Bienvenidos - Welcome!
Known as the Gateway to South America, Colombia is one of the most culturally and geographically diverse countries in the world. Blessed with rich cultural heritage and a variegated mixture of flora and fauna, Colombia caters to all kinds of visitors. Relax on the turquoise water beaches of Carribean and Pacific or experience the colonial charm of Cartagena. Visit the historical Bogota or treat yourself to the eternal spring of Medellin, immerse yourself in the exuberance of Cali or simply head for a trek in the Andes and the Amazon.
Best time to dive?
The best time of year for diving in Colombia is between April and November when the waves, on the Caribbean coast at least, largely disappear. During this period, you can see turtles coming to lay their eggs along the northern shore (the eggs hatch in about June or July). The trickiest time of year for scuba diving is between January and March when currents are generally much stronger.
Best time to Dive?
The best time of year for diving in Colombia is between April and November when the waves, on the Caribbean coast at least, largely disappear. During this period, you can see turtles coming to lay their eggs along the northern shore (the eggs hatch in about June or July). The trickiest time of year for scuba diving is between January and March when currents are generally much stronger.
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Are you a Scuba diver?
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Do you offer Diving services?
Promote your services and connect with divers
Are you a Scuba diver?
Join and get the best benefits for your next trip
Sea Life
Divers can see giant manta rays, humpback whales, whitetip reef sharks, turtles, moray eels, snappers, Crevalle jacks, Almaco jacks, and barracudas, in addition to coral reef species such as angelfish, butterflyfish, parrotfish, schools of reef fish, tuna, and dolphins, but also some other creatures like scalloped hammerhead, silky, Galapagos sharks, barracudas, jacks, snappers, rays, groupers, hawksbill and green turtles.
Dive Sites
The wonders of Colombia aren’t just on dry land: the country boasts two separate coastlines, and a number of gorgeous islands and offshore natural reserves. All of this sea makes for some incredible diving experiences, and some fairly unique ones too. So, that being said, here are See Colombia’s Top 5 diving spots in Colombia…
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Providencia
Providencia and Santa Catalina, a smaller island to the north, is home to the third largest coral reef barrier on earth, and includes over 40 dive sites. The seas around Providencia are a UNESCO protected area, and are known as the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve. You can dive here among some of the most beautiful corals in South America, and it’s possible to observe 4 species of shark. The largest reef has an area of 255km2, and the diverse dive sites include caves, blue holes and even sunken pirate ships, making Providencia arguably the best dive site in Colombia.
Getting there: You’ll need to fly to San Andres (routes with Avianca, LAN and VivaColombia) first. From there you have two choices: a Satena-operated flight to Providencia or a 2 hour catamaran trip between the islands.
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Malpelo
If Providencia is the accessible best of Colombian diving, Malpelo is the inaccessible version: a craggy rock in the Colombian Pacific, it can only be reached by boat, and divers can only visit here as part of an organized trip on a dive boat. It’s worth the time and money though; Malpelo is one of the best places in the world to dive with sharks, including hammerheads, whale, and the rare sunray shark. People have reported schools of up to 500 sharks around Malpelo.
Getting there: This one’s a bit more challenging! You have to visit on a dive boat: talk to a travel agent or tour company to find out which companies are currently running trips to Malpelo and when they are available.
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Gorgona Island
Another Pacific diving spot, Gorgona is an inhospitable island, formerly used as a prison, which now serves as a nature reserve and breeding area for humpback whales. There are a number of impressive dive sites where you can observe a vast number of Pacific species. Turtles can also be seen here, although the real treat is visiting between July and October, when you can combine diving the wrecks and cliffs of Gorgona with whale-watching.
Getting there: You can fly from Cali, take a dive boat or ferry from Buenaventura or a high-speed boat from Guapi. There is a hotel attached to the National Park or you can visit on a live-aboard dive boat.
Capurgana and Sapzurro
This area on the Panama border near the Darien Gap has preserved a gorgeous coral reef, partly due to its inaccessibility and lack of tourism. There are more than 30 dive sites, and from Capurgana you can organise a dive in the stunning San Blas Islands. The best time to dive is between May and November, and there are several good-quality dive centres located in he town.
Getting there: By air from Medellin, or, alternatively, overland to Turbo followed by a three hour speedboat trip through the Gulf of Uraba.
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Taganga
Taganga isn’t really on the list for its world-class diving experiences: it’s in the Caribbean and a variety of gorgeous marine life can be seen, as well as an array of corals, however there are better places to go in Colombia. It’s on here for the sheer number of dive operators in the little town, and the cheapness of doing a course here. Taganga (like Honduras’ Bay Island or Thailand’s Ko Tao) is one of those brilliant places to learn to dive in a nice location for a staggeringly good price. It’s where I learned and the variety of operators meant I had an instructor to myself.
Getting there: By air or land to Santa Marta from all over Colombia, then by bus, colectivo or moto-taxi to Taganga.
For more information visit: seecolombia.travel
How to Arrive
Colombia has 5 international airports located around the cities of Bogota, Barranquilla, Cali, Cartagena and Medellin.
Some airlines such as TACA and LAN have direct flights to Cali, Medellin or Cartagena from USA, Central America or South America. Travelling to Colombia is often cheaper via USA through Avianca, American Airlines, or Continental Airlines; and directly from Europe with Avianca, Iberia or Air France amongst others.
