Islas del Rosario

Islas del Rosario is an archipelago located in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Colombia. Since 1988 the archipelago has been protected as a national park, encompassing a total area of 120,000 km2.

Santa Cruz del Islote view.JPG

Understand

Regardless of what mainstream guide books tell you, the cheap tours to Isla del Rosario has nothing to do with appreciating nature nor having a good time on a nice beach. Tour price is between COP$50,000 - 70,000, including boat transport and one lunch at Playa Blanca, that's it. You will be dropped at an island for aquarium or go snorkeling(extra costs) , if you don't want to do both, you will be left in a very small area having nothing to do, waiting for the others for an hour. There is no toilet or any dark corner for this although they keep selling you drinks. On Playa Blanca you will have lunch with many people in again a small area with many vendors keep selling you stuffs. Everything costs money, i. e. no free toilet nor changing room. The seabed is very rough with sharp stones and the wave is intense so basically everyone is standing and tries to move slowly in order not to get cut. Be warned, it is absolutely not a good trip to relax, you won't miss anything for not doing it.

Get in

In Cartagena several agents arrange boat tours to Islas del Rosario. A set of small islands out of the coast. Usually the tour include lunch, a visit to an aquarium and a few hours at Playa Blanca. Not included in the price is harbor tax and park entrance (COP$16,500 July 2018) and the entrance fee to the aquarium (COP$15,000). If you buy your tour at one of the street vendors, don't pay in advance, preferably pay part or all at return in Cartagena. At least one of these tours is to a resort "Coco Liso" which is something like a Colombian butlins. You will be promised a beach, pay a high fee, then disembark a boat after an hour and a half to be greeted with a fairly basic hotel, gimicky pool, and about 6 ft² (0.56 m2) of beach. Buying a piece of "coral" jewellery from one of the many hawkers, engage them in conversation, and they might lead you to their private beach - quite beautiful, and all the more interesting for having its existence totally denied by the tour operators. The tourist offices in the centre of the old town and a good place to compare the many possible trips to the islands.

Get around

See
Beach at Islas de San Bernardo

There are several island groups within the archipelago:

  • Islas de San Bernardo - The Archipelago of San Bernardo is a set of 10 coastal islands, located in the Gulf of Morrosquillo in the Caribbean Sea. Most trips to the islands are organized from the city of Tolú. Since 1996, part of the archipelago belongs to the National Natural Park Corales del Rosario and San Bernardo. It consists of the islands Boqueron, Palma, Panda, Mangle, Ceycén, Cabruna, Tintipán, Wonder and Múcura and an artificial island, Santa Cruz Islet.

Do
Santa Cruz del Islote
  • Snorkelling. At Isla Múcura or Isla Palma COP$5,000. 

Buy

Eat

Drink

Beer price COP$5,000 - 6,000

Cocktail price COP$15,000 - 20,000

Potato chips COP$7,000

Bring your own snacks if necessary.

Sleep

Connect

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