Providencia and Santa Catalina Overview

By Richard McColl

Telephone Code: 8, Altitude: sea level to 360m above sea level, Population: 6000

The main settlements on Providencia are Pueblo Viejo for businesses and Agua Dulce for tourism but with the one road skirting the outside edge of the island most inhabitants live in a linear fashion along the shore. Santa Catalina, an island of just 1 square mile is reached from Providencia by the “Lover’s Bridge”.

Nothing but the names and the odd cannon remain from the early Puritan, slave and pirate settlements. In Pueblo Viejo a ramshackle few streets one can find everything from cafes to a supermarket to banks and a cash machine. Aside from arriving over the hill at the airport or needing to withdraw some funds, there should be no urgent need to visit aside from curiosity.

Stick to the main attractions, unspoilt beaches, charming islanders conversing in their Creole English, tours of the mangroves and hikes into the volcanic hills in the interior.