Welcome to the Beaches of Cartagena, Colombia

Cartagena is nearly surrounded by the Caribbean Sea. Small, coral stone protected beaches can be found only a few meters outside of the ancient Walled City. The larger beach extends around the peninsula of Bocagrande and Laguito, the other popular tourist area of Cartagena. Less than 25 minutes by bus (about 25 cents) from the Walled City, there is another beach: Boquilla. Ten minutes beyond Boquilla Beach, is Manzanillo Beach. The more heavily used beaches are maintained each night, with large tractors, pulling power sand rakes.

The above beaches are popular because of their nearness to the cities hotels. The beach sand is brown because there are no nearby offshore coral reefs feeding the beaches with white "sand" which actually is the tiny fragments of shells and coral which make up the reefs eco system. The Island of Bocachica contains Fort San José, one of the two outermost forts which provided early protection of ancient Cartagena. Bocachica Beach has a number small places to eat, get a massage, or merely sleep away the afternoon in a hanging hammock. Small boats depart from the Pegasos bay, (across from Convention Center) the in the mornings, and make runs throughout the day. Click for Beach Photos.

White sand beaches can be found at Playa Blanca (White Beach) in Baru. These beaches are to the south of Cartagena, and can be accessed by bus, taxi, car, or boat. This is a remote area with restaurants, beaches, but no hotels. Plan on a whole day, as the travel time is about two hours each way. Playa Blanca offers white sand and waters of white, green and blue. There are fewer visitors and therefore no peddlers to disturb your day at the beach.

The pristine Beaches of the Rosario Islands, are less than two hours by boat. These beaches are a day trip, offering the best in natural conditions, plus a variety of nice hotels and restaurants, AND the aquarium, for those who love nature. For world class beaches, swimming, snorkeling and diving-the Cartagena off shore islands are a real treat! Click for Islands Photos.

All Cartagena beaches are considered safe for bathers with no unusual rip tides or strong currents. These are the same tranquil water and current conditions that existed almost 500 years ago, and the primary reason for the founding of Cartagena. The more frequented beaches contain safety flags to warn bathers of bad weather. The international standard RED FLAG is a warning to stay out of the water. Surfers, however consider the red flag as their "go" flag! Different strokes, for different folks! Be safe, and have fun! Cartagena has it ALL.