With extremely long Carribean and Pacific
coastlines, Colombia is developing into one of South America's best
scuba diving destinations. Malpelo Island (Pacific) is well known as
one of the top diving destinations in the world and there's also
excellent diving in the Carribean.
Diving in the
Carribean Coast
The clear waters of the Carribean coast
offer some of the best scuba diving in Colombia. There's excellent
diving at the Carribean islands of San
Andres and Providencia
(Providencia's diving is superior). Providencia Island's barrier reef
is apparently the third longest in the world. On the mainland of
Colombia, Santa Marta and
Taganga both offer diving - Taganga is a good place to
undertake a cheap scuba diving course. Up and coming diving
destinations include the less visited Capurgana
and San Bernardo Islands.
In Colombia, a PADI certificate typically costs about $250 for a five
day diving course. I'm told that the best of any of these scuba diving
destinations mentioned above in Providencia.
Malpelo Island
& the Pacific Coast
The more adventurous divers will head to
Colombia's Pacific coast. There's fantastic diving at Malpelo Island -
this is one of the worlds best diving hotspots. Malpelo Island offers
cold water diving in a very rich marine environment - here you'll be
diving with and assortment of marine creatures including hammerhead and
whale sharks. Malpelo Island is 36 hours by boat from the port town of
Buernaventura. A simpler means of access is to arrange a diving package
that includes flights from Cali or Popayan to Guapi (Cauca) from where
it's just one hour by fast boat to Malpelo Island. The Colombian boats Doņa
Mariela and Maria Patricia are the
cheapest means of visiting Malpelo - the cost is about 3,500,000
Colombian pesos per person for an eight night package (both these boats
also offer diving trips to Gorgona Island). In addition, Inula
offers trips out of Puerto David in Panama (about US $3500 per person),
and the Undersea Hunter offers packages from
Puntarenas in Costa Rica (about US $6500 per person).
There's good diving in Colombia's Pacific
coast that can be arranged from the small beach resort of Bahia Solano in Choco
region or the prison island
of Gorgona. Currents are strong throughout the Pacific Coast
- you need to be an experienced diver.
