The Blowing Hole

Beach

By Christopher Minster

The Blowing Hole (El Hoyo Soplador)

Only on a small Caribbean island in the middle of the ocean could a hole in the ground which occasionally blows a strong puff of air be a major tourist attraction.

On the southern end of the island, there is a rocky patch of land, and on this patch of land, about ten meters from the ocean, there is a small hole in the ground, the diameter of which is a little larger than a basketball. The hole is connected underground to the rocky shore, and every few minutes, a wave will hit the shore just right, pushing a strong draft of warm air through the tunnel and out the hole, where there is usually a family of tourists waiting for it. The puff is actually quite impressive: it hits you with the force of about 50 hair dryers for a brief moment. Occasionally, tides, waves and other conditions are just right, and a geyser of water will erupt from the hole, although this is uncommon.

The Blowing Hole is a popular stop on the island tour, and there are plenty of vendors there willing to sell you a beer, a t-shirt, a necklace, a pretty conch shell, or anything else a tourist could want. The vendors aren’t aggressive, and are even happy to tell you just where to stand or to snap your photo when the blast of air hits your face.  They seem very proud of the Blowing Hole and are more than willing to share with guests.

There is no admission cost. It is best seen as part of a larger island tour.

Traveler Reviews of The Blowing Hole

best blow hole in San Andres

Rating: 75%

The description pretty much sums it up. Worth it just to see what enterprising locals can make out of a minor natural phenomenon.

By Gideon Welles from Scottsville, New York, Mar 06, 2007