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| The locals call the island Providence, though now that it belongs to Colombia, it's officially Providencia |
If you’re looking for a vacation on a beautiful island full
of friendly people but not many tourists, give Providencia a try. Providencia
is a small island off the coast of Nicaragua. Although it belongs to Colombia, the
culture is more Caribbean, which the inhabitants are quick to point out.
English is the predominant language here, which certainly made it easier for us.
My first observation was how uncrowded the anchorage was – only three other
boats – considering how many people we spoke with in Panama said who they were
headed here. The island is kind of in the middle of nowhere, so I guess they just
bailed or bypassed it. During our time here, numerous boats did pass through,
but few stayed. Too bad, as it’s an incredibly charming place. The main
anchorage is off of the main town of Santa Isabel. Town might be stretching it
a bit, being quite small, but they had everything we needed: grocery stores,
restaurants, bars, rental scooter shop. There’s a public dock for easy access,
and so appreciated, since sometimes it can be quite difficult to find someplace
to put in to come ashore. Actually, what with the lighted channel markers
lining the way into the bay and the free dinghy dock, the hardest thing about
checking in was finding Mr. Bush, the agent you’re required to use for checking
in and out. After some wandering (Mr. Bush doesn’t give the best directions,
but some friends had provided a photo of his office, which made finding it
easier), we were officially arrived in Providencia. [FYI: To reach Mr. Bush’s
office, come in to the public dock (open square just north of the long ship
dock), go right for one block, and take your first left. Walk up the hill, past
the commercial area (several grocery stores, scooter rental, restaurants,
bank), until you see an orange and white building on the right-hand side of the
road with a store on the ground floor and a balcony above. Go up the stairs to
the balcony and knock on the door – that’s Mr. Bush’s office.] Ferries and
flights arrive from San Andrés daily, so there are tourists, but it’s a much
lower-key tourism than in San Andrés. There are numerous guest houses
(posadas), small hotels, and boutique resorts scattered around the island, the
greatest concentration around Bahia Aqua Dulce (Fresh Water Bay). We were here
for six weeks waiting for weather to head further north, so we got to see quite
a bit, which I’ll talk about in upcoming posts.
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| Santa Isabel waterfront from the anchorage |
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| Ship dock at Santa Isabel, the fast ferry from San Andres at the end |
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| Brightly painted benches lining the sides of the waterfront square reflect the island's marine heritage |
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| Mr Mac anchored in Providencia with the steep, craggy hills in the background |
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| Threatening weather out beyond the anchorage off of Santa Isabel |
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