Coralina Island Day Trip Review: A Cartagena Getaway

Alright, so you are considering escaping the hustle and bustle of Cartagena for a day of sun, sea, and sand? Coralina Island might be, that island paradise calling your name. This spot, which is part of the Rosario Islands, is just a stone’s throw from Cartagena and offers, too it’s almost a great escape. We took a trip not so long ago, and now, we will walk you through every little bit of what you might expect, alright.

Booking Your Trip to Coralina Island

Alright, so getting to Coralina Island really often starts way before you even put your toes in the sand. It’s almost all about choosing how you want to get there, you know. There are really many options, from booking directly with the island itself, which might be a good idea if you are looking for something very all-inclusive, to using one of the various tour operators, which is something you’ll find dotted around Cartagena. We went with a tour operator that gave us a round-trip boat transfer, lunch, and use of the island’s amenities, you know.

One good tip? Really make sure to compare a little pricing and really see what each package includes. Some, in a way they seem to be very cheap upfront but they will charge you extra for, you know, beach chairs, towels, or drinks. Reading the little reviews really beforehand also helps a lot, you know. It can actually give you a very clear idea of what to expect in terms of service and crowds. We read that going, in a way, during the week meant less of a crowd, so that is something that we did, you know.

What to expect from the boat ride.

So, the boat trip. This actually departs from the Muelle de la Bodeguita in Cartagena, early in the morning, around 8 or 9 a.m., if I remember correctly. It’s good, like very good to get there, like very early, not just to check in but to grab, perhaps, like your spot. The boats could be crowded, you know, so securing, it could be said that seats with a bit of a view makes a pretty big difference. That is what I felt.

The ride itself tends to take about an hour, perhaps. It is not like always the smoothest. You could find, just a little choppy waters. If you usually, are prone to seasickness, take the little precaution. Consider that ginger pills could do you the trick. Either that or dramamine.

What made it really pleasant was checking out, really seeing the Cartagena skyline recede as you pull away, you know, and seeing the islands slowly start coming into view. It gave you this feel, actually, of adventure. We met like some other travelers going with us. We chatted a little, that, for us it really made the whole ride so pleasant, actually, in fact, almost a preamble to a day of, in a way, unwinding, you know.

First Impressions of Coralina Island

Oh, like walking onto Coralina Island. Really what strikes you almost, really straight away, could be said that the turquoise waters, which contrast with, that really white sand. The island is actually, surprisingly, not all that big, right, which, too it’s almost makes it very walkable. We landed and the staff was actually, waiting to greet us with refreshing drinks. That kind of thing usually just, sets a pretty positive tone.

There are areas, in a way, to relax scattered around the island – some shaded spots under, maybe, the palm trees or sunbeds, just for tanning, if that’s more your thing, you know. What really we saw that made this island a cut above some other spots, really that it’s the attention to detail in keeping things, more or less, pristine. There are, clearly not any trash lying around. It seems to be pretty well kept and, you know, taken care of.

Settling in and Exploring.

We started getting ourselves situated and dropped our things off at a beach chair, a shaded one actually. Afterwards we started really walking around the island, a little. It does not actually, take very long, which for us, in a way it really was part of the charm. We walked along a small path. This really leads you to all kinds of the different views, like, you know, almost panoramic spots where you could just watch the ocean. There is also, still, that little dock area where you can see, in a way, how the local fishermen come in and out, too it’s almost just adding to the place’s atmosphere.

Because we brought our snorkeling gear, you know, that actually was something we planned to do, almost straight away, you know. We just walked, like towards, where the water looks very clear, that is actually right off the main beach, actually. The underwater views are not exactly, out of this terrestrial but they are definitely, like very much enjoyable, like very, in a way if you want to see local little reef fish and different kinds of corals. The water stays, like very calm, in general and this allows you to just leisurely snorkel. That is nice.

Lunch and Island Cuisine

Around, almost lunchtime, they called us back. The time to grab, nearly a bite to eat had arrived. The island, in a way, does offer a lunch. I remember they always included it, really with our day trip, it is pretty much what most of the tours give. The meal really tends to be, more or less, what I would qualify as a classic coastal Colombian meal. Fresh fish -we had snapper- it tends to be very typical and, also they gave us plantains, rice, and little, simple salad.

The food is not really out of this terrestrial but that did the trick after swimming. More importantly, like we really enjoyed, as a matter of fact eating basically, right by the water. The gentle breeze coming almost, like directly from the sea. It is not just like a backdrop to enjoy, as a matter of fact but that actually complements that easy feel.

Snacks and Drinks

In terms of other kinds of food, beyond, very what they offered, that almost standard meal, the options are, may be somewhat limited. There, clearly were, a few snacks like the, that are almost empanadas, or fruit, you know, for you to buy. Drinks abound! They range, apparently from your sodas and fresh juices, apparently to like, your standard cocktails. We tried coconut lemonade! That is what I remember. It’s delicious. The prices can be a little higher than what you get back in Cartagena. The way the logistics often work of getting those things in, that explains the elevated pricing, I believe. Bringing your refillable bottle is something to do because you would be surprised on the level of, how much, like you can feel, actually like needing a refreshment!

Activities and Relaxation

Well, Coralina, in a way, has a nice balance. The equilibrium tends to be between activity and chilling. If all you are going for could be said that is to just lounge on that sand, perhaps very with a novel. We saw plenty of space to really sprawl out. The beach has the sound, naturally, very lapping and then caressing the sand that tends to have an amazing soothing vibe.

For something a little, well a bit more active, you would always go snorkeling like we did, almost just off the beach. You could take a kayak. These, clearly could be rented out, at a small fee and see that shoreline. There’s still, typically a volleyball net and that’s been set up on the sand and that encourages everyone for a casual, light little play, too it’s almost fun and all.

The Afternoon and Winding Down

The place tends to feel different during that afternoon. In general you get this very lazy kind of thing to it. Most will grab a spot to stay at, under a shade. Sipping something! You often just, literally watch that time almost, very gently float. We almost swam. And then got a nap, a little.

Almost everyone usually packs up and heads to go meet the boat. This, in a way happens around 3 or 4 p.m., to basically head back to Cartagena. We took a last, little stroll across this beach, really taking those vistas in and starting the mental collection of those, maybe just a bit precious moments. The ride can often be a bit quiet when you head back. A number of passengers seem very sun-drenched after these, in a way so very long hours with a blazing sun so they decide to sleep.