How to Get to San Andrés Island

San Andrés Island and the Colombian archipelago is about 125 miles (200 km) from the Nicaraguan coast but is 445 miles (715 km) from the Colombian mainland. Due to this distance, the only way to visit the island is to fly. Boats no longer go here from the Colombian coast so flying is the only option.

There are 4 domestic direct flights to and from San Andrés Island: Bogotá, Cartagena, Medellín, and Cali. All domestic direct flights are under 2.5 hours and fly directly to Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport (ADZ) on the island.

Non-direct flights from other surrounding Colombian cities are added during certain seasons and often have layovers in Bogotá or Panama. This island’s airport is a very small airport centered near the town, making it very easy to reach most accommodation locations by foot. If not, taxis are readily available outside the terminal, just be sure to use your negotiating skills for a reasonable price.

Soak in everything that San Andrés & Providencia has to offer on this 6-day itinerary, offering a perfect mix combination of hiking, diving, and relaxing activities paced for a slow island way of life.

From Bogotá

Duration: a little over 2 hours

The longest flight to San Andres Island’s ADZ airport is a non-stop route from Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport (BOG). This direct flight takes around 2 hours and 15 minutes.

From Medellín

Duration: 1 hour and 50 minutes

Medellín has two airports, so that’s important to keep in mind when searching for flights to the island. Medellín’s Aeropuerto Internacional José María Córdova (MDE) offers direct flights to ADZ. However, the other airport found in Medellín, Olaya Herrera (EOH) does not offer direct flights to ADZ. Routes that leave from EOH to the island backtrack with a layover in Bogotá before continuing on to ADZ.

From Cartagena

Duration: 1 hour 25 minutes

From the coastal city, the flight from Cartagena’s Rafael Nuñez International Airport (CTG) is the shortest flight from Colombia to the island. It’s a quick 1 hour and 25 minutes.