Cartagena de Indias is a vibrant city rich with hundreds of years of history, but it’s mainland beaches are, frankly, lackluster. For a true trip to paradise, you have to venture off to the islands surrounding the city. Each island has its own unique appeal, which makes it difficult to decide where to visit, especially if you are short on time and can’t visit them all. In that case, I couldn’t recommend Isla Grande more! For the perfect escape to paradise, this island has it all.
Isla Grande, despite it’s misleading name, is actually one of the smaller Rosario islands. It’s so small, in fact, that there are no roads or cars on the island, only dirt paths connecting the several hotels, ecolodges and a little village. Because of this, it’s a relaxing getaway from the hustle and bustle of Cartagena. If you want to party, other islands like Baru and Tierra Bomba may be more your style. If you want pristine quiet beaches, nature, outdoor activities, and peace then Isla Grande is the place for you.
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How to Get to Isla Grande From Cartagena
It takes roughly an hour long boat ride from Muelle de la Bodeguita right outside of Cartagena’s walled city. The boats only leave in the morning, with each hotel having its own boat. If you do a day trip, you’ll catch a boat around 3pm back to Cartagena.
Since the waters are far choppier in the afternoon, the return journey sometimes takes up to 2 hours since the boats have to take a different route. Even with the calmer, longer route, prepared to get soaked with ocean spray (actual ocean spray, not cranberry juice) during the bumpy ride.
I personally recommend spending at least one night on the island due to how long the journey is. If you can’t afford to spend a night, then you might be better off doing a day trip to another island that’s closer or go on an island hoping tour.
To fully enjoy the beauty of island, you need to take your time. If I could change anything, I’d honestly do even two nights instead of just one. Although it’s a peaceful island, there is so much to do that will take more time than you think from snorkeling to scuba diving, to bioluminescent plankton swims, to nature walks, to kayaking, etc.
Where to Stay on Isla Grande
There are several ecolodges on the island that offer affordable stays with basic accommodations. There’s also a couple of luxury hotels like Hotel Cocoliso Island Resort and Hotel San Pedro de Majagua. I stayed at the latter and it was the most expensive hotel per night during my trip in Colombia. You can read my full review *here*.
I loved my stay at the Hotel San Pedro de Majagua, but the one major downside was its north side location on the island meant there were intense winds that day. Luckily the dive shop at the hotel also has a dive shop just an 8 minute walk away at Hotel Cocoliso and recommended we hang out there after our snorkel excursion. The waters were calm and there was virtually no wind. Such a stark contrast!
What to Do on Isla Grande
Snorkeling
Isla Grande is one of the best islands in the Rosario Islands for snorkeling. The dive shop at Hotel San Pedro de Majagua or Cocoliso will help you book a boat snorkel trip. The location of the dives vary based on condition, but there are plenty of coral reefs and crystal clear blue waters to explore.
Isla Grande is hands down the best place I’ve ever snorkeled at in the world. The boat dive excursion was incredible, but I also had the opportunity to snorkel again right off of Cocoliso with some of the dive instructors. I have never seen so many fish so close to shore. We encountered angel fish, sea cucumbers, puffer fish, rays, massive sea urchins, schools of fish, so much more in just a few feet of water.
Since the water is so shallow, all the fish were closer to us than when we were snorkeling off the boat. If you have your own snorkel mask, you can easily do this one on your own. I went back the next morning again just to swim with the schools of fish. It was my favorite activity.
Scuba Diving
Just like with snorkeling, scuba diving at Isla Grande is superb. It was also one of the cheapest dives I’ve ever done at just $81. If you’re not certified, though, you can still go on a discovery dive! You’ll take a quick class in Cocoliso’s pool before heading into the ocean. There are only 4 divers per instructor to ensure safety if you’ve never dove before. It’s still very affordable at only $115. You go out on the same boat, so if you’re certified and your friend isn’t, you still have similar experiences, though you’ll be in different groups under the water.
The locations vary based on conditions and if you’re lucky, you might even get to dive by Pablo Escobar’s sunken plane! We weren’t so lucky, but it was still an incredible dive. You can check out the video of my dive *here*.
Bioluminescent Plankton
If you happen to find yourself on the island during a new moon or cloudy night, then you must check out the bioluminescent plankton! You pay a local eco guide $20 cash to take you on a canoe threw the Enchanted Lagoon to a platform where you can dive into the lagoon and witness bioluminescent plankton light up bright blue in the dark night waters. It’s a very trippy experience swimming in the dark and seeing neon blue sparkles come out of your finger tips as you swim.
I tried swimming in bioluminescent plankton once before in Cambodia off of Koh Rong Sanloem, but it wasn’t as dark. This time, thanks to the new moon, was so much better. There wasn’t really a set time, so when you feel that you’ve had enough of playing in nature’s blue sparkles, your guide takes you back on the canoe and all the way back to your hotel.
Nature Walk
You can pay an eco guide to take you on a guided nature walk, or you can walk around like I did. There are mangroves and secret beaches around the island to discover, so it’s fun just to explore on your own. I did get lost once because google maps doesn’t work when there are no roads, but thankfully there are ecolodges and hotels scattered around the island where you can ask for directions if you do get lost.
Enchanted Lagoon
The Enchanted Lagoon, where the bioluminescent plankton dive takes place at night, is also a great area to explore during the day. There’s a little hidden dock that’s perfect to sit off of and relax. You can also swim in the lagoon, though there isn’t much to see during the day since the water is less clear than the ocean. I swam to the little island in the middle of the lagoon and was able to see little fish there.
Isla Grande Beaches
Each hotel has their own private beach where you can lounge during the day. I did spend a lot of time at Cocoliso’s beach, which although technically a private one, I was never told to leave. It might have been thanks to the several snorkel and scuba excursions I did with their dive shop though, that they looked the other way.
There is one public beach, Playa Libre, that is known for it’s white sands and calm waters. I heard it gets crowded during the day due to day trippers, but clears up after the boats head back to Cartagena in the late afternoon.
Another beach to check out is Playa Escondida, aka “hidden beach”. You’ll have to ask for directions on how to get there, since one of the locals took us there. It’s a peaceful, small secret beach with a dock. It’s without a double the best place on the island to catch the sunset. Grab a few beers from one of the mom and pop restaurants and chill off the dock as the sun goes down.
Pablo Escobar’s Abandoned Mansion
The island is so beautiful that Pablo Escobar decided to build a 300 room mansion on the island back in the 80s! It has since been seized by the government and left to ruin, but still attracts tourists who try to find it’s hidden location. Colombia doesn’t like to talk about the infamous cocaine drug lord for obvious reasons. You’ll have to find it on your own via overgrown paths.
I desperately wanted to search for the mansion, but ran out of time, unfortunately. If you do go looking for Pablo Escobar’s summer mansion, be careful since it is falling apart and getting injured while on an island is never a fun time.
Kayaking
Another activity that I ran out of time for, but was high on my list, was kayaking. You can rent affordable kayaks from the resorts to explore the island better since the mangroves are so dense in certain areas that paths could not be created, so some parts are only accessible by kayak or boat. Once you’re done exploring you can even paddle out to Bar La Pisicna, a teeny bar on a tiny island off the coast for a truly unique experience.
Isla Grande is one of the best of the Rosario Islands, in my opinion. With an endless activity list, there is enough to keep you entertained for days. One of the best features of the island, though, is the lack of beach vendors that try to approach you on the other islands. The environment is calm and safe and peaceful and feels far less touristy than other places, even when staying at a luxury resort. The laid back island vibe allows you to truly feel like you’re in paradise.
