Cartagena: Playa Blanca Barú Day Trip with Lunch & Pickup
Baru Island, Colombia
Spend the day on Baru's white-sand beach: air-conditioned bus from the hotel zone, free time in the Caribbean sea and a typical coastal lunch. Back in Cartagena by mid-afternoon.
Highlights
- Round-trip air-conditioned bus from the Cartagena hotel zone
- Typical coastal lunch included: fish, chicken or a veggie plate
- Hours of free time on Baru’s clear sand and turquoise water
- Pickup between 7 and 8 a.m., back in Cartagena by mid-afternoon
- One hour by road: the closest white-sand beach to the old city
Description
Playa Blanca, on the island of Baru, is the best-known stretch of white sand near Cartagena, and this is the straightforward way to get there: an air-conditioned bus, a full day on the beach and lunch already sorted.
We pick you up in the hotel zone between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. and drive out to Baru. The road usually takes a little over an hour, longer when the island road is busy, so plan a full day rather than a fixed schedule. Once there the day is yours: swim in shallow turquoise water, walk the sand, try an arepa de huevo or a cold ceviche from the carts along the shore. Around midday you sit down to a typical coastal lunch - fried fish, chicken or a vegetarian plate with rice, salad and patacones. The day wraps up around 3:00 p.m. and the bus brings you back to Cartagena.
Being straight with you, because this beach surprises people: Playa Blanca is public and popular, so expect other visitors, music, boats near the shore and vendors walking the sand. That is part of what it is. Chairs, tents and umbrellas are rented on the spot and are not included - agree the price and take a photo of it before you sit down. Lunch is the plate only: water and drinks are bought separately, and the beach toilets are paid too. There is also a mandatory 8,800 COP insurance to enter the Corales protected area, paid on arrival.
Bring cash in small bills, swimwear, a towel, sunscreen and a hat. We confirm your exact pickup time when you book.
Includes
- Round-trip transport in an air-conditioned bus
- Pickup at your hotel or an agreed meeting point in the Cartagena hotel zone
- Typical coastal lunch: fish, chicken or a vegetarian plate
- Free time at Playa Blanca
Excludes
- Corales protected area insurance: 8,800 COP per person, paid on arrival
- Beach chairs, tents and umbrellas, rented locally
- Drinks and anything else you order on the beach
- Water sports such as jet skis or boat rides
Important Information
- The guide and the crew work in Spanish. Pickup is between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m.; we confirm your exact time and point when you book. The road to Baru usually takes a little over an hour, but it can take much longer when the island road is busy. Plan a full day, not a fixed schedule. Playa Blanca is a public beach: expect crowds, music, boats and jet skis near the shore, and vendors walking the sand. Chairs, tents and umbrellas are not included, and free space to sit on the sand is limited, so most people rent one. Agree the price and photograph it before you sit down. The beach toilets are also paid. Lunch is the plate only: water and drinks are bought separately. There is a mandatory 8,800 COP fee to enter the Corales protected area, paid on arrival. Shade is limited unless you rent a tent. Bring cash in small bills, sunscreen and a hat. The day ends around 3:00 p.m. and the bus brings you back to the point where you were picked up.
Easy cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
