Anchorage· Isla Palma· Other Caribbean
Isla Palma Lee Anchorage (San Bernardo)
9° 44.2′ N · 75° 45.4′ W · approximate
A daytime anchoring stop off the west (lee) side of Isla Palma, the only island in the San Bernardo group outside the national park, with a strip of fine beaches and snorkeling close by.
Practical
Coordinate is approximate and derived: about 370 m west of Isla Palma's western shore as mapped in OSM (island 9.7343–9.7394 N, 75.7402–75.7541 W). No guide publishes an anchoring waypoint here - the national cruising guide's official San Bernardo anchorages are south of Tintipán (A16), north of El Islote (A17) and the Ciénaga de Tintipán (A18). Charter itineraries spend the day here ashore and snorkeling, then move to Tintipán for the night. Hazards: GeoNames charts Bajo Salamanquilla (shoal) about 1 km southwest at 9.7306 N, 75.7658 W and the Canal Salamanquilla to the east; an ActiveCaptain report (2017) found San Bernardo depths significantly shallower than charted on C-Map and Navionics (18 ft charted, 9 ft found) - approach in good overhead light with a bow lookout and anchor only in sand. Wide open to the south and west: leave if the wind goes SW (common in the rainy season). Wikivoyage listed snorkeling at Isla Palma at COP 5,000 (2018 - verify locally). Isla Palma is outside the park, but the surrounding reefs are not.
Best for
A lunch-and-snorkel stop between Tintipán and the mainland
Season
Dec–Apr trades (NE); untenable in SW winds
Nearby
- Isla Palma (San Bernardo)0.5 NM away
- Ensenada del Hoyo Anchorage (Punta San Bernardo)4.2 NM away
- Cabruna Reef (San Bernardo East)4.3 NM away
- Reserva Natural Sanguaré (Punta San Bernardo)4.8 NM away
- El Cantil Wall (Tintipán Outer Reef)5.6 NM away
- Isla Ceycén Reef (San Bernardo)5.9 NM away
- San Bernardo Provisioning: Fuel, Water, Ice & Cash6.2 NM away
- Tintipán South Anchorage (San Bernardo)6.2 NM away