Colombia’s Party Island of Cholón in Cartagena

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Cholón Island, or Isla Cholón in Spanish, is one of Colombia’s hottest spots for a party with a side of sun and sand. Or maybe some sun and sand with a side of party, depending on just how hard you party.

On any given day, you’ll find a lively atmosphere at Cholón, replete with swimming, tanning, jet skis, music, and boat dance parties, lots of boat dance parties.

We’ve been to Cholón at least half a dozen times, sometimes just as a short during a day of island hopping, sometimes for the whole day.

If you’d like to visit the island of Cholón in Colombia yourself, read on for a complete and practical guide to Cholón Island, including what to expect, your options for getting there, and my tips for how best to enjoy a day trip to Cholón from Cartagena based on our numerous experiences enjoying Cartagena’s party island ourselves.

Cholón, Cartagena’s Party Island

Cholón is a tiny little beach south of Cartagena.

Sometimes called Cholón Beach or Cholón Island, it has rightly earned its reputation as the party island of Cartagena, and really the most famous party island of Colombia as a whole.

I remember our first Cholón Island party back in 2014, when it was just starting to become a thing and still a bit of a hidden gem that you could only do by private boat.

We pulled up to some palm thatch covered shacks in about waist deep water jutting out from a corner of an island where there’s a clearing in the trees and mangroves with a small sandy beach.

Credit, where credit’s due, the locals who thought to build the shelters in the water and and turn this little corner into the spot for a Cartagena boat party were quite clever.

We parked the boat and cranked the music up.

We spent the day taking dips in the water between dancing and drinking on the boat and had a nice fish lunch under one of the shacks with a table that rose just above the water line.

It was a fun day, and one we have repeated a number of times to various degrees over the years, sometimes spending most or all of the day at Cholón, other times just stopping for a mini Cholón Island party for an hour or two before island hopping somewhere else.

It’s definitely not a hidden gem anymore, but if you’re looking to do a booze cruise style party day on the water, imagine you’re in a music video, or just stop by and check out the Cholón party island atmosphere for a bit it’s worth including during your time in Cartagena.

Options for How to Party at Cholón Island Yourself

There isn’t any practical way to get to Cholón over land or by public transportation. You’ll need to arrive by either private boat or tour boat.

I’ll go into a bit more detail about Cholón party tour options below in addition to sharing some practical advice about how to best enjoy Cholón and what to watch out while there However, I’ll quickly share are a few quick tips on your options for how to do Cholón here.

You basically have 3 options:

• Rent a private boat and go for all or part of the day
  • Click here to get a quote from our partner rental agency (best price)
  • Click here to book a private boat on GetYourGuide
  • Click here to book a private boat on Viator
• Do a shared island tour that includes Cholón as a stop
  • Click here to book on GetYourGuide (choose the party ticket option)
  • Click here to book on Viator (choose the party ticket)
• Do a shared Cholón party tour that spends all or most of the day at Cholón
  • Click here to book on GetYourGuide
  • Click here to book on Viator

I’d suggest taking along a good dry bag, your own snorkeling gear, and plenty of sunscreen too! Consult my Cartagena packing list for more ideas of things you might want to wear and bring to Cholón and Cartagena in general.

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Where is Cholón in Colombia?

Cholón is a tiny, little speck of beach beach located on the tiny, little tip of a tiny, little island off the larger island of Barú. It’s located south of Cartagena. It’s near the more isolated southern end of Barú, that’s farther down than Playa Blanca and harder to reach over land.

There’s no reliable way to get to Cholón via public transportation.

I imagine it’s possible to drive and park somewhere nearby on Barú and find a boat to take you there, but kind of the whole allure of Cholón is having a boat party, so that doesn’t make a lot of sense.

So, you’ll want to stick to one of the boat options I mentioned above and will discuss in a bit more detail below.

Some Practical Tips for Enjoying Cholón Island

I want to talk a bit about what to expect at Cholón, what to watch out for in terms of safety and avoiding scams, and finally discuss in a bit more detail your options for how to do a Cholón tour or visit on your own.

What to Expect During a Cholón Island Party

As I mentioned above, our first visit to Cholón was back in 2014, when it was just becoming known as as the spot for a Cartagena boat party.

We had a great time. it was the type of thing that you just don’t see much in the US.

I said it partly in jest above about Cholón being the place to imagine you were in a music video, but honestly, it’s not a bad description of the general vibe with boats pulled up, most of them blasting their own music and having dance parties.

We did several boat rentals where we spent most or all the day in Cholón and had great times and indeed did have dance parties like we were in the latest Reggaeton or early 2000s rap music video.

Well, I had a few fights with Susana and her friends when I tried to DJ Slightly Stoopid, Sublime, and the Movement instead of Reggaeton, but that’s a discussion for another place.

I’ll be honest, the first couple times we went to Cholón, I thought it was great. I had a lot of fun, just like I enjoyed the Cartagena Independence Festivities and Barranquilla Carnival as something that felt so different from most things in the US.

If I’m being honest though, I’m not as crazy about Cholón anymore.

It gets a lot more crowded nowadays, and I guess the novelty has worn off a bit after going so many times, not to mention getting shut down on my music choices a few too many times.

Or maybe I’ve just gotten more mature, or wiser……or older and more boring?

More mature, that’s why.

Joking aside, we tend to only make a short stop at Cholón or skip it when we rent boats now.

In more recent years, we’ve tended to go snorkeling and swimming first, hit a beach or two, and then stop by here and decide if we want to stay or not.

Sometimes we just end up hanging out on the boat parked a few hundred meters away, where it’s easier to swim and enjoy hanging out with our own group.

If you’re still hipper than I am, and you’re looking for a party atmosphere on the water, a visit to Cholón party island is worth including in your plans for Cartagena.

I think some videos and photos on Instagram and other social media exaggerate the wild party vibe of Cholón. Most people here are not acting like they are at MTV Spring Break, but it’s still definitely a party kind of atmosphere.

I wouldn’t take my 11 month old and I would at least think hard about bringing my 11 year old to Cholón, but I don’t think you should avoid taking your husband or wife of 11 years here either or feel like you need to be a party animal to enjoy it.

Some Practical on What to Watch Out for at Cholón Party Island

Especially since an Isla Cholón party has become such a common inclusion on Cartagena travel itineraries, it’s worth keeping in mind some tips for making sure you Cartagena boat party experience is safe and avoids common scams.

Before we get into that though, be sure to take cash. There are no ATMs at Cholón, and you shouldn’t expect to be able to pay for anything with a card.

Best practice is to take your own booze, water, and even snacks if you can.

It’s still a good idea to have along cash for a fresh fish lunch, a piña colada or other special drink, and anything else special that sparks your fancy. Keep in mind prices for food and drinks will be be higher here than at the beaches or restaurants in town.

I’d suggest something like 100,000-200,000 pesos, maybe a bit more if you think you’ll want to buy multiple drinks out in the islands.

Safety Tips for Cholón Island, Colombia

While going to and from Cholón on a private boat rental or shared Cholón party tour is pretty safe, there’s a few tips I’d like to give to help you stay safe during your time at Cholón.

First, pace yourself with the alcohol, especially if you’re coming here early.

Trust me, this advice comes from experience, and I get can be easier advice to give than take, but day drinking starting at like 10 AM can lead to all sorts of things, like spirited debates about how surfer reggae rock is better than reggaeton.

This is a good reason to consider stopping elsewhere before coming to Cholón and bringing along snacks, by the way. Also, I’d strongly discourage skipping lunch. Whether it’s a fresh fish and lobster platter or sandwiches you packed yourself, eat something.

Also, drink some water too.

Most boat rentals are BYOB and it can be easy to forget to bring water, easy to pack less water than you need, and even easier to forget to drink any of it during the day. It’s hot, and if you’re partying, you’ll need to stay hydrated.

And be sure to reapply that sunscreen! I’ve come back from Cholón with a sunburn several times.

Oh, and be careful with limes!

I’ll never forget our friend Jenny getting a nasty little burn from lime juice left on her hand in the sun one time as a danger I never knew existed before.

Probably the most important tip I can give you for enjoying Cholón Island in Colombia safely though is to be extra aware of where you swim.

ou’ve got a mix of a lot of people, a lot of them drunk, a lot of boats, jet skis, and a lack of clearly demarcated swimming areas or boat lanes. There have been accidents, and accidents involving boats are no joke.

To be honest, I would be very careful swimming outside the main circle of boats.

It’s a shame, because we definitely did swim outside that circle of boats back in the day, but now there’s so many more people and so much more boat traffic, it would make me nervous and something I’d probably try to avoid all together.

I’d also be very wary of jet skis and floats.

Again, we’ve rented jet skis and done float rides here, but there’s so much boat traffic now, I don’t think I’d risk either anymore.

Keep in mind that these things are very informal and unregulated, so if you do something like wreck the jet ski or have an accident, you can end up in a weird situation.

If you do want to do any of the above, I’d suggest doing it early, before too many people arrive and before others and yourself have had too much to drink.

Finally, always listen to your boat captain and crew!

Doing things like jumping off the boat early or before they give you the all clear that it’s fully stopped is very dangerous.

How to Avoid Scams During Your Cholón Island Party

Now that we’ve talked about keeping you alive, let’s talk about keeping you from getting ripped off at Cholón.

The first, most important, and nearly all encompassing piece of advice is to always, always, confirm prices.

Whether it be food, drinks, or anything else, make sure you ask the price.

Make sure you double check the price, then make sure you triple check the price, and ask if it there’s an additional service fee before accepting anything.

Keep in mind there are no true “free samples” either. Watch out for that especially with guys selling oysters and ladies offering massages.

As I mentioned above, food and drinks will be generally more expensive at Cholón than in town, so don’t expect tienda corner store prices either.

It’s also pretty common to be asked if you want to buy lunch for your boat crew.

I think this is a nice gesture and I’d recommend doing it, but I’d confirm the price for their lunch too as this can be a clever way for crafty vendors to charge more than the price of lunch they gave you (yes, I’ve had this happen).

The most common scams I hear about at Cholón have to do with exorbitant prices, or surprise service fees tacked on. It’s worth noting that a 10% tip is considered standard, but legally optional, in Colombia.

It’s not unheard of for vendors to try to get more at Cholón and other beaches though, oftentimes not presenting it as optional. When agreeing to price, I’d suggest also asking if there are service fees.

All of the above goes for things like jet ski rentals or doing the floats too. Confirm the price, your time, when you start, and when you should end.

Finally, you should watch out for being robbed.

While I don’t think this is a huge concern, I have heard a handful of stories of bags, wallets, or cash disappearing while people are at Cholón.

It’s a good reason to rent a private boat with a good provider like our partners or taking some precautions on a shared Cholón Cartagena tour like a waterproof anti theft pack. You could take along something like a Pacsafe or just a nice lock for your backpack to be extra safe too.

Comparing Your Options for Doing Cholón from Cartagena

It’s really tough to beat the private boat option, especially for a Cholón party boat.

You get to party with your own group and play your own tunes for those dance parties. You can choose to get to Cholón Beach early then stay all day or leave if you’re not feeling the vibes, or you could choose to come here later after some time snorkeling and island hopping and finish off the day partying.

If you’re a group of 4 or more, it might not even be all that much more expensive than a shared boat, especially if you book with our partner rental agency, which offers very good, local prices. Click here to learn about them and get a quote for a private boat rental.

You can also book private boats on GetYourGuide and Viator.

If a private boat is out of the question budget wise, then you just have to decide if you’d rather spend a couple hours at Cholón and see more of the islands (best if you want to snorkel or see more of the islands) or spend all day at Cholón (best if you just want to party all day).

I’ve never done any of the shared Cholón party boat tours. I would think it depends a lot on the rest of the group on the boat how fun they are.

I’d also recommend paying close attention to what is and isn’t included.

If you’re not booking online somewhere with reviews, I’d ask to see a photo of the boat. I’d discourage doing the smaller boats with bench style seating in favor of larger speed boats like what you’ll get on a private rental. It’s generally worth the extra cost and skimping somewhere else on your trip.

If you want to spend just part of the day enjoying the party island Cholón vibes, you can book one of the multi-stop islands tours, bookable on GetYourGuide and Viator and choose the party ticket option after selecting your date (the leisure ticket option does not go to Cholón).

If you want to do an all day shared Cholón party tour, you could do this party boat that includes lunch and 2 drinks.

You could do also Cholón Forever Boat Party, which you’ll probably see tons of vendors on the streets selling around town too. It appears to include 2 drinks and lunch too and makes a stop for snorkeling before heading to Cholón for most of the day. This tour on Viator is the same.

Just an FYI, Cholón Forever really likes to post videos of girls booty dancing on Instagram, and they often get reposted by other Cartagena tour agency accounts selling the tour. So, I guess be aware they film at least some people and think about if you’re ok with your booty dancing, probably after a few drinks, being on Insta.

By the way, if you’re looking for something that has a fun, party vibe but also will let you chill out a bit and maybe get your tan on at an actual beach, you might consider a day trip to Bora Bora Beach Club instead of a Cholón party boat.

You can book a day pass at Bora Bora on GetYourGuide or on Viator.

For other more relaxed alternatives to Cholón, check out my picks for the best Rosario Islands day trips or my in depth guide to the islands that discusses the merits of day trips versus spending the night.

When are you planning to go to Cholón?

There you have it, a complete guide to visiting the island of Cholón from Cartagena.

A popular boat party hot spot, Cholón makes for a nice addition to any list of things to see and do in Cartagena, especially if you’re looking for a party on the water.

Have you been to Cholón? Let me know what you thought in the comments below!

Cheers and Happy Partying!

Did you like this post?

Check out the following other posts:

Practical Guide to Playa Blanca
Practical Guide to the Rosario Islands
Practical Guide to the San Bernardo Islands
Practical Guide to Palomino, Colombia’s Hippest Beach Town