One of the best activities near Cartagena is booking a relaxing day-trip to the Rosario Islands Colombia. If you have the time, staying overnight is even better. Cartagena is hot and the city beaches are nothing to write home about.

If you spend the day on a city beach you will be pestered by pushy vendors selling their goods or massages. (Don’t half-heartedly say yes to a free massage, as they will continue until you pull yourself away. I learned this the hard way! 😳)

If you want a restful day, escape the hustle and bustle of the city and cool off at an island resort! Find out what to expect on a day trip to the Rosario Islands below.

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Best Islands Near Cartagena

There are quite few different options for sandy beaches outside of the city. The 3 best islands near Cartagena are Tierra Bomba, the Baru Peninsula, and the Rosario Islands archipelago.

Tierra Bomba is the closest to the city and only a 10 minute boat ride away. Perfect for a day trip without traveling a far distance.

The Baru Peninsula has some public beaches and some private resorts. You can drive to a lot of them or take a boat to the far end of the peninsula.

Lastly, the Rosario Islands are the furthest from the city. Our local guidebook on Cartagena goes through the highlights of these destinations and recommendations on places to visit and even where to stay the night. 

Check out the guide here: Cartagena Travel Guide: Recommendations From A Local Expert

Ultimately, we opted for a Rosario Islands day trip because so many people talked it up. We wanted a chance to check it out for ourselves.

The archipelago of the Rosario Islands or Islas del Rosario consists of about 27 separate islands or islets. They are located approximately one hour by boat from Cartagena. 

The Rosario Islands Colombia

The majority of the beaches on the Rosario Islands are privately owned by either individuals or by hotels. We heard Shakira has a house there! In order to go, most visitors book a day trip tour or an overnight stay.

The most common island with beautiful resorts and beaches to discover is Isla Grande. A popular resort for day trips, Hotel Islabela, is on Isleta Bolivar. Additionally, the far end of the Barú Peninsula feels like you are in the islands too. The day trip locations there offer snorkeling and expeditions to the Rosario Islands.

For our tour, we found a travel agency, La Costeña, right in Boca Grande. The best way to communicate with them is through Whatsapp: +573235778707. With so many different resort options, it was nice to talk to them about which location would be best for a family. 

If you already know where you would like to visit for the day on the Rosario Islands Colombia, you can book your day trip directly with the resort.

Our very friendly travel agent showed us all of the options for a Rosario Island day trip from Cartagena. Honestly, it was a bit overwhelming.

She helped us narrow it down to Mangata and Isla del Encanto. The difference between them being that Mangata was a little more luxurious and Isla del Encanto had a pool and a splash area for the kids.  We opted for Isla del Encanto, mostly for the pool! 

What To Expect On A Day Trip To The Rosario Islands

On the day of the trip, the bus picked our family up from our Airbnb in Bocagrande and took us to the dock. All of the beach resorts offer something a little different. I would say the most do not pick you up from your hotel, so this was a nice perk!

We got on a nice speed boat and after a short safety talk, headed on our way. After about an hour, we disembarked onto a long private dock at Isla Del Encanto and got a quick tour.

We were one of the first groups to arrive, so we had some choice on where we wanted to relax all day. However, the other boats started arriving shortly afterwards.

I didn’t really enjoy having to choose a spot and never moving all day, but it ended up not being a big deal. Because we knew the kids would want to spend a lot of time at the pool, we chose some comfy lounge chairs there. It also had some shade, which was nice. 

There were many different options for lounging at the resort. You could be directly on the beach in the sun, up in the trees, by the pool or in a sandy area that was a little bit away from the crowd.

Activities Included On A Day Trip To The Rosario Islands Colombia

Isla Del Encanto has a good mix of activities to choose from. Some of the activities are included in the price and others are not. 

• The pool – It is a really nice pool with shallow and deep end and even a small waterfall. It’s not too busy and in the sun. You will need to bring your own towel. You can order drinks from the bar and they will deliver them right to your chair. 
  
• The kid’s pool and splash area (Not included, resort guests only)- It was so disappointing that the splash area was for resort guests only because the travel agent told us that we could use it. Plus, it was a selling point. Since our kids are older and can swim, it didn’t disrupt the day too much, but it is something to be aware of if you are planning this with younger kids. 

• The beach – There are many lounge chairs and outdoor beds on the beach for visitors to use. Some have shade and some do not. The beach is nice, but actually not as stunning as I expected. It isn’t a very big beach, so it can feel crowded. There is also not much space to walk down it. 

• Snorkeling – Snorkeling was available for an extra cost. You had to sign up for it right when you arrived, and go at a specific time. This would be a great way to see some more of the Rosario Islands as the snorkeling is not directly at Isla Del Encanto.

• Kayaks – There are a few that you can use for free near the resort. 

• Lunch – A buffet style lunch is included. There were a few different options, and even my picky eaters were happy! Nothing luxurious but good overall. 

• The bar – Drinks and snacks are an additional cost and delivered right to your chair! Everything we ordered from the bar was quite delicious!

• The spa – There was a spa available. All treatments were an additional cost. 

Cost Of Isla Del Encanto

This day trip on the Rosario Islands Colombia includes being picked up at your hotel, transportation to and from the islands and lunch. You will need to find your way back to your hotel from the dock on your own.

The cost for the excursion in 2023 was 275,000 Colombian Pesos (COP) per “adult” (11 years old and up), 150,000 COP for kids between 5 and 10 years old and 100,000 for kids 2 to 4 years old. Additionally, you pay a dock tax of 23,000 COP (approximately $5) per person when you get on the bus.

UPDATE: As of October 2024, adults now cost 360,000 COP for the classic tour, but they are offering a discount so it comes out to 288,000 COP (about $68). Kids cost 220,000 and younger kids, 170,000 COP.

Conversions can definitely change, but as of October 2024, these updated prices amount to about $84 dollars for adults before the discount, $52 dollars for kids 5-10 years old and $40 dollars for 2-4 year olds. Dock tax is still about $5 dollars. 

Pluses And Minuses

Positives Of A Rosario Island Day Trip

Overall we enjoyed our visit to the Rosario Islands Colombia. The positives are that you can enjoy a relaxing day out without worrying about pesky vendors and complicated logistics, and the kids had a blast!

Negatives

The disadvantages are that many people are taking these island tours, and it can feel a little too touristy for my taste. Isla Del Encanto has all the day trippers in one area, so it can feel crowded too.

How To Avoid Crowds And Enjoy The Rosario Islands With Kids

I think that if I were to visit again on a day trip, I would book a private boat and island hop. This way if you don’t like the first place you visit or it’s too crowded, you can find another location to go or just relax on the boat.

 Private boats usually come with a captain that knows the islands well! Check out a few options for private boat rentals here.

Another excellent option would be to stay at a hotel on one of the islands for a night or two. You can enjoy the resort before the day trip visitors and after they leave.

If you really want to avoid the crowds, some resorts don’t offer day trips, so you could book a hotel room at one of those and have the place to yourself.

Read about some of the best hotels and resorts for families to stay at on the Rosario Islands Colombia here: Rosario Islands Hotels: The Best Places To Stay With Kids