Snorkeling at La Piscinita (West Point)
3. February 2025
Daytrip to Aquario and Johny Cay
3. February 2025
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Playa Spratt Bight: San Andrés Main Beach
Playa Spratt Bight is located right next to the town and is one of the island’s most famous and popular beaches. Due to its location, it is also the busiest. It’s a place where you can combine relaxation on soft sand with calm sea waters and panoramic views of Johnny Cay island. This beach is ideal for families, couples, and individuals looking for a combination of activity and relaxation, a lively atmosphere, and quiet spots.
Location and Accessibility
If you’re staying in a hotel or apartment near the main street, a short walk or a few minutes by taxi will get you to the sandy shore. We had it about a 15-minute walk from our apartment. On the way, we stopped in one of the side streets for an excellent cappuccino at an Italian cafe, and then we headed straight to the beach.
Right on the beach, you’ll also find plenty of hotels, restaurants, cafes, and shops. It literally forms the pulsating heart of the town, and you’ll feel it in the atmosphere. Even though Playa Spratt Bight is the closest beach to the town, it can surprise you with its size and diversity, so everyone can find a spot to their liking. Whether a quiet corner or a lively stretch by the promenade. If you walk a few hundred meters from the main section near the hotels and restaurants, you can easily find a quiet spot to lay out your towel and enjoy some privacy.
On the first day, we stayed in the busier part, but on the second day, we headed more towards its edge, directly to a coconut-shaped bar – completely by chance, but very pleasant.
A Place for Perfect Relaxation
The beach stretches for approximately one kilometer, providing ample space for both relaxation and more active pursuits. With its sand soft and white, we thoroughly enjoyed it. Our kids are already too old for playing in the sand, so we went wild for them, whether cooling off in the water or digging small ponds. Like little children. All we needed was a sandcastle.
One of Playa Spratt Bight’s greatest advantages is its calm sea. Unlike the island’s southern coast, where waves suitable for surfing sometimes form, here the water is calm and clear.
Although the children preferred Playa San Luis because of the waves, they also found something for themselves here. Especially the nice young locals, with whom they immediately struck up a conversation. That wasn’t possible on the empty San Luis.
Although snorkeling isn’t the main highlight of Spratt Bight beach, you’ll find some colorful fish here, but don’t expect anything extraordinary.
View of Johnny Cay
The beach offers a magnificent panoramic view of Johnny Cay island. This small islet with white sand and palm trees is a typical calling card of San Andrés, and its view from the beach is fascinating throughout the day.
As if the views of the turquoise sea and fine sand all around us weren’t enough. The sea played with beautiful shades of blue, and the view of Johnny Cay was more of a bonus, especially since we couldn’t get to it because all boats were canceled for several days during our visit.
If you enjoy walking on the sand, Spratt Bight beach will also be to your liking. The beach changes with every step. Its beauty remains, but in places, you’ll be surprised by a livelier atmosphere, small shops, or original beach bars.
Promenade and Services
Next to the beach is a lively promenade where you’ll find many options for refreshments, buying small items, or relaxing. Bars offer local cocktails, stalls sell fresh coconuts and fast food. The children immediately went for bubble waffles, while we enjoyed more traditional cuisine in one of the many restaurants along the promenade.
Additionally, you have the option to get braids done on the beach. Unlike Cartagena, where they often didn’t know what to charge, here the price was very fair, approximately 10€.
Of course, chairs or sunbeds can be rented in some parts of the beach. However, some sections remain completely unorganized. It was these unorganized ones that were emptier and full of locals.
Where to stay? Ideally right by Playa Spratt Bight
San Andres island is smaller, but there are relatively large distances between individual places, and no taxi apps work here. We didn’t see any buses either. Maybe some run, but they are definitely not a common mode of transport. The typical form of transport is renting a scooter or an ATV.
The best thing to do is to stay directly in the center or near the main beach. From there, you can easily take a taxi and arrange a pickup, or rent a scooter. Outside San Andrés city, you won’t find a single ATM, so it’s good to have enough cash with you.
Where to stay if you’re looking for budget-friendly options:
- Hotel Tropical dreams is located on the outskirts of the city towards the airport, within a kilometer of the main beach.
- If you’re looking for something right in the center and by the beach, check out Apartahotel Caribe Diez. It’s a bit more expensive than the previous one, but still offers a very friendly price.
- If you’re a solo traveler and just looking for a bed, Viajero San Andres Hostel has great reviews and is located right in the center by the beach.
- 💰 Check out other affordable accommodations here: Budget‑friendly
If you’re looking for quality at a reasonable price, consider:
- The best choice is Caribbean Island Hotel Piso 2, which is located directly on the beach, and from the rooms, you can wake up to the beautiful color of the Caribbean Sea.
- If you prefer apart-hotels, a great option is Apartahotel Bahia Tropical III or Apartahotel Plaza. Both offer double and quadruple rooms and a great location.
- 🏡 Here you’ll find a selection of mid-range hotels: Mid-range accommodation
If you’re looking for something exceptional, don’t want to be in the city, and would like to relax for a few days on a private beach, consider Hotel Hotel Reina del Mar By Dorado.
Another alternative for luxury accommodation is Miraflores Boutique Hotel, which is Adults only. The hotel looks like it’s straight out of a catalog, and if we hadn’t come with children, we would definitely have stayed there for at least one night.
