops. Rent a golf buggy, moped or car for a day and string together the southern sights:

• West View / La Piscinita - a rocky snorkelling cove on the calm western coast, with ladders into clear water, small fish and (for the brave) a cliff jump.
• Hoyo Soplador (the Blowhole) - at the island's southern tip, a natural vent that shoots seawater skyward when the swell and wind line up.
• Morgan's Cave & the pirate lore - a set of caves and small museums tied to the legend of the buccaneer Henry Morgan, who is said to have used the islands as a base.
• San Luis - the quieter eastern beaches, calmer and more local than the North End strip, good for a swim and a seafood lunch.
• La Loma & the Botanic Garden - the green interior, the historic Baptist church and the El Mirador viewpoint.

How to book, and a word of caution

You rarely need to book excursions in advance. Boat tickets for the cays are sold at the Spratt Bight and San Luis docks; buggy and moped rentals are everywhere in North End. Prices are usually fixed for the cays (with a small park fee) and negotiable for private boats and drivers. A few sensible habits: agree the price and the pickup time before you set off, check that life jackets are aboard, and be ready for weather to reshuffle the far trips like Cayo Bolivar.

Booking responsibly

Wherever you can, choose Raizal-owned boats, guides and drivers - it keeps your money on the island and usually comes with better local knowledge. Insist on operators who respect the reserve's rules: no touching coral, no feeding fish, no littering on the cays. The excursions are the reason most people come to San Andres; treating them and their guardians well keeps them worth coming for.

Plan the timing of it all with our travel guide, or start dreaming with the photo gallery.