Aquarium Island

Diving, Island, Activity Info.

By Christopher Minster

A short distance off of the western coast of San Andres (about a 20 minute ride in a slow boat: as little as ten in a fast one) is Aquarium Island, a small cay covered with palm trees, sandy beaches, and tourist huts. It’s actually two islands, one small and sandy, the other larger and covered in palm trees. Both islands feature rudimentary tourist facilities and are connected by a sand bar which passes through chest-high water.

The smaller island is home to many fish, and is popular with snorkelers because the water is warm and clear and fish are relatively easy to see. Snorkeling gear is available on the island at extortionate rates: we paid $2.50 US for one pair of fins for about 45 minutes. There are small lockers in one of the huts that can be rented.  Glass-bottom boats leave from Aquarium to see shoals of fish, and you can sometimes rent jet-skis, too.

To get to Aquarium Island, you can just go to the small port on the eastern side of the island, and the people there will put you on the next boat over. You can also book passage through OVER tours or one of the other tour operators on the island. If you go through a tour agency, expect to pay about $5/person for the boat rides there and back: Making your own arrangements at the small port will likely result in a slightly less expensive trip.

Warning! On weekends, Aquarium fills up with locals from San Andres as well as tourists. The two small islands become packed with crabby, sunburned visitors. The fish are frightened off, lockers may fill up, every square inch of shade is taken, and the entire experience is quite unpleasant. On Aquarium, locals can become extremely rude to tourists. Weekends are bad: holiday weekends are unbearable, and should be avoided at all costs, unless the idea of a repulsively overweight Colombian matron physically shoving you out of the way to get one of the last lockers is appealing to you.

Also note that there are sea urchins in the vicinity: if you’re planning on swimming or snorkeling, you’ll want good water shoes for protection.

Aquarium Island is often packaged together with a trip to larger Johnny Cay.

Traveler Reviews of Aquarium Island

don't go on the weekend

Rating: 75%

good place to snorkel, but bring your own stuff and don't go on the weekend.

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