Are the Rosario Islands Worth It?

A Rosario Islands day is worth it if you want a day on the water from Cartagena with swimming, snorkelling and lunch at a beach club, and you count the fees at the pier in the price: Coco Cartagena Tours’ Cartagena: 5-Stop Rosario Islands Tour, Lunch, & Beach Clubs is from $73 on promotion, usually $81 a person (checked November 2026), rated 4.6 out of 5 by 6,600 reviewers, plus 31,500 COP at the pier. It is a harder sell if you get seasick, if you want an empty beach, or if anyone in your group is pregnant or over 70.

The calendar above is the island-hopping day (checked November 2026). Pick the Eco, VIP or Party ticket once you choose a date.

The short answer

Go if the Caribbean is part of why you came to Cartagena: a boat day settles the crossing, lunch and a beach bed in one booking, and the three tickets let you pick between snorkelling, quieter beach clubs and a party. Think twice if the boat worries you, because the crossing is open sea for part of the way, or if you hope for a beach to yourself: the busier stops are crowded with vendors, and the park received 1,246,374 visitors in 2025 (Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia).

What it costs in money

The island-hopping day is from $73 on promotion, usually $81 a person (checked November 2026), covering the boat, the guide, three beach-club passes with beds and parasols, and lunch. On top come the official charges at the pier: COP 13,500 park entry (Parques Nacionales) and the COP 18,000 dock fee at La Bodeguita (Corpoturismo), COP 31,500 together, which this day collects as its port tax in person on the day. The park’s accident and assistance insurance is required of every visitor, and whether this day includes it is not stated; you confirm at booking that you have travel insurance of your own. The Oceanario on the Eco ticket costs COP 40,000 more, and drinks are not among the inclusions. The port tax and park fee sets every carded day side by side.

What it costs in hours

The day takes 6.5 to 7 hours: 45 minutes across the bay and the open sea each way, two five-minute stops from the water at the Bocachica fort and Pablo Escobar’s former mansion, an optional 30-minute snorkel on the Eco and VIP tickets, and three island stops of 1.5 hours each. The Eco ticket starts at 8:00 AM, the VIP and Party tickets at 8:30 AM, and all three are back by 4:30 PM, which leaves the evening in Cartagena free.

The crowds and the vendors

You will not have the islands to yourself. Cholón and Barú, the Party ticket’s stops, are party stops crowded with vendors, so choose that ticket only if a party is the day you want. The VIP ticket keeps to premium beach clubs at Islabela, Marina Island and Rosario de Mar Resort, and the Eco ticket to Rosario Island, Grande Island and Marina Island or the Oceanario. Dealing with outside vendors during the day forfeits the rest of the tour’s service.

Check dates for the Eco or VIP ticket

When to skip it

Skip it if anyone in your group is pregnant, prone to seasickness, recovering from recent surgery or over 70: the island-hopping day is not suitable for them, because the speedboat ride can be bumpy in open sea. Unaccompanied minors are not allowed, and swimming and snorkelling are only for capable swimmers. With small children, check each day’s limits: CORALES CARTAGENA's snorkelling day is not suitable for babies under 1, and the Bora Bora Beach Club day not for children under 12. And if all you want is one beach and a swim, Playa Blanca on Barú is 38.7 km by road from Muelle de La Bodeguita, about 1 hour 15 minutes without traffic; Rosario Islands or Playa Blanca compares the two.

If it is worth it to you, pick your day

Prices, ratings and review counts from the GetYourGuide listings (checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.