San Andrés

February through April is a practical first-choice window if minimizing rain is your priority. Historical monthly climate normals reported by the World Meteorological Organization show markedly lower rainfall then than in October and November. Scuba is nevertheless advertised year-round by ProColombia, so a trip in another month can still work. The trade-off is marine weather: ProColombia specifically warns of stronger winds from November through January, and June through November is tropical-cyclone season. Check the latest DIMAR conditions and ask the dive operator which sites and departures are actually possible.

Yes. Island operators list introductory experiences, Open Water training and supervised dives. Blue Life advertises first-time courses and certified-diver boat trips, while Sea Pride describes Sea Pride Point and El Faro as beginner-oriented reef sites. A beginner should book instruction with a credentialed provider, not self-select a wreck, wall or cave based on online descriptions. Ask about class size, medical screening, instructor supervision, safety oxygen, weather cancellation rules and the exact site for the day. The operator, not this guide, should determine whether water conditions fit your qualification and comfort.

Start with La Piramide, Blue Wall and Blue Diamond, which have distinct published source trails. PADI describes La Piramide as a boat-access reef used for early training dives, Banda Dive advertises Blue Wall among its island sites, and PADI and Sea Pride identify Blue Diamond as a shipwreck. Their difficulty is not interchangeable: a benign reef dive does not qualify someone for deep wall exposure or wreck penetration. Ask a local guide for the actual route, conditions, depth limits, boat traffic and required certification. Confirm the exact local site and route with your guide before booking.

Yes. Freedive Colombia advertises AIDA-certified instruction, depth coaching, line training, camps and safety courses on San Andres. PADI also lists freediving activities at Scuba San Andres. These descriptions establish a real local training category, not confirmed availability on any requested day. Ask for an instructor with appropriate freediving credentials, supervised depth lines, a trained rescue buddy and an emergency plan. Avoid solo breath-hold diving, hyperventilation and borrowing scuba depth targets. No reliably published year-round line location or specific upcoming competition date was verified, so sessions must be arranged directly with the school.

For accessible snorkeling and shallow-water sightseeing, research La Piscinita, West View and the Acuario area at Haynes Cay and Rose Cay, all named by Colombia Travel. Cocoplum and Rocky Cay are alternatives for beach time and possible calm-water observation, but conditions can change quickly. Choose a guided option if you are not a confident swimmer, wear appropriate flotation, and keep clear of boat routes and coral. Importantly, CORALINA bans feeding or handling marine wildlife and regulates ray-viewing tours. Do not book a stingray-touching or feeding experience, even if older tourism copy still markets one.

Most nonresident visitors need the San Andres archipelago tourism card, separate from any Colombian visa rules. The January 2026 departmental tariff, reported in February, totals COP 153,000, including the tourism-card and public-infrastructure components. Obtain it through the accepted airline, agency or official channel before arrival and retain proof. An older departmental service portal still displays COP 104,492, so do not use that stale value as the 2026 price. No universal per-diver Seaflower tag or price was reliably established here. Specific protected parks, boat trips and activities may instead have entrance charges or permits that operators must confirm.

Yes. CORALINA administers environmental rules within the Seaflower protected-area framework, including zones with restricted entry, extraction or other uses. That does not mean every named reef or cay is open for scuba and snorkeling. Johnny Cay, for example, has park capacity controls and an authorized landing pier. The maritime authority has also restricted certain beach landings and marine areas. Never anchor on coral, take marine organisms or assume an advertised boat tour has current permission. Confirm the licensed provider, park ticket requirements, authorized landings and active notices with CORALINA and DIMAR before the trip.

Acuario and the Rose Cay/Haynes Cay area are well-known shallow-water attractions, but touching and feeding wildlife are not acceptable substitutes for observation. An older Colombia Travel description still mentions a stingray-feeding tour. CORALINA's later rules prohibit direct contact and shows involving rays, while its 2022 wildlife resolution prohibits marine animal feeding, baiting and handling more broadly. Ask a certified local guide whether a particular non-contact viewing tour is authorized in the marked area. Keep a respectful distance, do not crowd the animals and stop an activity if staff encourage handling or feeding.

The normal arrival is by air at Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport (ADZ) on San Andres. Check airline schedules and any domestic connection rather than relying on historical direct-flight claims. For the island itself, Colombia Travel documents authorized airport taxis, local Coobusan bus routes, scooters and small rental vehicles. Base in San Andres town if you value town services and boat-shop access, or consider San Luis for a different neighborhood setting. Confirm pick-up locations with your operator because west-coast shops may not depart from a downtown pier. Providencia and Santa Catalina are deliberately outside this guide's visitor scope.

Treat medical preparedness as a booking criterion. Colombia's Health Ministry reported intervention and service concerns at the San Andres Departmental Hospital on 19 October 2026, and the national ombudsman had raised emergency and referral problems in September. No verified, presently operational local recompression chamber was established for this guide. Before diving, ask your shop to identify its emergency oxygen, communications, nearest treatment pathway and possible mainland transfer arrangements. For an immediate emergency contact local response services first, then consult DAN at +1-919-684-9111. Insurance should explicitly cover your activity, diving injuries and medically necessary evacuation.

For this defined San Andres visitor region, plan land accommodation with local scuba training, reef excursions and day boats. Blue Life, Banda Dive and other PADI-listed island centers document that ordinary planning model. No regular overnight scuba liveaboard itinerary originating from and operating within this restricted island/nearby-reef area was independently verified. A ferry, cruise call, mainland boat connection or a liveaboard somewhere else in Colombia would not make San Andres a hybrid or liveaboard-dominant destination. Book a land base and check actual day-boat departures. Providencia and Santa Catalina are separate destinations, not additional sites included here.

Plan the water days around local operator departures, and let non-divers choose from Spratt Bight, Cocoplum, San Luis, an island drive, the botanical garden, Morgan's Cave or an authorized Old Point mangrove excursion. A separate day trip to Johnny Cay can work if the park and its boat service are operating, but CORALINA uses controlled pier landings and capacity limits. Do not assume a non-diver can ride on a scuba boat without advance approval. Divers also need a flight-after-diving plan and an afternoon alternative if wind or swell changes the schedule. Share the day's meeting point and emergency contact.