Playa Blanca, Barú: how to get there from Cartagena and tips

Playa Blanca is the best-known beach on Barú Island, south of Cartagena: a long strip of white sand, turquoise sea and palm-thatched kiosks. Unlike the Rosario Islands, Barú is reached by land, with no boat ride. Here’s what’s worth knowing to spend the day there.

The essentials in a minute

• Playa Blanca is on Barú Island, so they aren’t two different places. Barú is the island and Playa Blanca, its best-known beach.
• You get there by land, by bus, with no boat ride. On the day trip, you’re picked up at your hotel, anywhere in Cartagena, from 7:00 AM, and you reach the beach between 8:30 and 9:00 AM.
• Lunch is included—fried fish or grilled chicken breast, with coconut rice, patacones (fried green plantains) and salad—but drinks aren’t.
• Beach tents, sun loungers and Balinese beds cost extra and are paid on site.
• 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.

Where Playa Blanca is

Playa Blanca is on Barú Island, south of Cartagena, and you get there by land: the island is connected to the mainland by a bridge. Colombia’s National Natural Parks (Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia) mention it as the land access to the Corales del Rosario y de San Bernardo National Natural Park area.

How to get to Playa Blanca from Cartagena

On Exploria’s day trip, you don’t have to arrange transportation. At 7:00 AM the route starts picking up travelers at their hotels, anywhere in Cartagena, and once your booking is confirmed we’ll send you your pickup time. The trip is by land, on an air-conditioned bus: you pass through the Mamonal industrial area and cross the bridge to the island. Between 8:30 and 9:00 AM you reach Playa Blanca, and the guide who goes with you shows you to the restaurant’s beach area.

It’s the best option if you’d rather avoid the motion of the sea or you’re traveling with young children: the day trip is 100% by land.

What the day at the beach is like

The day is yours: you swim in the turquoise sea, relax on the white sand or walk along the shore. At noon comes a full lunch by the sea, a traditional Caribbean dish: fried fish or grilled chicken breast, with coconut rice, patacones and salad. Drinks aren’t included. Afterward, you stay on the beach until it’s time to head back.

The tour includes access to the restaurant’s beach area. If you’d like a private beach tent, sun loungers or a Balinese bed by the sea, they cost extra and you pay for them on site. Water sports, such as jet skis, snorkeling or the banana boat, aren’t included either.

Vendors and what costs extra

Barú is a public tourist area and there are local vendors at Playa Blanca. If you don’t want to buy anything, say a firm “No, thank you,” and always ask the price before accepting any service or massage. Bring cash for drinks, beach tents or chairs, and any extras on the beach.

If you’d prefer a day with fewer vendors, the Playa Tranquila day trip uses the same bus, the same schedule and the same lunch, but you spend the day at a beach club: each traveler gets their own beach bed or sun lounger, you’re greeted with a welcome cocktail and there are far fewer vendors than on the public beach. We compare them in Playa Blanca or Playa Tranquila?.

What to bring

• Beachwear: your swimsuit on, a towel and a change of clothes for the ride back.
• Sun protection: biodegradable sunscreen, sunglasses and a cap or hat.
• Cash: for drinks, beach tents or chairs, and any extras on the beach.
• Phone protection: a waterproof case, for your photos.

With children

The day trip is for all ages and ideal for families: you travel by bus, with no boat ride, and the sea at Playa Blanca is usually calm. Children ages 0 to 4 don’t pay for the tour and take up a seat on the bus, but their lunch isn’t included.

More than a beach: the islands and scuba diving from Playa Blanca

Playa Blanca is also the starting point for other plans:

• The Rosario Islands: on the Barú and Rosario Islands day trip, you head out by boat from the shore at Playa Blanca on a scenic ride through the islands, with a stop at San Martín Island, and come back for lunch and the afternoon on the beach. Everything about the islands is in our guide to the Rosario Islands.
• Scuba diving: with scuba diving on Barú Island, at 9:00 AM you reach the dive school at Playa Blanca and head out by boat to the open sea for a 45-minute dive, as deep as 12 meters, with PADI-certified instructors and no previous experience needed. The afternoon is free at Playa Blanca. We cover it in our guide to scuba diving in Cartagena.