Barú, Rosario Islands or Tierra Bomba? Which to choose

Barú, the Rosario Islands and Tierra Bomba are the three names that come up when you plan a beach day from Cartagena. They aren’t the same: they’re different places, you reach each one in a different way and each day is a different length. Here we compare them based on what happens on each day trip, so you can pick the one that fits your plans.

The essentials in a minute

• Barú is an island south of Cartagena that you reach by land, over a bridge. That’s where Playa Blanca and Playa Tranquila are.
• The Rosario Islands are an archipelago you can only reach by boat, from Playa Blanca or from the Muelle de la Bodeguita, in Cartagena’s Historic Center.
• Tierra Bomba is the island right across from the city, and you reach its beach, Punta Arena, in 15 to 20 minutes by boat from Castillogrande.
• You don’t have to choose between Barú and the islands, because some day trips combine both on the same day.

Barú: Playa Blanca and Playa Tranquila

You reach Barú by land. On the day trips, you’re picked up at your hotel, anywhere in Cartagena, from 7:00 AM; the air-conditioned bus passes through the Mamonal industrial area and crosses the bridge to the island, and you reach the beach between 8:30 and 9:00 AM. The ride back leaves at 4:00 PM and, depending on traffic, you’re back at your hotel between 5:00 and 5:30 PM. You can spend the day at one of two beaches:

• Playa Blanca: white sand, turquoise sea and palm-thatched kiosks. Lunch is included and you have access to the restaurant’s beach area; beach tents and beds cost extra. It’s a public tourist area, with local vendors. It’s all in our guide to Playa Blanca.
• Playa Tranquila: the same bus and the same lunch, but you spend the day at a beach club, with your beach bed or sun lounger, a welcome cocktail and far fewer vendors. We compare them in Playa Blanca or Playa Tranquila?.

The Rosario Islands: the sea by boat

The Rosario Islands are part of Corales del Rosario y de San Bernardo National Natural Park, which begins 23 km south of Cartagena, on Barú, according to Colombia’s National Natural Parks (Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia). You explore them by boat, with stops to swim, snorkel, have lunch or party, depending on the tour:

• Barú and Rosario Islands day trip: a scenic boat ride through the islands, with a stop at San Martín Island, and the afternoon at Playa Blanca. It lasts 7 to 8 hours.
• 4 Islands tour: snorkeling on a natural reef, the party at Cholón, lunch at Aguazul, the afternoon at Playa Tranquila and the bioluminescent plankton at night. It lasts 12 hours, with hotel pickup.
• 5 Islands VIP tour: by speedboat from the Muelle de la Bodeguita, with Bocachica, snorkeling at the sunken plane, Cholón, Aguazul, Playa Tranquila and the plankton. It lasts 12 hours.

Our guide to the Rosario Islands covers how the three differ, what costs extra and what to bring, and 4 Islands or 5 Islands VIP? puts the 4 Islands and 5 Islands VIP tours side by side.

Tierra Bomba: Punta Arena, across from the city

Tierra Bomba is the island you see from Cartagena, and Punta Arena is one of its beaches: they aren’t two different places. You make your own way to the Hospital boarding point, in Castillogrande, by 8:00 AM; you check in and a standard boat takes you to the beach in 15 to 20 minutes. There you have access to beach beds, kiosks and a hammock area, you have lunch at an open-air restaurant and, from the shore, you can see Cartagena’s buildings. The port tax is already included. If you’d like to go kayaking, snorkeling or jet skiing, they cost extra. Between 3:30 and 4:00 PM you’re back at the same boarding point. It’s all in our guide to Tierra Bomba and Punta Arena.

Side by side

• How you get there: to Barú, by land, on a bus from your hotel; to the Rosario Islands, by boat, from Playa Blanca or from the Muelle de la Bodeguita; to Tierra Bomba, in 15 to 20 minutes by boat from Castillogrande.
• How long the day lasts: on Barú, from 7:00 AM to 5:00 or 5:30 PM, hotel to hotel; in the Rosario Islands, 7 to 8 hours on the day trip with Barú or 12 hours on the 4 Islands and 5 Islands VIP tours; on Tierra Bomba, from 8:00 AM to 3:30 or 4:00 PM.
• Whether you’re picked up at your hotel: yes on the Barú day trips, the Barú and Rosario Islands day trip and the 4 Islands tour; no on the Punta Arena day trip or the 5 Islands VIP tour, where you make your own way to the boarding point.
• If you get seasick on boats: the Playa Blanca and Playa Tranquila day trips are 100% by land; at Punta Arena the boat ride is short; on the islands, much of the day is spent on a boat and the sea can get choppy.
• If you want a party: Cholón, on the 4 Islands and 5 Islands VIP tours, a scene with music where several boats gather.
• If you want few vendors: the beach club at Playa Tranquila, where there are far fewer than on the public beach.
• If you want to see the city from the sea: Punta Arena, with Cartagena’s buildings in front of you, or the 5 Islands VIP tour, which cruises across the bay to the Bocachica forts.

Barú and the islands on the same day

If you don’t want to choose, the Barú and Rosario Islands day trip combines both: in the morning, the boat ride through the islands with the stop at San Martín Island, where you can visit the aquarium (the Oceanario) or go snorkeling, both at an extra cost; and at noon, lunch and the afternoon at Playa Blanca. Around 5:00 PM you’re back at your hotel. The 4 Islands and 5 Islands VIP tours also end on Barú, at Playa Tranquila, but they’re 12-hour days.