Location of San Andrés Island, Colombia

San Andrés Island is the principal island of the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, a Colombian department in the Caribbean Sea.

Coordinates & Context

• Position: 12.55° N, 81.72° W
• Distance from mainland Colombia: ~720 km (450 mi) northwest of Cartagena
• Distance from Nicaragua: ~180 km (110 mi) east — subject to maritime boundary treaty (2012 ICJ ruling)
• Area: 26 km² (10 sq mi); length 12.5 km, width 3 km
• Population: ~55,000 (2020), mixed Raizal (Afro-Caribbean), mainland Colombian, and expatriate

Key Features

• UNESCO Seaflower Biosphere Reserve (2000) — 300,000 km² marine protected area
• Coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves; world-class diving/snorkeling
• Johnny Cay (Sucre Islet) — popular day-trip cay
• El Cove, San Luis, Rocky Cay — main settlements
• Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport (ADZ) — direct flights from Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Panama City, San José (CR)

San Andrés is a free port (duty-free shopping) and a major domestic tourism destination for Colombians.