ISLAND SAN ANDRES
230 km east of Nicaragua and 750 km northwest of Cartagena (Spanish Cartagena), located on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, there is a small archipelago of San Andres and Providencia (Spanish San Andres y Providencia archipielago). The archipelago consists of several dozen coral atolls, concentrated around the 3 largest islands: tranquil Providencia, romantic secluded Santa Catalina (Spanish Isla de Santa Catalina) and wonderful San Andres (Spanish Isla de San Andres).
Although coral San Andres is geographically located closer to Nicaragua, officially it belongs to Colombia.
CHARACTERISTICS
The island is small and elongated: 12.5 km in length, 3 km in width. The length of the ring road along its coast is about 30 km.
San Andres island on the map. The majority of the population in conversation uses the so-called. “Jamaican English”, less often – Spanish or Creole. On the streets, signs and tablets are bilingual: all the inscriptions are in Spanish and English.
Many centuries ago, the islands of the archipelago served as a transit base for filibusters, and today they are the “pearls” of the Caribbean Sea, a place where people from all over the world come to rest. You can get here by sea or by plane from Cartagena.
In 2000, the entire territory of the archipelago, including reefs, atolls and sandbanks, which makes up approximately 10% of the Caribbean Sea, was declared by UNESCO to be the planet’s biosphere reserve. The purpose of this declaration is to preserve the biodiversity-rich unique marine ecosystem.
The island of San Andres is located in the oceanic tropical climate, with dry and rainy periods. The rainy season falls on September-December and from May to June. Summer and winter temperatures differ very slightly: the average winter air temperature (December-February) is + 27 ° C, in the summer (June – August) the thermometer column fluctuates around + 28 ° C. Typically, from the end of October to mid-January, monsoon winds blow on islands from the north.
ECONOMY
The economy of the island, which was based on fisheries and primitive agriculture, has undergone significant changes with the opening of air services from Colombia. And the 1954 declaration on granting the island the status of a duty free zone contributed to a large influx of tourists from all over the world and immigrants from the mainland. Local governments even had to in the 1990s. introduce restrictions to control the influx of people arriving from the mainland in order to preserve the local culture. Today, on the island, where there are no industrial enterprises, and there are no conditions for agricultural activity, the tourism industry and trade are actively developing.
TOURISM
Warm azure waters, amazing nature, wide sandy beaches, vast coastal coral reefs, incredibly rich marine life – all this makes the archipelago the most popular resort area of Colombia.
Tourism today is the main source of income for the islanders. Wonderful beaches with sparkling coral snow-white sand are not very crowded, and for lovers of complete solitude there are small islands scattered in abundance around San Andres, where you can porbinson in completely safe and comfortable conditions.
For a year, the island of San Andres receives on average more than 300 thousand tourists, mainly from nearby Latin American countries and from Europe.
For a year, the island of San Andres receives on average more than 300 thousand tourists, mainly from nearby Latin American countries and from Europe.
ISLAND SAN ANDRES: SHOPPING
The ova of the archipelago, which have the status of a free trade zone, are a suitable place for shopping. Therefore, in addition to a wonderful holiday, the favorite activity of tourists on the island (especially the ladies!) Is shopping. There are a lot of shops in El Centro, prices about 40% lower than those offered by European Duty-Free. Several local shopping centers (San Andres, West Point, New Point, La Riviera), although small, can be found in almost all of them at attractive prices: elite alcohol and tobacco, perfumes and cosmetics, clothes and shoes from well-known manufacturers, electronics and household appliances.
Today, trade is the 2nd most important source of income for the local economy.
ATTRACTIONS
The small island of San Andres, known for its snow-white beaches and clear waters, iridescent with all shades of azure, is not for nothing called the “Pearl of the Caribbean”.
In the northern part of the island its capital is located – the city of the same name San Andres Town (Spanish. And Andres Town), which the islanders shortly call El Centro (Spanish El Centro). It is the largest settlement, as well as the administrative, commercial and tourist center of the island. All island life is concentrated here – shopping centers, all kinds of shops, bars, discos, restaurants and a number of comfortable hotels for every taste and budget.
