Rosario Islands from Cartagena: how to go and which tour

The Rosario Islands are the archipelago of turquoise water, reefs and small islands you see in photos of Cartagena. They’re part of Corales del Rosario y de San Bernardo National Natural Park, which begins 23 km south of the city, on Barú, according to Colombia’s National Natural Parks (Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia). There’s no road to them: you explore them by boat. This guide explains how to get there from Cartagena, what you visit and how Exploria’s three tours differ.

The essentials in a minute

• You reach the islands by boat, in one of two ways. Either you go by land to Playa Blanca, on Barú, and continue by boat from there, or you go to the islands by boat from the Muelle de la Bodeguita, in Cartagena’s Historic Center.
• Exploria has three tours to the islands. The Barú and Rosario Islands day trip lasts 7 to 8 hours, and the 4 Islands tour and the 5 Islands VIP tour are full 12-hour days that end at night with the bioluminescent plankton.
• All three include lunch. Admission to the aquarium (the Oceanario) is optional on all three and paid at its ticket office.
• On all three, if DIMAR (the Port Authority) closes operations because of the weather, you reschedule at no cost or we refund 100% of your deposit.

How to get to the Rosario Islands from Cartagena

There are two routes, and each tour uses one:

• By land and then by boat: the Barú and Rosario Islands day trip and the 4 Islands tour pick you up at your hotel, anywhere in Cartagena, between 7:00 and 8:00 AM. The air-conditioned bus passes through the Mamonal industrial area, crosses the bridge to Barú Island and drops you off at Playa Blanca, where the boat to the islands leaves from.
• By boat from the Historic Center: the 5 Islands VIP tour leaves from the Muelle de la Bodeguita, Gate 1, in the Historic Center. You make your own way there by 8:00 AM, check in, pay the port tax in cash and board a speedboat. It’s the tourist dock that Parques Nacionales also lists for traveling by sea from Cartagena.

What you visit on the islands

Each tour has its own route. These are the stops, and which of the three tours includes each one:

• San Martín Island: it’s the stop on the Barú and Rosario Islands day trip, midway through a scenic boat ride through the archipelago. There you can visit the aquarium (the Oceanario), paying the entrance fee at its ticket office, or go snorkeling on a natural reef, at an extra cost paid to the operator that day.
• A natural reef: the first boat stop on the 4 Islands tour. The mask is already included for snorkeling; if you prefer, you can visit the Oceanario, paying at its ticket office.
• Bocachica: the 5 Islands VIP tour cruises across the bay to Bocachica, facing the San Fernando and San José forts, which defended the entrance to Cartagena. You stay on the boat while the guide tells you their history.
• The sunken plane: on the 5 Islands VIP tour, among the Rosario Islands, you snorkel over a sunken plane, known as Pablo Escobar’s plane. Snorkeling gear is included and, if you don’t want to get in the water, you can stay on the boat.
• Cholón: on the 4 Islands and 5 Islands VIP tours. It’s a party scene with music where several boats gather: you get in the water and enjoy the vibe.
• Aguazul: a beach for relaxing, where you have lunch on the 4 Islands and 5 Islands VIP tours.
• Playa Tranquila: the afternoon on the 4 Islands and 5 Islands VIP tours is spent at its beach club, with your beach bed or sun lounger and a welcome shrimp cocktail. At night comes the bioluminescent plankton.

Barú and Rosario Islands: the islands and the beach in 7 to 8 hours

It’s the most relaxed way to see the islands. From Playa Blanca, the boat takes you on a scenic morning ride through the archipelago, with the stop at San Martín Island. Around noon you return to Playa Blanca for a full lunch by the sea—fried fish or grilled chicken breast, with coconut rice, patacones (fried green plantains) and salad—and you have the afternoon free on the white sand. The ride back leaves between 3:30 and 4:00 PM and, depending on traffic, you’re at your hotel around 5:00 PM. You don’t pay any separate tax or admission fee for the boat ride.

The 4 Islands and 5 Islands VIP tours: a full day

Both are 12-hour days that stop at Cholón, Aguazul and Playa Tranquila and end with the bioluminescent plankton: once it’s dark, the water glows as it moves. The glow is natural and varies from night to night; if it can’t be seen that day, because of the weather, for example, the rest of the tour goes ahead as planned and there’s no partial refund. What sets them apart:

• The 4 Islands tour: you’re picked up at your hotel and take the bus to Playa Blanca. By boat, you stop at a reef with the mask included, spend about 2 hours at Cholón and have lunch at Aguazul. You don’t pay any separate tax for the boat ride, and at 7:30 PM the bus leaves and drops you off at your hotel between 8:30 and 9:00 PM.
• The 5 Islands VIP tour: you leave at 8:00 AM from the Muelle de la Bodeguita on a speedboat, which is faster than a standard boat (that’s why it’s called VIP). It adds Bocachica, the sunken plane with snorkeling and one drink per person. The port tax is paid separately, in cash, at the dock entrance. The return trip is by land: the bus leaves Barú at 7:30 PM and drops you off at the Torre del Reloj, in the Historic Center, between 8:30 and 9:00 PM.

We compare them stop by stop in 4 Islands or 5 Islands VIP?.

Which tour to choose

• If you’re traveling with children or want to get back early: the Barú and Rosario Islands day trip. You see the islands from the boat, stop at San Martín and around 5:00 PM you’re back at your hotel.
• If you want a full day and to be picked up at your hotel: the 4 Islands tour, with snorkeling on the reef, the party at Cholón and the plankton.
• If you prefer a speedboat ride to the islands from the Historic Center: the 5 Islands VIP tour, with Bocachica and the sunken plane.

If you’re still torn between the islands, the beach on Barú or Tierra Bomba, across from the city, we compare them in Barú, Rosario Islands or Tierra Bomba?.

The National Park rules

The islands are inside a national park. According to Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia, it’s forbidden to bring in single-use plastics; to collect or buy seashells, starfish or coral fragments; or to light bonfires, drop cigarette butts or burn trash. Bring a refillable water bottle and leave everything as you found it.

What to bring

• Beachwear: your swimsuit on, your own towel and a change of clothes for the ride back.
• Sun protection: biodegradable sunscreen, sunglasses and a cap or hat.
• Water shoes: optional, for getting into the sea and walking along the shore.
• Cash: for the Oceanario, snorkeling at San Martín, drinks and, on the 5 Islands VIP tour, the port tax.
• ID: on the 5 Islands VIP tour, for check-in at the dock.
• Phone protection: a waterproof case, for your photos on the boat.

Children, pregnancy and seasickness

Part of the day is spent on a boat and the sea can get choppy. If you’re traveling with very young babies or you’re pregnant, keep this in mind; on the 5 Islands VIP tour, the speedboat is fast and can bounce on the waves, so keep it in mind as well if you have back or mobility problems. Children ages 0 to 4 don’t pay for the tour (they take up a seat on the bus and the boat), but their lunch isn’t included, and neither is their shrimp cocktail on the 4 Islands and 5 Islands VIP tours. On the 5 Islands VIP tour, they don’t pay the port tax either.