Palmarito Beach is a beach club and hotel located near Punta Arena on the Island of Tierra Bomba just across the bay from Cartagena. It is our favorite beach club on Tierra Bomba and is great for a beach day out of the city that isn’t as far away as the islands further away. Read on to learn more about Palmarito Beach Hotel and why we like it so much.
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Palmarito Beach Review – Introduction
As I said in the heading above, Palmarito is one of our favorite beach clubs near Cartagena. We have been there plenty of times, both for day passes and staying overnight. I think it’s one of the better values for spending a beach day or night in Cartagena.
That being said, the beach here, while definitely an upgrade from the beaches in town, still pales in comparison to the beaches in the Rosario Islands, Playa Blanca, or at places like Isla del Encanto (a great but pricier, luxury option in Barú). However, Palmarito does have the advantage of being considerably closer to the city, which not only makes it a much shorter trip but also means you can stay a bit later if you go just for the day.
So, I would say if you only are going to spend one day or one night at the beach, do it in the Rosarios or Barú. If you are going to do a second (or more) visit to the beach, or you just can’t stand boat rides and want a 5 minute smooth one over an hour and somewhat bumpy one, then Palmarito is a good choice. It’s also a a bit cheaper than the Rosarios, so it’s a good choice for a laid back beach day if you live in Cartagena, probably why we ended up here so much. Here, I’ll share why we like Palmarito Beach.
Where is Palmarito Beach?
Palmarito Beach is located directly across the bay from the Castillogrande neighborhood on the Island of Tierra Bomba. This area of the island is commonly referred to as Punta Arena, although Palmarito is actually a bit withdrawn to the north east of the other places on Punta Arena.
How to Get There
It takes a 5-10 minute boat ride across the mostly calm waters of the bay to get to Palmarito Beach Hotel. If you book with them, round trip boat transportation is included and there are a handful of different departure times in the morning and return times in the afternoon. It is a good idea to reserve the time slot you want.
The boats depart from and arrive to the beach behind the hospital of Bocagrande. Do note, it is possible to get independent boats to take you across for fairly cheap. However, when you get to Palmarito, you’re going to end up paying the full amount that would have included transportation, if they even have a spot for you. For those on a tight budget, having one of the boats take you to another spot on the beach can work, but if you’re heading to Palmarito, it’s best to just use their provided transportation.
What We Like About Palmarito
We’ve probably spent about as much time at this beach as any other besides maybe Playa Blanca. It, in my opinion, offers the perfect blend of convenience, niceness, and value. Here are some of the things we have liked about Palmarito.
Nice Beach Area
This is one of the biggest things in their favor for me. Palmarito sits off by itself in a little receded bay protected by a jetty. While it isn’t technically a private beach, it sure feels like one. It’s also a fairly large beach area, with plenty of chairs and beach beds close to the water but lots of sand too, giving it an advantage over a place like Bomba Beach Club at Punta Arena.
The jetty also makes sure the water is fairly calm and perfect for swimming. There is a pool on site as well, which is nice, and both overnight guests and day pass customers have access to it, but honestly, we’ve hardly ever spent any time at the pool because the beach is so nice.
Also, there aren’t many vendors here. There are some that make the walk from Punta Arena and pass through, but they are nothing like what you’ll get at Playa Blanca or on the beaches of Bocagrande. Again, it’s a nice sort of semi-private beach feeling.
The Food and Drinks
We’ve also been pleased with food and drinks, as well as the service at Palmarito. Service on the beach area is always good, and drinks are fairly reasonably priced (in the $15-25,000 peso range for cocktails) and not artificially elevated. They have some of the best Coco Locos around, their mojitos, piña coladas, and margaritas are all solid, and they also have bottle service for rum, aguardiente, and tequila.
If you come with a day pass, you will have a buffet lunch that includes a pretty typical Cartagena beach lunch with fried fish, coconut rice, patacones, and fresh fruit and vegetables. Usually there is some chicken or pork on the buffet too along with juice and soup.
If you are staying overnight, you will have a handful of options for a plated meal for lunch, usually including a traditional fried fish plate, a fish filet, and at least one nonfish option. For dinner, they set up tables out on the beach, which is super nice and romantic, and there are also a handful of options. Finally, a basic breakfast is included in the morning. Do note, that lunch the 2nd day is usually not included, but prices aren’t horrible and are well worth it to stay on the beach for another entire day.
There are also appetizers and other dishes available to order. We have tried a few of them and like them all. In short, the food here is all around good, and drinks are reasonably priced.
Being Able to Stay Later in the Day
This is a nice plus of Palmarito being so close to the city. Unlike the Rosario Islands, where rough currents require boats to head back around 3 or 4, you can stay at Palmarito a copule hours later. While you still can’t stay until dark if you’re not spending the night, having a bit of extra time on the beach if you’re coming for a day pass is pretty nice, and that’s of course on top of the extra time you get since it’s closer. And if you do spend the night, the sunrise is also nice.
Value
So, to be perfectly honest, I actually think Palmarito is a tad overpriced. However, when compared to other places that aren’t, at least in my opinion, as nice nearby, it’s actually a better value. So, I guess it’s not overpriced or at least not as overpriced as everywhere else.
If you follow them on Instagram, they also frequently run flash sales, which are good values. In fact, most of the times we have gone have been with one of these deals. Sometimes these are only for certain days or weekends but other times they are more open ended and can be redeemed later.
Anything We Don’t Like?
Not really, at least anything that’s fair to them. As I said in the intro, the water here is nice but not quite that crystal clear see the sand stir up around your feet as you walk that you see out in Barú and the Rosario Islands.
On busy days it can also be a bit hard to get a prime spot on a beach bed or chairs. It would be nice if they either added few more or sold a few less day passes. Also, their welcome “cocktail” sucks, but that’s the case in 95% of places. Honestly, I would consider it a nice gesture to give a little complementary cup of limonada de coco or piña colada with a splash of hardly noticeable alcohol, but if that’s what it’s going to be, don’t advertise it as something included in the price, because it’s always a eye roll when you get it. But, anyways, that’s an industry problem, rant over.
Is It Worth Staying the Night?
I think this just depends. If you have lots of time in Cartagena, yes. If not I’d say probably not. The rooms here are solid but nothing special, although being able to enjoy the beach after all the day pass people leave (I’d say 80+% of people just come for the day) is a nice plus.
However, most visitors would probably prefer to just spend the night in the city and get more bang for their buck hotel wise and time to spend doing other things to see in Cartagena. Also, again, if you want just one or two nights at the beach, I recommend the nicer stays in the islands at a place like Isla del Encanto or Islabela.
So, while you won’t be disappointed if you spend the night, it’s best for those with time to spare in and around Cartagena, or for people who live there like us who want a quick beach escape without shelling out for the nicer places out in the Rosarios.
Planning Your Visit
Convinced Palmarito Beach Hotel is a good choice for you? Like I said above, if you follow their Instagram, they often offer promotional prices, however for those with no bank account or credit card in Colombia it can be tricky to pay, although it’s worth at least trying. You can also book an overnight stay ahead of time on Booking or book a day pass ahead of time on Viator.
If Palmarito is all booked up or you just want an alternative, Namaste Beach Club is nearby and has a similar price point, or for something nicer on Tierra Bomba, check out Fenix Beach. For something out in the Rosarios, Islabela is great, or you could opt to treat yourself to the luxury of Isla del Encanto or Las Islas. Finally, if you want to compare the best beach options, you can check out our guide to the beaches of Cartagena or our picks for the best beach hotels in Cartagena.
Palmarito Beach Review Conclusion
There you have it, a review of our experiences at Palmarito and why we like it so much as a slightly cheaper and convenient alternative to the other islands of Cartagena. I hope you found it useful, and whether you go there or somewhere else, I hope you have a great beach day and lots of sunshine! If you have been, feel free to share your experiences and what you did or didn’t like in the comments.
Cheers and Happy Exploring Beach Bumming!
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