Isla Providencia

As ships cannot dock here, passengers tender ashore to Pueblo Viejo, the main village, also called Old Town.

Providencia, or Old Providence in English, is a mountainous, forested island of white beaches, clear sea and welcoming Caribbean residents. With just 5000 inhabitants, roughly a dozen small hotels and an undeveloped landscape, it may be the Caribbean’s greatest hidden gem. Many Caribbean islands have given themselves over to overpriced, sprawling resorts, whereas Colombia’s Providencia remains beautiful, calm, friendly and unspoilt—closer to the Caribbean before mass tourism.

The island has 5,000 residents and about 15,000 visitors each year. It is now a recognised diving destination, home to the world’s third largest barrier reef. Few hotels remain, and it is completely unspoilt because this Caribbean gem has not yet been discovered.

Rarely visited and far from mainland Colombia, Isla de Providencia is warm and welcoming. An island tour includes a parochial school and other points of interest ashore, or you can snorkel or dive over the coral reef among colourful tangs, cuttlefish and barracuda.

With the world’s third-largest barrier reef, Providencia Island is a scuba diver’s dream.

Explore by golf buggy or moped. Golf buggies cost about 100,000 Colombian pesos (US $40) for 24 hours, while mopeds are about half that price.

In most major cities tap water is drinkable, but take bottled water if travelling into the countryside. Agua Manantial Bottled water, drawn from a natural spring near Bogotá, is recommended. Avoid ice and drinks that may contain non distilled water; ask whether drinks use tap or bottled/boiled water.

Colombia’s currency is the peso. At the stated rate, 3065 Peso equals 1 USD. The peso is highly volatile.

English is spoken.

Most towns and cities have Cafes offering free WiFi to customers.