How to Plan a San Andrés Elopement

San Andrés is one of the most logistically simple South American elopement destinations. It is a ninety-minute direct flight from Bogotá, the island is compact enough to navigate without a guide, and accommodation ranges from hostels to boutique hotels with the full range available at any budget. The planning details that actually matter are the tide schedule for Rocky Cay and the seasonal swell pattern for Johnny Cay.

Rocky Cay Tide Timing

Rocky Cay only exists at low tide. The tidal range on San Andrés is modest (the Caribbean has a smaller tidal range than the Pacific), but the sandbar is fully exposed only when the tide is at its lowest. Check the tide table for your travel dates before booking and plan the Rocky Cay session for the lowest tide of the day, which changes daily. A Rocky Cay session at high tide produces photos of people standing in knee-deep water rather than on a sandbar, which is a completely different photograph.

Getting to Johnny Cay

Johnny Cay is accessible by boat from the main San Andrés pier. The public boat service runs from early morning to late afternoon. For a private elopement visit, chartering a lancha directly gives flexibility over timing and avoids the day-trip tourist boats. The crossing takes twenty minutes in calm conditions and forty minutes when the swell is up. The dry season from December to April gives the calmest sea conditions and the most reliable crossing.

Three Days Is Enough

A three-day San Andrés elopement covers everything: Day one for Rocky Cay and La Piscinita; day two for Johnny Cay (morning, first boat) and El Cliff (sunset); day three as a buffer or for a Providencia day trip if conditions allow. Four days is comfortable and gives one full buffer day. Unlike Patagonia, the weather is predictable enough in the dry season that a buffer day is not strictly necessary, but the extra day makes the trip more relaxed.