Island Hopping In Colombia: The Best Secret Island Retreats

San Andrés is a Colombian Caribbean island located 140 miles (225 kilometres) from the coast of Nicaragua. The island is situated within a National Park, which contains a section of the Caribbean coral reef – the third largest reef in the world. San Andrés has a number of resorts and hotels, one of the biggest all-inclusive resorts on the island is Decameron’s Maryland Resort. The hotel is small, unique and has Caribbean style decor. It is located on the largest beach on the island, with views of Johnny Cay and the endless ocean. The hotel offers scuba diving, an aquarium, kayak, windsurfing, surfing and access to a catamaran.

Tierra Bomba Island is an island with an area of 7.6 square miles (19.8 kilometres sq) located within Cartagena’s harbour. The island has a population of over 9,000 (as of 2011), many of which are native to the island and city. Tourists can see the island from the city of Cartagena but it’s very rarely visited, despite beautiful beaches, mangrove swamps, forest and clear surrounding water. The island is home to historic defences and forts, built to protect the city from pirates and invaders throughout history and in 2014 Tierra Bomba was awarded the honour of housing the next Cartagena naval base. The island houses a small number of hotel and resorts, one of which is the boutique Blue Apple Beach House, a French inspired hotel, located on the islands shore, with six rooms designed in unique local architecture. The hotel runs yoga classes, massage rooms, access to a boat, scuba diving, a restaurant serving local produce, volleyball, paddleboarding and kayaking in beautiful surroundings. The small number of rooms gives guests a personalised experience and high quality service.