Category Rosario Islands & Barú Beach Days

Colombia · ROSARIO ISLANDS & BARú BEACH DAYS

The 15 Best Rosario Islands & Barú Beach Trips from Cartagena

38 reviewed

An hour of open water separates Cartagena from sand that looks nothing like the mainland, and the boat makes the whole difference. Below are the best Rosario Islands and Barú trips compared: which go out by speedboat and which under sail, which include lunch and an oceanarium ticket, how many hours of sand you really end up with, and which cast off early enough to reach Playa Blanca ahead of the crowds.

Cartagena: Rosario Islands Catamaran with Lunch and Snorkel

Cartagena: Rosario Islands Catamaran with Lunch and Snorkel - Meeting at Bodeguita Dock Door 1, Without the Stress

1.Cartagena: Rosario Islands Catamaran with Lunch and Snorkel

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,479 reviews · 7h 30m · from $107Our pick

Rosario Islands catamaran from Cartagena with lunch, snorkeling, and non-alcoholic drinks plus two swim stops.

“The activity is exactly what is stated, the private waiting area before boarding was great to get out of the hustle. They accommodate for English and Spanish speaking and explain each location in both so you won’t miss out on information. One thing they could add is how long each stop will be, at stages we weren’t sure if we had time for another swim after sun baking. The boat does honk its horn before departing The lunch was amazing, fresh salad and fruit with choice of seafood or chicken or vegetarian with rice. The chef loads your plate and if you want more salads you can help yourself to…”

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Full-Day Rosario Islands Including Barú, Bocachica & Playa Blanca

Full-Day Rosario Islands Including Barú, Bocachica & Playa Blanca - Fuerte de San Fernando de Bocachica: the history stop you can’t skip

Bora Bora Cartagena Beach Club Full Day Experience

Bora Bora Cartagena Beach Club Full Day Experience - Check In and Your Beach Bed Setup at Bora Bora

3.Bora Bora Cartagena Beach Club Full Day Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 606 reviews · 8 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $116

Cartagena to Islas del Rosario for a day at Bora Bora Beach Club: roundtrip speedboat, beach bed, lunch, swimming and water sports.

“Everything went smoothly. The lines at the port to get our arm bands for entry were somewhat long. All the staff was great. The water was clear and pretty. We could see baby fish! The food was just okay but it was included in the ticket price so no big deal. All the waiters were friendly and catered to us. The bathrooms at the beach club were surprisingly clean. We got a very warm welcome. All was good. I’d definitely go back.”

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Excursion to the Rosario Islands with Lunch and Snorkeling

Excursion to the Rosario Islands with Lunch and Snorkeling - Stop 1 near Isla Grande: calm water first, snorkeling expectations later

4.Excursion to the Rosario Islands with Lunch and Snorkeling

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 569 reviews · 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $106

Catamaran day trip from Cartagena to the Rosario Islands with two swim stops, included lunch and soda, and free snorkeling gear.

“Nice atmosphere on large catamaran that seemed to tolerate the sometimes rough water more smoothly than smaller boats. There are plenty of seats in the shade and the sun. Staff were friendly and helpful. The music was fun. The snorkeling was disappointing-the water was rough where we anchored with no living coral or fish to be seen. They only provide the snorkel, mask, and life vests, no fins. Some of the masks are barely functional. The second stop was closer to shore where we could swim to a small remote beach, but the water was cloudy with limited visibility. It’s still a nice day on the water.”

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Cartagena: Rosario Islands Day Tour with Snorkel & Lunch

Cartagena: Rosario Islands Day Tour with Snorkel & Lunch - Todomar CHL Marina Bocagrande: beat the early-day hassle

5.Cartagena: Rosario Islands Day Tour with Snorkel & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 402 reviews · 8 hours · from $95

Cartagena’s Rosario Islands day trip hits Isla Grande, Barú and Tierra Bomba with snorkel gear, beach-club time, and lunch for $95.

“My friends and I went on a tour and we had the best time ever. Santiago our tour guide did a phenomenal job at explaining everything and made us feel very comfortable. We were very happy we had him. Defiantly recommend him for anyone planning a trip. He was truly amazing . Just make sure you verify the pick up time ours said 6:15 later to find out it was not until 8:15 .”

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Baru and Playa Blanca Full Day

Baru and Playa Blanca Full Day - Your lunch break at 1 pm, plus what to order

6.Baru and Playa Blanca Full Day

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 371 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $39

Cartagena to Playa Blanca full day with lunch, hammocks and snorkel gear, round-trip transport, and a local guide for $39.

“Awful company. Stay away from them if possible. Their advertisement features a “comfortable air-conditioned transportation ” and it is actually an old van very unsafe. The expected pickup time was 6:30 am and they only showed up at 7:15am (45 minutes waiting for them). On the way we had to stop in the middle of the road to change to another van to go to the final destination. On the way back, we supposed to be back in Cartagena by 2:30 and we got back around 6pm. Other than the traffic, the reason for the delay was because our old-unsafe van, crashed against a tree and broke the windshield. Please…”

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Full Day Tour of Five Premium Islands in Cartagena

Full Day Tour of Five Premium Islands in Cartagena - Playa Tranquila Baru at sunset: where the night starts

7.Full Day Tour of Five Premium Islands in Cartagena

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 337 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $110

Cartagena five-island boat day with snorkeling, party music at Cholón, and a sunset-to-night bioluminescent plankton stop.

“The 5 island tour was a great introduction to Colombia. It felt a little rushed though. We signed up for the plankton beach experience however we didn’t realized that once we reached the last island we would have to wait until night time which for us was a 5 hour wait. It seem to long to be outside in the sun considering we started the tour around 9am or so. But overall great tour and tour guide. The sellers on this tour were a little aggressive. Be mindful of your things they all come at you at the same time and you can easily become a victim of theft if…”

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5-Island Speedboat Tour in Cartagena and the Rosario Islands

5-Island Speedboat Tour in Cartagena and the Rosario Islands - Bocachica Fort Views: Fast History Without the Slow Pace

8.5-Island Speedboat Tour in Cartagena and the Rosario Islands

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 258 reviews · 8 to 12 hours (approx.) · from $85

Speedboat day in Cartagena with snorkeling in Isla Grande, beach time at Barú’s Playa Blanca, and optionally bioluminescent plankton at night.

“It was a bumpy ride, don’t recommend bringing children. Snorkeling was good but beach experience not so much. It’s not comparable to Caribbean experience”

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Full Day 5 Best Rosario Islands Spots Make Friends & do Snorkel

Full Day 5 Best Rosario Islands Spots Make Friends & do Snorkel - Snorkeling on this trip: gear is included, deeper water is the real deal

9.Full Day 5 Best Rosario Islands Spots Make Friends & do Snorkel

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 240 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $79

Rosario Islands day trip from Cartagena with a Bocachica fortress stop, snorkeling gear and instruction, and beach time at Cholón and Barú.

“This was a really great experience. Everyone was very knowledgeable and helped us throughout the entire trip. The water was beautiful. The boat ride was extremely memorable. We wanted to do this tour again the next day. I would recommend this tour to everyone who wants to see the islands.”

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Playa Blanca in Baru Island

Playa Blanca in Baru Island - Getting from Cartagena to Barú: the drive, the sights, the comfort level

10.Playa Blanca in Baru Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 208 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $75

Day trip from Cartagena to Playa Blanca on Barú Island with bilingual guide, chairs and umbrella, optional lunch, and round-trip transport.

“We pretty much had private service. We were the only ones that booked the trip and the level of service was just amazing. Hilary talked a bit about Cartagena and history and was just so responsive to all of our questions and requests. The service was above and beyond. The beach is also really nice. There was a comment about the garbage on the walk to the beach. This person clearly has not been anywhere, but all inclusives. Sure, there was some litter, but Colombia is not a wealthy country. There was some litter, but nothing overly bad. Manage your expectation. When you first walk to the beach, the crowds…”

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tour to baru with lunch

tour to baru with lunch - The 7-Hour Flow: What the Day Is Likely Doing

11.tour to baru with lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 203 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $40

A $40 group-priced day trip to Baru with lunch from Cartagena, using an air-conditioned ride and simple pickup, with scuba gear not included.

“Our driver was not there on time. We had to keep calling to find someone to help us and wait 30+ minutes for the driver to arrive. The transportation itself was good, but getting off the plane and not having the driver there was frustrating with children in tow.”

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Full Day Barú island: Mangrove +Snorkel + Sunset + Plankton

Full Day Barú island: Mangrove +Snorkel + Sunset + Plankton - Freedom Beach Club and Playa Cristal: Beach Comfort vs. Tight Layout

12.Full Day Barú island: Mangrove +Snorkel + Sunset + Plankton

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 139 reviews · 11 hours · from $69

Full-day Barú from Cartagena with Playa Cristal beach time, mangroves and raccoons, snorkeling, sunset, and a bioluminescent plankton swim.

“La experiencia nadando en el plancton fue inolvidable. Me encantó que tomaran fotos en cada actividad y luego las compartieran con el grupo. Hermosa la playa en Freedom Club.”

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Excursión de un día a Islabela en barco desde Cartagena

Excursión de un día a Islabela en barco desde Cartagena - The language reality: Spanish on the boat, English audio for backup

13.Excursión de un día a Islabela en barco desde Cartagena

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 137 reviews · from $80

Day trip by speedboat from Cartagena to IslaBela on the Rosario Islands with lunch, beach bed, pool access, and snorkeling add-on.

“This was overpriced for what you get. We booked the English tour and the guide on the boat didn’t speak a word of English. The boat frequently departs late (past the time it promises) which means it cuts your time on the island shorter than promised since the boat must Read more”

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Cartagena: Snorkel, Mangroves and Playa Blanca Tour

Cartagena: Snorkel, Mangroves and Playa Blanca Tour - The Barú boat ride and snorkeling hour: what you’ll see and what you might miss

14.Cartagena: Snorkel, Mangroves and Playa Blanca Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 132 reviews

Snorkel Baru’s reefs, wander mangrove tunnels with wildlife, then relax at Playa Blanca with lunch on a full 8-hour Cartagena trip.

“Even though the weather was bad and rained most of the day, our tour guide, Ruben made it very interesting since he was knowledgeable about the area. Snorkeling was not too good due to the cloudy water. Swimming at the beach in the afternoon and the delicious fresh fish lunch, along with Ruben going over and beyond to help us, made it a perfect day!”

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Cartagena: Isla Baru Beach Club at Playa Blanca

Cartagena: Isla Baru Beach Club at Playa Blanca - Getting Picked Up in Cartagena, Then Rolling Toward Barú

15.Cartagena: Isla Baru Beach Club at Playa Blanca

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 124 reviews · 8 hours · from $40

Spend a full day from Cartagena at Playa Blanca’s Mambo Beach Club on Barú, with transport, lunch voucher, welcome drink, and lounge access.

“Playa Blanca Beach is a paradise. Very beautiful beach. The guide, "Juancho" was nice and polite. At the beach, the attention provided by Neber was excellent. Things to improve: Transportation could be better (more comfortable), the washroom could be better, with fresh water, instead salt water. Banana boat rides and motor boat (like seedoos), could follow better safety rules (ride outside the swimming areas), the entrance to the beach could be improved.”

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