Old Providence McBean Lagoon National Natural Park, Protected marine area in Providencia Island, Colombia

Old Providence McBean Lagoon National Natural Park protects a marine area with coral reefs, mangrove forests, and seagrass meadows along the northeast coast of Providencia Island. The park covers several square kilometers and includes both shallow waters and deeper sections with diverse underwater life.

Declared a national park in 1995, the area was created partly as a social defence against time-sharing development that would have destroyed much of its mangrove. It joined the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve in 2000 and the Archipelago's protected areas in 2004. It is the only nationally protected area in Colombia's oceanic Caribbean.

Providencia's reefs give the island its nickname, "The Sea of Seven Colors" (El Mar de los Siete Colores), a name tied to the coral formations the park protects. The park was declared in 1995 partly as a social defence against time-sharing development that would have destroyed much of its mangrove. Crab Caye holds the visitor centre, reached by boat.

The best time to visit is during the drier months when water clarity is better and conditions for snorkeling and diving are more favorable. To get there, visitors can take a short flight from San Andres or contact local operators to arrange boat tours.

The reef in the park runs 32 km, the longest coral reef in Colombia, and the park is the only nationally protected area in Colombia's oceanic Caribbean. Its 905 marine hectares also hold the McBean Lagoon and the Three Brothers and Crab Cayes.