Season 3 of 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way introduced pizza queen Ellie Rose from Seattle and her partner Victor, who hails from a tiny Colombian island called Providencia. Victor’s cheating scandal shocked TLC viewers during episode 1, but Victor telling Ellie about the devastating category 5 hurricane Iota that struck Providencia on November 15, 2020, was also terrifying. Seattle-based Ellie cried over Victor’s safety amid the extreme weather events, and spoilers suggest he even goes missing. But before 90 Day Fiancé fans find out if Victor and Ellie are still together, here’s everything to know about the musician’s Isla de Providencia, which he calls “mini-Jamaica.”
Many fans love 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way more than other spin-offs because of its focus on new countries and cultures. This time around, there are just two new couples in TOW’s 2021 roster: Utah’s Steven Johnston and Russian girl Alina, and Ellie and Victor. With a storyline that’s as dramatic as a movie plot, Ellie, who owns Central Pizza in Washington, is packing her bags and moving to be with Victor, whom she met at a beach bar during her solo vacation in Colombia. A musician who also doubles as a bartender, Victor is 38. He was all set to come to America on a K-1 visa, but his interview was canceled due to the pandemic. To overcome that obstacle, Ellie, 45, uprooted her life to start her Caribbean journey instead.
“Providencia is a super small island, it’s got like 6000 people,” Ellie said in her introduction. “It’s not like Colombia at all, it’s got a total rasta vibe, everything’s just chill,” she added about 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way star Victor’s home. According to Culture Trip, Providencia is also known as “the sea of seven colors,” as it boasts of a variety of turquoise, blues, and greens in its breathtaking scenery. Victor’s residence is a part of three Colombian-Caribbean islands that make up the Colombian Department Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencía, and Santa Catalina. It’s located in the Caribbean sea over 500 miles away from Colombia’s coastline. It’s also home to a number of ecosystems, including mangrove forests, coral reefs, seagrass, and a tropical dry forest, as well as mountainous terrain.
Over centuries, the remote Providencia has belonged to a number of countries, such as England, Spain, Nicaragua, before becoming part of Colombia in 1928. As per Colombia Travel, when one arrives at San Andrés, they can begin their journey to Providencia, either by air (which takes approximately 15 minutes) or by boarding a catamaran from San Andrés to Providencia, a trip that takes about three hours. Providencia is home to Old Providence McBean Lagoon National Natural Park, the third-longest barrier reef in the world. Crab Cay is a small island that’s perfect for snorkeling and seeing colorful fish, while El Pico viewpoint, the highest mountain on the island, offers an unforgettable view.
Meanwhile, WikiTravel notes that the island is so small, it takes just around 30-40 minutes for someone to drive in a loop around the whole of it in a golf buggy. The residents like 90 Day Fiancé star Victor mostly speak English or San Andrés–Providencia Creole, and the currency is the Colombian peso. The islanders who make a living out of tourism and fishing are have been described as “friendly, smiling people” who love gastronomy, music, rhythms such as reggae, socca, calypso, and dances like vals, quadrille, schottische.
Per a report by AlJazeera, 98% of the Colombian island’s infrastructure was damaged and one person died in the category five hurricane in November. The hurricane also led 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way star Ellie to start a GoFundMe to help Victor and his fellow island dwellers. In upcoming episodes, Ellie loses communication with Victor the night before the storm. After days of silence, she travels to the island, distraught and desperate to locate him. Fans may be divided over Ellie giving Victor a chance, but it is believed that this couple has been able to keep their relationship intact against all odds.
90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on TLC.
