SAN ANDRES, Colombia — First Baptist Church was born by a tamarind tree perched on a hill overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean.

The island, close to Nicaragua but part of Colombia, boasts waters in seven shades of the color. Counting them — from a boat, from a cay, from the shade of a coconut tree — is a meditative ...

A visitor to Hoyo Soplador (the Blow Hole) enjoys the water at sunset in San Andres. Christopher Muther/Globe Staff SAN ANDRÉS, Colombia — When it comes to travel, first impressions are everything.

SAN ANDRES ISLAND, Colombia — There’s no racetrack on the tiny Caribbean island of San Andres, but passion for horse racing runs deep.

San Andres, just a twohour flight from Colombia’s capital, Bogota, is the largest island in an archipelago that also includes Providencia and Santa Catalina islands, as well as 18 keys.

The fear stems from a decades-long maritime dispute between Colombia and Nicaragua involving the archipelago of San Andres, Providencia, and Santa Catalina, and nearby seas.

Members of the choir sing hymns at First Baptist Church on Colombia's San Andres Island on Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022. The church is so crucial to the island's history that a detailed record of births ...

A man stands at the entrance of First Baptist Church on Colombia’s San Andres Island on Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022. The church is a symbol of emancipation and a source of pride for the Raizals, the ...

SAN ANDRES, Colombia (AP) — First Baptist Church was born by a tamarind tree perched on a hill overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. Under the tree’s shade, First Baptist’s founder taught ...