Any impressions on Old Providence?

[WOODMAN]

We are considering something different for our next dive trip, and the island of Old Providence has come to our attention. It looks like a bit of a problem to get to from the USA, but what little I have seen looks attractive. Anyone have any experience with this place? All comments cheerfully accepted Thanks for your help. Woody

 

[Maus]

Are you talking about Providencia and San Andres who belong to Colombia?

Maus

 

[zuri]

The Galapagos Islands are considered one of the best locations for scuba diving in the world. It also has a huge variety of exotic species (birds, land animals, plants) and landscapes not seen anywhere else.

 

[WOODMAN]

Are you talking about Providencia and San Andres who belong to Colombia?

Maus

Yes, that's the place. It's a long ways from Columbia, though.

 

[WOODMAN]

The Galapagos Islands are considered one of the best locations for scuba diving in the world. It also has a huge variety of exotic species (birds, land animals, plants) and landscapes not seen anywhere else.

Thanks for your input, but the Galapagos Islands are out in the Pacific, and on the other side of the central american landmass. New Providence is in the Caribbean, and off the coast of Nicaragua, and is otherwise referred to as Isla de Providencia or Providencia Island. Woody

 

[tadeotadeo]

I just returned from Old Providence for the 10 time, Diving with Sonnys dive shop and stayed at Sonnys Cabanas. The diving was great, health reefs loads of wildlife, warm water, great walls. It rained but just the tropical stuff not long and sunshine always followed. The place is difficult to get to from most place in America. I traveled out of Maimi to Panama City to San Andres Island to Old Providence leave at 830am and was in OPI at 5pm. The return trip is longer about about 15 hours. Not sure the best route to take from Minnesota but you might try Canadaian airlines they have direct flights to San Andres in the winter months or maybe out of Houston to Panama
There were no big resorts on OPI mostly all localy owned bed and breakfast cozy cabanas. I have visited a few and they all seem about the same.
Topide we kayaked, rode horse back, walked in the Lovers Bridge to Santa Cataline and visited the old for Worwick. There are 6 or 7 beaches on the island, you could always find one and have it all to your self.
Food was very traditional and tropical, always fresh, there was a place to get pizza and burger.
The island and its people and culture are what make OPI a realy magical Place.
I could go on and on
contact me if you need more information
Ciao
Tad

 

[WOODMAN]

The place is difficult to get to from most place in America. I traveled out of Maimi to Panama City to San Andres Island to Old Providence leave at 830am and was in OPI at 5pm. The return trip is longer about about 15 hours. Not sure the best route to take from Minnesota but you might try Canadaian airlines they have direct flights to San Andres in the winter months or maybe out of Houston to Panama

I am highly interested in this place, and am going to consult a good travel agent about getting there. The attempts I have made to research travel to Old Providence have been disheartening, to say the least. ADZ is the San Andreas airport, and PVA is the Old Providence airport? ADZ works, (at least the travel sites admit it exists) but the Old Providence airport doesn't come up anywhere. Not even under the various names I tried for it. Please send me whatever tips you have for arranging this travel. My home airport is MSP. I would appreciate any information you have. I am looking to go sometime in Feb/Mar of 2010, (unless you advise earlier or later?) and can use any help I can get for the two of us. This is the first time we have tried to reach anything this far off the beaten path, and are looking forwards to it. I am sure we will talk about this much more as this unrolls. Thanks for your help. Woody

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Satena airlines provide flights from San Andres. You may need to book directly with them for that leg of your trip.

Their website is in Spanish. I could not get the section on routes and fares to load, but found an email address which I suppose is for their office in Providencia Satenaprovidencia@gmail.com

 

[Damselfish]

The attempts I have made to research travel to Old Providence have been disheartening, to say the least. ADZ is the San Andreas airport, and PVA is the Old Providence airport? ADZ works, (at least the travel sites admit it exists) but the Old Providence airport doesn't come up anywhere. Not even under the various names I tried for it. Please send me whatever tips you have for arranging this travel.

When you can't find flights to an airport on a major travel site, it doesn't necessarily mean it's harder to get to than a place that does - it just means it's served by an airline that doesn't show up on major travel sites. This isn't that uncommon. Sites oriented to the US will show most US airlines and major international carriers, but not every carrier in the world especially smaller local ones. (Similarly, there are travel sites targeted to say Europe or Australia that will show you airlines there, including some fairly large ones, that you won't see on a US site.) But some smaller local airlines simply just don't use the technology that would make this possible and don't show up anyplace like that, you need to ferret them out otherwise and book directly.

So if you can't find a flight someplace, look for info local tourist sites or the airport site if there is one. There's generally a "how to get there" section. Failing that, you'll often find some local hotels with better web sites will fill the gap and you can find the info on their sites. Once you find the airline you need maybe they have a website to book, though maybe not in English. And it seems website booking is often either not an option or not a reliable one on some of these airlines and you have to call. Or quite possibly leave it to a travel agent.

 

[WOODMAN]

My travel agent is developing something of a headache over this one. Getting to and from San Andreas island looks fairly straightforward, although I am not seeing much coming out of San Jose, which looks like the closest major airport? That hop from San Andreas to Old Providence is the problem, and we are working on that. My agent mentioned something else interesting, though. She said she found mention of a new catamaran service starting up between the two islands in fall of 2009, which would be slower, of course, but probably much cheaper and also probably avoid the luggage weight restrictions of a puddle jumper airline. We will see. My agent is highly interested in how you do this, Tad, and I await your input. Woody