Cartagena's Beaches
Beaches Cartagena
The list below is made by distance from the apartment/not
by preference. In all the beaches, street vendors are
aggressive. Be aware that a lot of people make a living this
way.
They do provide some good services. I usually get the foot
massages, braids, beers, seafood cocktails... It's kind of
convenient to get everything with no need to go anywhere
but kind of annoying if you are just trying to relax. If you are
interested, all prices are negotiable but make sure to set the
price before accepting any type of service and be ready to
haggle. If you are not interested, just say NO, GRACIAS. This
will not always stop them but if you give them an opening
they will linger.
If you are really annoyed by them, the ones with the least
street vendors are Castillo Grande and Tierra Bomba or you
can get a tour to one of the private islands in Islas del Rosario
Very close and convenient but busy beach. When I'm staying
in the apartment I get up early in the morning and walk it all
the way up to the end and come back. It usually takes me
around an hour roundtrip. This is my favorite time to go as In
the morning the sun is not too strong and I get to skip the
street vendors and the rush of people.
You can see fishermen and a lot of bird types. My favorite
place to swim is in front of El Muelle restaurant. You can go
pretty far in and it doesn't get too deep. This is also a good
spot to catch the sunset - If you are planning on renting Jet
skis they rent them on the beach. Make sure you ask for a
better price. In low season I usually get them for $30 USD per
30 minutes. The best time to ride them is midday. Towards the
late afternoon, the water gets rough.
- There is a great water sports place called WindSpot. Highly recommend! Lots of good activities to do there. My favorites are the SUP boards (not too difficult) and kitesurfing (very fun and challenging).
A good place to hang out as well, they have a bar and jacuzzis
97 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Bocagrande
Very close and convenient but busy beach. When I'm staying
in the apartment I get up early in the morning and walk it all
the way up to the end and come back. It usually takes me
around an hour roundtrip. This is my favorite time to go as In
the morning the sun is not too strong and I get to skip the
street vendors and the rush of people.
You can see fishermen and a lot of bird types. My favorite
place to swim is in front of El Muelle restaurant. You can go
pretty far in and it doesn't get too deep. This is also a good
spot to catch the sunset - If you are planning on renting Jet
skis they rent them on the beach. Make sure you ask for a
better price. In low season I usually get them for $30 USD per
30 minutes. The best time to ride them is midday. Towards the
late afternoon, the water gets rough.
- There is a great water sports place called WindSpot. Highly recommend! Lots of good activities to do there. My favorites are the SUP boards (not too difficult) and kitesurfing (very fun and challenging).
A good place to hang out as well, they have a bar and jacuzzis
Around 15 minutes walking distance from the apartment. This
is a mostly residential neighborhood. If you continue walking
on the beach towards the end, there are not as many
vendors, and there is more room to enjoy the beach. There is
a pedestrian street on the other side which is also very nice.
There is an Airbnb activity - kayak tour that leaves from here.
Link below: https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/885332?
source=place_pdp
From this location (in front of the hospital) you can also take
boats to go to Tierra Bomba. This is just 15 minutes from that
location by boat and has nicer beaches. I have another
entry for it below.
24 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Castillogrande
Around 15 minutes walking distance from the apartment. This
is a mostly residential neighborhood. If you continue walking
on the beach towards the end, there are not as many
vendors, and there is more room to enjoy the beach. There is
a pedestrian street on the other side which is also very nice.
There is an Airbnb activity - kayak tour that leaves from here.
Link below: https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/885332?
source=place_pdp
From this location (in front of the hospital) you can also take
boats to go to Tierra Bomba. This is just 15 minutes from that
location by boat and has nicer beaches. I have another
entry for it below.
To get there, make a left once you leave the building. As a good
landmark, walk towards the Hilton Hotel and once you get there
just walk along the water until you see all the boats.
There are 2 docking areas that take you there, one closer with just
a few boats and one in front of the hospital a little further down
with a lot more boats. I would say it takes around 15 minutes to walk
there.
I believe they take you to 2 different beaches that are there. I
always keep walking until the second dock with more boats as I find
more options and I believe they take you to the nicer spot.
If you are on a budget, I'll recommend finding a round trip with
lunch included. You can ask around and get a really good price.
They usually include the boat ride, lunch and the umbrella/chair.
I usually only get the round trip and find out where and what time
they are coming back. Prices usually vary on the season, but it
costs just a few dollars to go to the other side. Once you get to the
Island, I would definitely recommend walking along the water until
you find a place that fits your style/mood. There are a lot of
restaurants and beach clubs (hotels) that you can stay in for the
day. They will charge you a day rate and some include food/drinks.
36 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Tierra Bomba
To get there, make a left once you leave the building. As a good
landmark, walk towards the Hilton Hotel and once you get there
just walk along the water until you see all the boats.
There are 2 docking areas that take you there, one closer with just
a few boats and one in front of the hospital a little further down
with a lot more boats. I would say it takes around 15 minutes to walk
there.
I believe they take you to 2 different beaches that are there. I
always keep walking until the second dock with more boats as I find
more options and I believe they take you to the nicer spot.
If you are on a budget, I'll recommend finding a round trip with
lunch included. You can ask around and get a really good price.
They usually include the boat ride, lunch and the umbrella/chair.
I usually only get the round trip and find out where and what time
they are coming back. Prices usually vary on the season, but it
costs just a few dollars to go to the other side. Once you get to the
Island, I would definitely recommend walking along the water until
you find a place that fits your style/mood. There are a lot of
restaurants and beach clubs (hotels) that you can stay in for the
day. They will charge you a day rate and some include food/drinks.
Playa Blanca This is a really nice beach. Beautiful water and
white sand. I will advise against it if you are coming in a busy season,
especially if planning to go on a weekend. The nicest part of the beach
is Playa Tranquila. It is still busy but not as bad as the main section.
Street vendors are a lot to deal with. Don’t expect to have a relaxing
day at the beach unless you are going to one of the private resorts.
There are different ways to get there:
– You can take a Taxi. I think prices go around 120,000 COP each way. It
takes around 1 hour depending on traffic. (make sure you arrange the
trip back with them when they drop you off)
– You can reserve a pasadia with one of the hotels. They will pick you
up and send you in a boat or drive you there in a van or bus. Lunch is
included and they will usually include chairs and umbrellas.
– You can take a day trip boat. You can book these excursions at the tourist offices or online.
- There are 2 main activities on this island:
*The Aviary:
Example of Airbnb tour to the aviary
https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/2572252?
guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=d3e847ed-f2ad-46fca536-65d0892a5c8f
*Swimming with Plankton: Some of the tours will also include
swimming with plankton. this activity is done at night. I
recommend it only if you are doing it for the experience since you
will not be able to get good pictures of it unless you have a
specialized camera. For me, swimming at night in the open sea is
magical on its own. This activity is not for everyone. They pack you
up in small boats and you only see a fraction of what they show in
the pictures. I have seen some people disappointed as some of us
are very satisfied with the experience. Keep your expectations
low and you might be amazed by nature. Don't go expecting
avatar fluorescent lights.
- If you go by boat you might be better off taking a tour that
brings you to multiple islands and have snorkeling included. I have
an entry for Rosario islands next on this guidebook
134 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Playa Blanca
Playa Blanca This is a really nice beach. Beautiful water and
white sand. I will advise against it if you are coming in a busy season,
especially if planning to go on a weekend. The nicest part of the beach
is Playa Tranquila. It is still busy but not as bad as the main section.
Street vendors are a lot to deal with. Don’t expect to have a relaxing
day at the beach unless you are going to one of the private resorts.
There are different ways to get there:
– You can take a Taxi. I think prices go around 120,000 COP each way. It
takes around 1 hour depending on traffic. (make sure you arrange the
trip back with them when they drop you off)
– You can reserve a pasadia with one of the hotels. They will pick you
up and send you in a boat or drive you there in a van or bus. Lunch is
included and they will usually include chairs and umbrellas.
– You can take a day trip boat. You can book these excursions at the tourist offices or online.
- There are 2 main activities on this island:
*The Aviary:
Example of Airbnb tour to the aviary
https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/2572252?
guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=d3e847ed-f2ad-46fca536-65d0892a5c8f
*Swimming with Plankton: Some of the tours will also include
swimming with plankton. this activity is done at night. I
recommend it only if you are doing it for the experience since you
will not be able to get good pictures of it unless you have a
specialized camera. For me, swimming at night in the open sea is
magical on its own. This activity is not for everyone. They pack you
up in small boats and you only see a fraction of what they show in
the pictures. I have seen some people disappointed as some of us
are very satisfied with the experience. Keep your expectations
low and you might be amazed by nature. Don't go expecting
avatar fluorescent lights.
- If you go by boat you might be better off taking a tour that
brings you to multiple islands and have snorkeling included. I have
an entry for Rosario islands next on this guidebook
The archipelago ISLAS DEL ROSARIO is comprised of 30 islands that are
within the municipality of Cartagena. It takes around 60 minutes to reach
the Islas del Rosario from Cartagena by boat.
You can go to a private island or take a multiple island tour which usually
include island hopping, Snorkel, lunch, beach chairs and umbrellas.
Some tips that we hope would help you have a better trip:
The boat ride can get rough in the afternoon. You will most likely get slash
and hit some bumps.
You will also have to pay COP 20,000 to the port authority. Have the cash
ready is Colombian pesos.
The locals will try to hassle you. Make sure you ask for the price before
getting anything. Have cash with you, especially small denominations or
they might not have change or “forget” to bring it back.
They usually go for COP 200.000 + in the travel agencies or a little more
296 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Rosario Islands
The archipelago ISLAS DEL ROSARIO is comprised of 30 islands that are
within the municipality of Cartagena. It takes around 60 minutes to reach
the Islas del Rosario from Cartagena by boat.
You can go to a private island or take a multiple island tour which usually
include island hopping, Snorkel, lunch, beach chairs and umbrellas.
Some tips that we hope would help you have a better trip:
The boat ride can get rough in the afternoon. You will most likely get slash
and hit some bumps.
You will also have to pay COP 20,000 to the port authority. Have the cash
ready is Colombian pesos.
The locals will try to hassle you. Make sure you ask for the price before
getting anything. Have cash with you, especially small denominations or
they might not have change or “forget” to bring it back.
They usually go for COP 200.000 + in the travel agencies or a little more