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You can’t come to Cartagena and not enjoy some time in the sun and sand of the Cartagena beaches. You are in the Caribbean, after all!
However, navigating your choices for which Cartagena, Colombia beaches are most worth visiting can be tricky.
There are some ok urban beaches in Cartagena, and there are some beaches near Cartagena on the mainland. However, the best beaches near Cartagena are in the islands off the coast.
Luckily for you, I’m here to help you navigate it all.
I spent 11 years living in Cartagena and got to know the city and the best beaches in Cartagena well.
In this guide, I’m going to try to give you a detailed but practical rundown of all the main beaches in Cartagena, Colombia, so you can decide which is the best beach in Cartagena for your visit.
Cartagena Beaches Overview and Quick Tips
Want my quick advice for the best Cartagena beach experience?
Get out of the city and go to the islands. The island beaches near Cartagena are so much better than the beaches in Cartagena proper!
The beaches themselves are prettier, the water is prettier, most of them get less crowded, and they have fewer vendors than the beaches in the city.
Our favorite way to do the islands is with a boat rental, which gives you ultimate flexibility. Click here to get a quote from my local partner for boat rentals.
If a private rental isn’t feasible, two of our personal favorite places in the islands include IslaBela and Isla del Encanto. Both offer overnight stays and day passes.
Check prices for a room at IslaBela here and check prices for a room at Isla del Encanto here.
Consider adding on a night at one to complement a stay in town if you have 5 or more nights total in Cartagena. If not, stick to a day trip.
Get info on a day pass at IslaBela here and get info on a day pass at Isla del Encanto here.
You can also do a day pass at the hip Bora Bora Beach Club. If you want a more relaxed boat day, consider this catamaran day trip or you could do a multi-island tour for a little bit of both chill and party vibes.
If you don’t want to make the longer trip to the islands or you just want some additional beach time, you can go across the bay to the closer island of Tierra Bomba, hit the beaches in the city, or head to the beaches north of the city.
Just don’t expect the crystal clear waters of the islands.
I’ll go into more detail on all of the best beaches in Cartagena, Colombia in the section below. So read on if you want some more info to help you decide which Cartagena beaches you’ll visit.
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Some Practical Tips to Enjoy the Cartagena, Colombia Beaches
Before getting into the nitty, gritty, sandy details of the best beaches in Cartagena below, I want to give you some practical advice on what to expect and how to deal with common complaints about the beaches of Cartagena.
The two most common complaints about the Cartagena beaches are being bothered by pushy vendors and being overcharged. Both of these issues are by far the worse at the most crowded area of the beach in Bocagrande, at party island Cholón, and at Playa Blanca on Barú.
However, even at the less crowded beaches, you’ll still most likely have to deal with a few vendors.
For things like chairs, shade tents, umbrellas, food, and drinks, there are technically set prices, at least for the beaches in the city.
As of early 2025, the mayor’s office is promoting the use of QR codes on signs at the beach entryways to see these prices and a Whatsapp chat called Titán Chat, which can also be used to report overcharging.
You can access Titán Chat Whatsapp chat at (+57) 304-251-1127.
To be honest, color me a tad skeptical on how useful it is. So, I’m going to give you my traditional advice:
- Always ask the price.
- Always confirm that price.
- Don’t be afraid to negotiate, especially if you plan to buy lunch and/or drinks.
- Take cash. Don’t pay for anything at the beach with a credit card.
- Verify if there are any service fees or tips included.
As far as dealing with vendors who walk the beaches, my best advice is to come prepared you’ll have to deal with them, don’t engage them if you’re not interested in what they’re selling, and practice your “No, gracias” and finger wag before coming.
Also, keep in mind there are no “free” samples.
Be especially careful with the oyster mongers, who will offer you one “free,” then feed you several more and expect you to pay.
Same warning goes for for the massage ladies, who can be some of the most annoying and insist on touching you to give you a “prueba,” then just keep going and charge you.
So, it’s best not to let them touch you unless you want to pay for a massage.
As for all the other vendors, don’t touch or look at what they’re selling if you aren’t interested.
I grew up in the South in the US, and I struggled to not be polite and chat with vendors, but trust me, it’s best to engage them as little as possible. Better they think you’re rude than having to deal with them bugging you for 10 minutes about something you’re never going to buy.
Now, of course, if you are interested, be sure to negotiate and definitely agree on price before consuming anything.
Other noteworthy tips include double checking the flags for currents that the city puts up. Red means you shouldn’t swim. Also, don’t swim out past any of the jetties.
Finally, the beaches are technically open from 8 am to 6 pm. They were pretty strict about this during our last visit, so I wouldn’t push your luck going out on the beaches at night.
Detailed Guide to the Best Beaches in Cartagena
I’ve organized this write up on the Cartagena beaches geographically, instead of giving you a simle ranking list, which can be confusing.
I’ll start by looking at the beaches in the islands, where most of the best beaches in Cartagena are located, then at beaches in Cartagena itself or nearby on the mainland.
I’ve tried to make this guide detailed but also skimmable, and I’ll be linking to more detailed posts about some Cartagena beaches below if you want more details on that particular one.
Beaches of Cartagena’s Islands
In my opinion, the vast majority of travelers will be happiest getting out of town to the beaches in the islands, especially the Rosario Islands and the far end of Barú.
There are some other island options too, and I’ll be briefly discussing them all in this section. You can also read my Cartagena islands comparative guide for a more detailed look.
Rosario Islands
The Rosario Islands are a chain of islands located about 45 minutes off the coast of Cartagena.
They are surrounded by crystal clear waters and are really gorgeous.
I consider doing at least a day trip out here to be all but a must in Cartagena.
There aren’t wide, sandy beaches, and the beaches here can be a bit rocky, since they are coral islands, but the scenery and water is like something out of the movies.
If you’re only going to do one beach day in Cartagena, I’d recommend getting out here. You might want to take along some water shoes and a good dry bag for the boat ride though. Having your own snorkeling gear also comes in handy!
There are a number of ways to do the islands, from tours to day passes or overnight stays at hotels and beach clubs. However, the way I’d most recommend getting out here is by private boat rental.
We always have a blast when we rent a boat, and it gives you a lot of flexibility to cruise around the islands, stop at different beaches, and enjoy your own playlist.
It’s also surprisingly affordable.
Click here to get a quote from our local boat rental partner.
If a private boat doesn’t work, you could opt to do a relaxed shared boat tour like this highly rated catamaran tour or this multi-island tour, which offers a more relaxed option and more party oriented option.
You can also do a day pass at a beach club or hotel like the famous and more party oriented Bora Bora Beach Club or the more relaxed IslaBela.
See more Rosario Islands day trip options here.
Spending a night out in the islands is also totally worth it if you have the time!
Just keep in mind due to the logistics of the boat ride out here and back, it’s best not to plan your first or last night here. Since a night out here requires pretty much 2 full days, I usually advise sticking to a day trip if you have less than 5 nights total in Cartagena.
If you do have the time for an overnight stay, our favorite hotel out here is IslaBela (see my review here), but San Pedro de Majagua is also well regarded and Bora Bora now offers really nice looking rooms.
If you’re looking for something more affordable, you could check out Hostal Secreto or El Hamaquero Hostal.
You can also read my complete, detailed guide to the Rosario Islands here to compare your different options for exploring the islands.
See more hotels in the Rosario Islands here.
All the accommodations out here are fairly rustic. If you’re looking for something higher end, see the section on the tip of Barú below.
Barú Island
Barú Island is located south of Cartagena and is connected to the mainland by a bridge.
It sometimes gets a bad rap because when people say Barú, they are usually referring to Playa Blanca, which is just one particular beach on Barú that is polarizing (more on it below).
There are other beaches in Barú too though. I’ll cover the main areas of Barú briefly here, but you can also read this deeper dive on Barú.
Beaches Around the Tip of Barú
At the far, sourthwestern end of Barú, around the town named Barú (looking a map is helpful, by the way), you’ll find a number of really nice beaches.
Unlike the Rosario Islands, here you do have nice, sandy beaches, and you still have crystal clear, gorgeous water.
A few standouts out here include the Hotel Las Islas located on a tiny island just off Barú, the Hotel Isla del Encanto (check room prices here or geti info on a day pass here), and the newer Sabai.
The Sofitel Calablanca, which is actually located closer to Cartagena but is set off on its own private beach is another good upscale option.
Playa Blanca
Playa Blanca is possibly the most famous beach near Cartagena. You’ll likely see it mentioned in lots of places as one of the best beaches near Cartagena.
However, you might also see it called the worst beach in Cartagena.
What’s that about?
The truth is, it’s a gorgeous beach that was once a hidden gem because it was difficult to reach.
Back in the day, this Cartagena beach was mostly the domain of intrepid backpackers who braved the adventure of getting out here bouncing on motorcycle taxis along the unpaved road out to the beach.
They were rewarded with a mostly undeveloped paradise, where they could crash in a hammock for the night. It was even pretty cheap!
If you’re reading outdated travel blogs, you might see Playa Blanca described this way. It’s changed, mostly for the worse.
Now a paved road and bridge connects it to Cartagena, and in recent years it has suffered from overcrowding, lack of infrastructure, and unorganized construction, not to mention a reputation for overly pushy vendors and overinflated prices.
As beautiful a beach as it is, and as much as it pains me to say it, because I used to love Playa Blanca and have many fond memories there, I generally recommend avoiding it now. There are just better beach experiences in Cartagena at other places.
If you do want to go, I’d recommend either hiring a taxi or driver for the day to wait on you, or booking an organized excursion like this day pass at Mambo Beach Club that includes transportation, beach chairs, and a voucher for food and drinks.
I’d also recommend avoiding weekends and holidays, and setting your expectations. You can learn more about what to expect in my Playa Blanca guide.
Cholón Party Island
Cholón is a tiny little beach on an island near the tip of Barú. Boats can pull up and party around a central, shallow area covered by thatch roofed huts. It’s the perfect setting for booze cruises and boat dance parties.
If you want a boat and beach party day in Cartagena, it’s fun and worth checking out.
If you want something more relaxed, it’s best avoided.
If you want to do Cholón, I recommend doing a private boat rental an stay for as long or short a time as you want. You can also do the “party ticket” option of this multi-island tour that stops here for a short time.
You can learn more about Cartagena’s party island in my guide to Cholón.
Tierra Bomba Island
Isla Tierra Bomba is located just across the bay from Cartagena.
The beaches here do not offer crystal clear waters, but they are a tad better and generally less crowded than the beaches in Cartagena itself.
They are also only a short 5-10 minute boat ride away.
Punta Arena
Most of the most popular beach clubs and hotels, like our personal favorite Palmarito Beach, are located on the side of the island directly across the bay, often called Punta Arena.
This is the area on Tierra Bomba I’d recommend visiting if you want a nice beach near Cartagena that isn’t as far away as the Rosarios or Barú.
In addition to Palmarito, you’ll also find the bohemian Namaste Beach Club, the more upscale Fenix Beach, and newer and really pretty adults only Eteka Beach Hotel as other popular options on this side of the island. Vista Mare also has a neat setup.
You can also go on your own and take boats across to the beach at Punta Arena from behind the hospital in Bocagrande.
Bocachica
On the southwestern tip of the island a bit further away, you’ll find the area known as Bocachica.
There’s an ok beach here, and the forts at Bocachica are a cool hidden gem for history buffs. I would probably not come out here just for the beach though.
However, there are some nicer, more secluded places up the west coast of the island. These include the really gorgeous Makani Luxury Wanderlust as well as the more rustic but cool vibes at Blue Apple Beach and Amaré Beach Club, which only has day passes.
Learn more about your options on Tierra Bomba, including how to do it on your own in my detailed guide to Tierra Bomba Island.
Beaches in Cartagena Proper
Here, I’ll cover the main beach areas in the city of Cartagena itself, more or less in the order I’d recommend them.
La Boquilla and Playa Azul
On the northern edge of Cartagena, just past the airport, you’ll find the beach known as Playa Azul.
This area is also sometimes called Las Americas, for the Hotel Las Americas located here, which is one of the few Cartagena all inclusive resorts I actually think can be a good option to stay, especially for families.
Stretching up past the hotel, there is a long, long beach that runs along the town of La Boquilla, traditionally a fishing village.
In recent years, there have been some hotels and condos constructed here, and you may also hear the area referred to as Los Morros after the name of those condo buildings.
This is my personal favorite beach in the city and would be my vote for best beach in Cartagena proper.
It gets much less crowded than the popular beaches of Bocagrande. It’s nicer than the other urban beaches, and it’s a nice long stretch of beach.
If you want to come here just for a day or part of a day, I’d just take a taxi up to Las Americas and find a good spot near there.
You will, of course, find fewer crowds the further you go up the beach, so you could opt to pay a taxi to take you a bit further and leave you somewhere along the strip of Morros buildings.
You can also take the red and white Vehitrans bus headed north from along the Avenida Santander in Cabrero or Marbella to La Boquilla (look that it says La Boquilla on the board in the front), which actually goes out on the beach and take it all the way to the end of the beach where there will likely be hardly anyone.
There are some good hotels in the area closer to the city, such as the aforementioned Las Americas, which has two adjoining hotels: the Torre del Mar and the Casa de Playa.
The Radisson Ocean Pavilion and the Holiday Inn Morros are also good options here, and there are lots of condo and apartment rentals in the Morros buildings as well.
There’s not a ton besides the beach here, so I’d still recommend a stay here as a complement to a stay in town, but I think it can work for a full stay if you don’t mind spending a bit more on taxis.
Castillogrande Beach
Castillogrande is a tiny little peninsula that juts off the larger peninsula of Bocagrande.
The neighborhood is primarily residential with some of the fanciest condos and apartment buildings in the city. Since there aren’t hotels here and very few rentals, the beach tends to not get very crowded.
This is my second favorite beach in Cartagena proper. You get a nice view of the bay and Tierra Bomba here, and the beach is fairly long and wide.
If I’m truly being honest, it’s the only other beach in town that preferred to go to when I was living in Cartagena. If you only wanted to spend a few hours on the beach, I’d probably even recommend it over La Boquilla since it’s so easy to access.
Bocagrande Beach
So, the Bocagrande beach technically has different sectors since it stretches all along the main strip of the Bocagrande neighborhood, Cartagena’s modern beachfront district.
However, for simplicity’s sake, I’m discussing it all together here.
You’ll find the sector known as Hollywood Beach across from the Hotel Caribe. From here down to about where the Hotel Intercontinental is located is the nicest and widest stretch of beach.
It’s also the most crowded.
Personally, I found the crowds and vendors too much to make Bocagrande beach that enjoyable to just go and relax.
Still, if you are staying in Bocagrande and can make use of beach chairs or something from your hotel or you just want to spend a couple hours on a beach, it’s a perfectly fine option, and probably overall the nicest beach in Cartagena if you could somehow remove the crowds and vendors.
You will find smaller crowds closer to the entrance to Bocagrande towards the Walled City.
If you want to stay on the beach in Bocagrande, my top recommendations would be the Hotel Caribe or the Hotel Intercontinental by Hollywood Beach or the Hyatt Regency or the Hotel Estelar closer to the entrance to Bocagrande.
Laguito
If you round the end of the main stretch of beach past Hollywood Beach and the Hotel Caribe, you’ll come to Laguito Beach, named after the large lake located nearby.
The beach itself is just decent here, and the sand is darker and less fluffier than the places higher on this list. It does tend to get less crowded than the main Bocagrande beaches around the corner though.
There’s also a great view of the sunset most of the year from this Cartagena beach.
We have always enjoyed the food at El Muelle, which has a nice deck overlooking the beach and has solid drinks too.
There are also some surf schools and board rental places here. The waves aren’t anything special, but it’s the only real place I know of that has boards in town.
The Cartagena Hilton is located on a semi-private beach area at the end of Laguito, and would be a good option for a hotel on the beach in Cartagena.
You can technically go on the beach by the Hilton at the far end of Laguito since beaches are public property in Colombia, but you can’t make use of their chairs or facilities.
El Cabero and Marbella Beaches
I’ve lumped these two Cartagena beaches together, because they are effectively one large stretch of beach on the opposite side of the Walled City from Bocagrande. They stretch from just past the wall up to about where the Cartagena sign is on the way to the airport.
To be honest, I lived in Cabrero for years, and I hardly ever came to this beach.
The sand and water here is nothing special. During the week, it tends to be low key, but on the weekend it can get very crowded with locals coming from Cartagena’s barrios.
It’s the people’s beach, or playa popular, so to speak. So, you may want to avoid it on the weekends and keep a good eye on your things. That’s a good idea at all the beaches in Cartagena though.
I do think it works well for an early morning or late afternoon dip, or maybe just a few hours to lounge on the beach with some beers and lunch.
For what it’s worth, the beach areas are larger and there’s more in terms of chairs and nearby food options farther up in Marbella than in Cabrero near the wall.
Crespo
There’s not much at the beach in Crespo, up past where the Cartagena sign is.
The beach is skinny, you’re not supposed to swim here, and there aren’t any chairs to rent or anything like that.
There was a nice park built on top of the tunnel that comes from Marbella. There are some fields and courts, a mini-skate park, and nice bike and running trails. It had fallen into a bit of disrepair but was revitalized in 2024.
If you’re going on an early morning run or something, you can go by here, but it’s not really worth checking out otherwise.
Manzanillo del Mar Beaches Near Cartagena
Manzanillo del Mar is located about half an hour north of Cartagena, past La Boquilla and across the swampy inlet lagoons.
It’s a pretty decent beach, and draws a primarily local crowd. If it was easier to get out here, this beach near Cartagena would be higher on my list.
However, there isn’t really reliable public transportation out here, and I don’t think it’s worth ponying up for a taxi out here over Castillogrande or La Boquilla.
I do like some of the hotels out here, including the Estelar Manzanillo (see my review here) and Dreams Karibana as options for a few days of R&R outside the city to complement a stay in town.
Which Cartagena beaches will you visit?
There you have it. A complete rundown of all the best beaches in Cartagena, Colombia. I hope you found this guide useful in helping you know what to expect and that you enjoy any and all the beaches of Cartagena you visit!
I’d love to know which Cartagena, Colombia beach was your favorite in the comments below.
If you’re looking for more places to get your beach fix in Colombia, I’d recommend checking out the natural beauty of Tayrona National Park up the coast around Santa Marta. To the south of Cartagena, the San Bernardo Islands, the sister archipelago to the Rosarios, are really pretty too.
Cheers and Happy Exploring!
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Planning a trip to Cartagena?
Be sure to check out the rest of the site to help you plan!
In particular, you might want to check out my complete guide to planning a trip to Cartagena, my guide to the best areas to stay, my list of over 75 things to do, my picks for the best Cartagena tours, the best day trips from Cartagena, my suggested packing list, my guide to the Rosario Islands, and my guide to all the beaches of Cartagena.
As usual, an excellent article mate. Let’s rent a boat when I come back to Cartagena 😀
Sounds good! Hope all is well.