Last updated on December 19, 2023.

San Andrés Town (El Centro) is nothing to write home about. It’s quite ugly, but is where most of the island’s resorts, hotels, restaurants, shopping, and tour operators are located.

San Andrés Town is the major population center on the island. It’s made up of about 20% natives and 80% mainland Colombians. It’s situated on the northern tip of the Caribbean island.

 

Promenade

The best part about the town is the beachside pedestrian promenade. Along it, you can find many of the resorts, some restaurants, and plenty of bargain shopping. For sale are gold and emeralds, leather, and other Colombian goods. In fact, San Andrés is famous around Colombia for its basement bargain prices. Several cities in towns in Colombia have small bargain shopping centers they call San Andresito (Little San Andrés).

Promenade in San Andrés, Colombia
The promenade during the day
Promenade in San Andrés, Colombia
Walking down the promenade at night

 

Beach

The beach in town is good, but not the best on the island. When we visited, it was loud, crowded, and not the cleanest beach I’ve ever seen. The atmosphere didn’t seem that great, so we preferred Rocky Cay Bay. Offshore, it’s possible to spot Johnny Cay, one of the popular excursions that can be taken.

Beach in San Andrés, Colombia
Beach

Author

Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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