Old Providencia Guide, a Sea of Seven Colors

The history of Old Providencia and San Andrés is different from that of Colombia. In the 17th century, they were colonized by English Puritans who settled there with their slaves. This explains why the inhabitants still speak English as a common but unofficial language. For many years, pirates and buccaneers hunting Spanish galleons loaded with gold that passed through these waters raided the island. In 1793, England recognized Spain’s sovereignty over the archipelago, and later in 1822, the islands joined the state then called Gran Colombia.
Old Providence or Providencia is a mountainous volcanic island, fringed by white beaches and dotted with tiny peaceful villages. Its satellite island Santa Catalina is connected to the main island by the Lovers’ Bridge. Both are surrounded by a coral reef far larger than that of San Andrés and by small, secluded beaches full of mysteries. Perhaps pirate treasures still lie hidden in the archipelago’s caves, where stories and legends of buccaneers and maidens linger.
The main beaches of Providencia are Aguadulce, Suroeste, and Manzanillo. Aguadulce Bay is the main beach, where small hotels, bungalows, cottages, and small restaurants offering dishes of very fresh and delicious fish and seafood are concentrated. At Aguadulce, you can rent boats, scuba equipment, and go diving or snorkeling. The beaches of Suroeste and Manzanillo, the most beautiful, are less crowded, covered with coconut palms, with warm and calm waters in incredible shades of blue.
At Santa Catalina, you should visit the rocky cliff Morgan’s Head (the head of the famous Captain Morgan) and, for divers, the underwater cave beneath it. The inland of Providencia is mountainous and lush, with many trails leading up to El Pico, where you can admire the splendid panorama. To fully enjoy all the islands and islets and discover the most hidden beaches, you need to rent a boat. You can also tour the Cayos Cercanos. Then there are the Cayos Lejanos like Bolivar, Albuquerque, and the Three Brothers, three nearby rocks, the main one being Cayo Cangrejo, a place of extraordinary beauty where, climbing to the highest rock, you can admire the various islands. All the atolls are surrounded by abundant marine life and beautiful coral reefs.
The 5,000 inhabitants have a very strict urban plan, and the island has not been spoiled by construction since the residents have declined the building of large resorts or hotels to promote eco-sustainable tourism.
No one can imagine the seabeds of these sites. Accustomed as we are to hearing about other places worldwide, it seems incredible, at a time when it is believed we know all the famous dive sites, to discover superb and unknown reefs here and that we are at the third largest coral barrier in the world. When Colombians say “a sea of seven colors,” they are not exaggerating at all. There are sponges so large that a child can even enter inside them, found in the sponge valley. In Blue Valley, at about 30 meters, a sheer wall suddenly opens with all kinds of gorgonians, and at about 80 meters depth, a cave with sharks. For those looking for wrecks, there is also a sunken Spanish galleon. In 2000, UNESCO declared the archipelago of San Andrés, Old Providencia, and Santa Catalina a new World Biosphere Reserve, called “SEAFLOWER.” The protected archipelago includes three small inhabited islands, several keys, coral banks, atolls, an insular area of 57 sq km, and a marine area of 300,000 sq km, which is roughly 10% of the Caribbean Sea.
Romantic Weddings: by presenting a passport, you can marry on the two main islands, before a notary, judge, or priest. Local agencies arrange everything — party, flowers, cake, and additional activities.
Festivals and Folklore: On Providencia Island, the Culture Festival is held in the last week of June. Additionally celebrated are July 20, August 7, the Green Moon Festival, and October 12. Music is the muse inspiring the islanders. The islands’ costumes and traditions incredibly reflect their European origins alongside African-Caribbean influences. The most respected traditions are culinary, dance, and music, as seen in the folkloric festival held in the last week of June and other events throughout the year. Dancers, dressed in traditional costumes, dance waltzes, quadrilles, schottisches or scotis, and mazurkas accompanied by violins, mandolins, guitars, accordions, and other typical instruments. Caribbean musical influences are felt through Mento rhythms (acoustic music, a fusion of African and European song rhythms) of the Antilles, Trinidad’s calypso (using traditional metal drums made from recycled oil barrels), and Jamaican reggae.
Horse Races on the Beach, Saturdays
At Cayo Cangrejo, a small islet in the reserve’s center, where you arrive by boat that stops to allow everyone to swim and admire turtles and much more, don’t forget to try the fish bowls, fish balls made by the local women — divine. Equally fantastic are the tropical fruit juices.
Fun Facts: Between May and June, crabs migrate in such numbers that sometimes roads near beaches are temporarily closed to ensure they can cross safely.