An independent guide to Cartagena, Colombia
Islands and beaches
The beaches of Cartagena, Colombia come in two kinds. The city beaches, from Marbella and Bocagrande to La Boquilla, lie 1.7 to 8.4 km from the Clock Tower: rock groynes, rented tents and hotels across the road, at their coolest early in the morning and in the last hour before sunset. For pale sand and clear shallows you take a boat. Tierra Bomba’s north shore is 7 to 20 minutes across the bay, Playa Blanca on Barú is about 2 hours by coach or a stop on a boat day, and the Rosario and San Bernardo islands take the whole day.
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Walk or taxi
Boat or road
1The verdict
For an hour by the sea, yes. If your hotel is in Bocagrande, El Laguito or La Boquilla, the sea is across the road. Rent a tent and two chairs and stay for the sunset over the open sea.
For a beach day, usually not. Rock groynes divide the shore and towers stand behind it. Pale sand and clear, shallow water mean a boat or the road to Barú, and most of a day.
| If you want | Go to | How long it takes |
|---|---|---|
| An early hour by the sea | Bocagrande or El Laguito | An hour, on foot or by taxi |
| A long walk on flat sand | La Boquilla | Half a day, by taxi |
| A lounger and lunch, close by | Tierra Bomba | A day, home by late afternoon |
| Pale sand without a boat | Playa Blanca by road | A full day |
| Islands and snorkeling | The Rosario Islands; compare them in the island picker | A full day, boats leave early |
| The farthest islands | San Bernardo | A very long day, or a night |
Island boats from the dock, per person31,500 COPPark and dock fees in 2026 for the Rosario Islands, about USD 10, on top of the tour unless it includes them.
City beachesYou pay for what you rent; agree the price first (see what it costs).
2The scale
Nine beaches on one rule, from the Clock Tower to the San Bernardo islands, with the map beside it. Pick what you want from the day to mark the beaches that fit.
In November: 13:00 on the sand feels like 37 °C (99 °F) in the shade, the sea for the boat beaches is typically calmer, and the sun sets at 17:37.
| Beach | From the Clock Tower | How | Time | What is there | How you use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MarbellaCity, north of the walls | 1.7 km | Walk or taxi | In the city | Open sea along the coast road, nearest the walls | Bring a towel |
| BocagrandeCity, the hotel strip | 2.2 km | Walk, bus T103 or taxi | In the city | Tents and chairs for rent, rock groynes | Rent a tent or bring a towel |
| El LaguitoCity, tip of Bocagrande | 3.4 km | Walk or taxi | In the city | Tents for rent; the big El Laguito hotels | Rent a tent or bring a towel |
| CastillograndeCity, facing Tierra Bomba | 3.5 km | Taxi or a long walk | In the city | On the bay side, facing Tierra Bomba | Bring a towel |
| Tierra BombaIsland across the bay | 6.4 km | Boat from the city | 7 to 20 minutes to the north shore | Restaurants, beach clubs with day passes | Restaurant table or club day pass |
| La BoquillaNorth, past the airport | 8.4 km | Taxi | In the city | Wide flat sand, thatched restaurants, hotels | Restaurant table or bring a towel |
| Playa BlancaBarú, south | 23 km | Road via Mamonal, or boat | about 2 hours on a beach-club coach | Pale sand, stalls, beach clubs with day passes | Stalls, or a club day pass |
| Rosario IslandsNational park, by boat | 35 km | Boat from the dock | about 55 minutes to Bora Bora | Beach clubs and island hotels | Day pass or tour; park fee |
| San BernardoIslands far to the south | 76 km | Boat from the dock | about 2 hours by speedboat | Island hotels with day visits | Day visit or a night; park fee |
3In the city
Four of the five face the open Caribbean to the west, so the sun sets over the water; Castillogrande looks onto the bay. You pay only for what you rent.
The nearest sand to the walls: the long beach in front of the coast road (Avenida Santander), running north from the Las Bóvedas end of the walled city toward the airport. Hotels and apartments stand across the road. Come for a walk along the water at the end of the day rather than for a day on a lounger.
The city's hotel beach, on the narrow peninsula south of the walls. The sand sits in bays between rock groynes, with rows of tents and plastic chairs for rent; the photo below shows a lifeguard stand. More about the neighborhood on the Bocagrande page.
Getting there without a taxi: Transcaribe route T103 runs from the Portal to Bocagrande via La Bodeguita in Centro, 5:00 to 21:00 on weekdays, 5:30 to 20:30 on Saturdays and 6:00 to 20:00 on Sundays and holidays (route book of July 2024, all routes).
Hotels on the beach road include the Hyatt Regency Cartagena.
The western tip of the Bocagrande peninsula, around the lagoon that gives it its name. The tents in the photo at the top of this page stand here, where the sand widens and the towers step back. Hotels at this end include the Hilton Cartagena and the Hotel Caribe.
The residential end of the peninsula, south of El Laguito, where the shore turns toward the bay and looks across the water at Tierra Bomba. Most places to stay here are apartments rather than hotels. Come for a calm hour by the water.
North of the airport the city thins out into a long, flat beach that runs past the apartment towers of the Morros zone to the fishing village of La Boquilla. The beach is wide and flat, the restaurants are thatched, and fishing boats are pulled up on the sand. In November 2022 the maritime authority reported that Playa Azul at La Boquilla had won the Blue Flag, an international label for beach safety and services: Awarded for the fourth time, one of four Colombian beaches (DIMAR, November 2022).
Behind the village lie the mangroves of the Ciénaga de la Virgen, which a La Boquilla mangrove canoe tour with lunch explores by canoe. To stay here, beach hotels include the Sonesta Hotel Cartagena and Hotel Las Americas Casa de Playa; the old town is then a taxi ride away, not a walk.
Number 5Tierra Bomba sits between Castillogrande and La Boquilla on the scale, but you reach it by boat. It is in the next section.
TaxisThe city's zone fares for street taxis are set by decree; ask the fare before you get in. More on getting around.
SunsetThe city beaches face west. Sunset times for your month are in the line above the scale and on the sunset page.
4By boat
Island boats leave Muelle de la Bodeguita at 8:00 to 8:30 and are back about 16:30; on top of most tours you pay 31,500 COP per person in park and dock fees. The dock, the fees and the insurance: at the dock. Which island suits your day: the island picker.
What is inside the park. The Rosario and San Bernardo islands and the sea around them form a national park, PNN Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo. At Playa Blanca on Barú, Parques Nacionales draws the park’s limit along the line of the highest tides (Resolución 0255 de 2017): the dry sand is outside the park, the water in front of it inside. Since 1 March 2026, everyone entering the park must carry its accident and assistance insurance; in June 2026 Parques Nacionales called Playa Blanca the park’s main point of entry, where its staff checked that insurance with Cartagena’s tourism office and the police (Parques Nacionales). The park’s 2026 fee resolution lists no charge for arriving by road. At the Cholón lagoon the shore falls under two authorities: CARDIQUE, the regional environmental agency, and the national park (Parques Nacionales, 2022). Jet skis and other motor water sports are prohibited in the Rosario Islands archipelago, including Playa Blanca and Cholón (DIMAR, February 2023).
Yellow fever. What the park authority, CDC and Migración Colombia each say about the vaccine for an island day: yellow fever and the islands.
The island across the bay from Bocagrande and the shortest boat ride from the city: restaurants on the sand at Punta Arena, beach clubs with pools elsewhere. The crossings to Punta Arena and the north shore are the short ones; Blue Apple, at Bocachica on the southern shore, gives about 25 minutes on its own site. Book a beach day at Punta Arena with the boat and lunch. The island: Tierra Bomba.
The pale-sand beach on Barú, about 2.4 km long, with stalls, tents and beach clubs. By road it is about 2 hours on one beach-club coach, which first collects guests at six pickup points in the city; the Aviario Nacional, beside the turn-off to the beach, gives the drive from the historic center as 50 to 60 minutes, and the beach road ends 1.4 km past it. By boat it is a stop on many Rosario tours. Book a Playa Blanca tour with lunch by bus. Road against boat, and a night on the beach: Isla Barú.
Small coral islands in the national park, reached only by boat: a day at one beach club, or a shared boat that stops at several islands. Book the Bora Bora beach club day. By the club’s own timetable you are at gate 4 (Puerta 4) of La Bodeguita by 7:20, the boat leaves at 8:30 and takes about 55 minutes, and you are back in Cartagena about 16:00. The four ways to go: Rosario Islands.
Múcura, Tintipán and Isla Palma, in the southern sector of the same park: a very long day, or a night. Book an Isla Palma day with pool and lunch, or stay at Hotel Isla Mucura. More: the San Bernardo islands.
Park and dock, per person31,500 COPabout USD 10 in 2026 for the Rosario Islands, Cholón and Barú by boat; the San Bernardo park fee is 11,000 COP.
Private boatFor a group, a hired boat sets its own stops. What a private day must include: boat rental.
Beach clubsClubs on the islands and on Tierra Bomba compared: beach clubs.
5The hour
Open sand has no shade. The strip marks, for your month, the hours when on the sand it typically feels like 33 °C (91 °F) or less with the breeze, and never between 10:00 and 15:30, when the sun stands high; at 13:00 the shade in the city typically feels like 37 to 39 °C (99 to 102 °F) across the year. Felt temperatures come from hourly readings at the airport weather station.
For a city beach: go early, or go late and stay for the sunset. At midday, a rented tent or a beach restaurant gives the shade.
For a boat beach: the day is set by the boats, which leave in the morning; the sea is typically rougher from December to March, most of all in the afternoon. The sea by month: the sea and the season; the forecast for your dates: the weather page.
6In the water
What Canada’s travel advice says about Colombia’s beaches: Some beaches are unsupervised, many have no warning flags, and riptides are common. Its advice: Respect the areas reserved for swimming; avoid beaches and coastal areas if the weather forecast is poor; follow the instructions of local authorities (Government of Canada, November 2026).
Rough days. When the sea is adverse, Cartagena’s port captain (Capitanía de Puerto, part of DIMAR) can close navigation to all small boats for the day (DIMAR notice, March 2018). On a rough day in February 2023 DIMAR’s notice said: the yellow flag was for boat departures; bathers around the beaches were asked to adjust their hours or cancel activities (DIMAR, February 2023).
Boats near swimmers. At Playa Blanca and on the islands, boats moor right off the beach. DIMAR’s advice: Book tours and sea transport only with legally established companies that leave from authorised docks; wear the life jacket aboard; do not jump in or swim around boats under way or at anchor. Jet skis and other motor water sports are banned in the archipelago, including Playa Blanca and Cholón (see the park statement above).
In an emergency at sea, DIMAR asks you to call: Line 146 or VHF marine channel 16 (DIMAR, June 2024). On land, call 123. The park has 11 first-aid points, including Isla Grande, Barú and Playa Blanca (national parks).
Canada and Australia name Cartagena for accidents with unlicensed tour boats; DIMAR asks visitors to book only legally established operators leaving from authorised docks. The US State Department rates Colombia as a whole Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory of 31 March 2026). The four governments’ advice, side by side: is Cartagena safe.
Life jacketsIn the bay and the archipelago, DIMAR requires a life jacket for everyone aboard.
7What it costs
At the dock. 31,500 COP per person for the Rosario Islands in park and dock fees, 2026; what it covers and who is exempt: at the dock.
What a beach day sells for. The lowest price listed for each kind on GetYourGuide and Viator, read 12 November 2026, one figure where a single listing was found and the lowest and the highest start where there were several, per person: a Tierra Bomba beach day or club pass, 13 listings, 14 to 222 USD; a day pass on one of the Rosario Islands, 8 listings, 120 to 157 USD; a Playa Blanca day by road with lunch, 5 listings, 24 to 50 USD; a beach-club day on Barú, 3 listings, 30 to 126 USD. The partner sets them and they change, and the dock fee above is on top unless the listing says it is included.
On the sand. Tents, chairs, drinks and boat rides are sold by vendors and beach stands. Agree the price of everything before you sit down or start: in pesos, for how many people, and for how long. What Colombian consumer law says (Ley 1480 de 2011, art. 26): The seller must state the retail price in Colombian pesos, including all taxes and extra costs, visibly; the consumer pays only the displayed price; if two or more prices appear, the lowest applies.
Tips. What the law says about a tip (propina): Voluntary money given by the consumer; the venue may suggest it; acceptance always depends on the consumer. The suggested tip may not exceed 10%. And: Staff must ask whether the customer wants the voluntary tip included on the bill, or what amount (Ley 1935 de 2018).
If you are overcharged, a written complaint goes to the national consumer authority (SIC) through its complaint portal (how it works). Official prices around the city: the prices page.
Dock fee, per person18,000 COP"Uso de Muelle 2026" at La Bodeguita, about USD 5.
Park plus dock, Rosario31,500 COPabout USD 10 per person in 2026.
On the sandAgree the price of a tent or chairs before you sit down.
8Stay
In the city, a room in Bocagrande, El Laguito or La Boquilla puts the sea across the road, with the walled city a short taxi ride away. On the islands and on Barú, a night puts you on the beach before the day boats arrive and after they leave.
| Area | Good for | Where on this page |
|---|---|---|
| Bocagrande | Sea and city in one | Hotels on the beach road |
| El Laguito | The widest city sand | The big hotels at the tip |
| La Boquilla | Long beach walks, away from the center | Beach hotels north of the airport |
| Tierra Bomba | An island night close to the city | Small island hotels |
| Barú | Playa Blanca before and after the day tours | Hotels near Playa Blanca |
9Questions
People swim at the city beaches and on the islands, and the city beaches face the open sea, with waves. Canada’s travel advice says some beaches in Colombia are unsupervised, many have no warning flags and riptides are common; it asks travelers to respect the areas reserved for swimming and to avoid the beach when the forecast is poor.
It depends on the day you want. For pale sand without a boat, Playa Blanca on Barú by road. For the shortest boat ride, Tierra Bomba, 7 to 20 minutes across the bay to the north shore. For clear, shallow water and snorkeling, the Rosario Islands. For the farthest islands, the San Bernardo islands, about two hours away.
For an hour by the sea, a sunset or a rented tent, yes: it is 2.2 km from the Clock Tower and reachable by bus (see Bocagrande). For a full beach day, most visitors choose a boat beach or Playa Blanca: Bocagrande’s shore is divided by rock groynes, with hotel towers behind it.
By road or by boat. Buses and vans leave from the hotel areas in the morning and drive through the Mamonal industrial zone and over the bridge to Barú, about 2 hours on a beach-club coach that collects guests at six pickup points first; one small-group trip lists pickups 7:00 to 8:15, return to Cartagena at 15:00. The Aviario Nacional, on the same road, gives the drive from the historic center as 50 to 60 minutes. By sea, many Rosario Islands tours stop at Playa Blanca and add the dock and park fees.
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