Rosario Islands
Islands in a coral-reef national park south-west of Cartagena, with white sand, clear water and mangroves, three quarters of an hour away by fast boat.
- Arrival
- Rafael Núñez, Cartagena · CTG
- To the islands
- About 45 minutes by speedboat from Cartagena
- Private jets
- General aviation terminal at CTG
- Best time
- December to April
The city
A reef park off the Caribbean coast.
The Rosario Islands lie inside the Corales del Rosario y de San Bernardo national park, about 120,000 hectares of sea, reef, seagrass and mangrove stretching west from the Barú peninsula. Fifty-three species of reef-building coral grow here, and the islands can be reached only by water, with local guides for most excursions.
Speedboats leave Cartagena in the morning and run out in about 45 minutes; a few hotels keep guests overnight. From December to April barely any rain falls and the sea stays near 27 °C; from May the wet season builds towards a peak in October.
- The reefs Some 28 known dive sites across the archipelago, among corals that make up much of Colombia's Caribbean reef.
- The oceanarium An open-sea oceanarium on Isla Rosario, one of the islands that gave the archipelago its name.
- San Bernardo The park's second archipelago, two hours from Cartagena by boat, where currents run strong in places.
Arriving
Land in Cartagena, cross by sea.
There is no airport on the islands. Flights land at Rafael Núñez in Cartagena, on the shore north of the old city, and the last leg is by boat from the city.
- Panama City 55 min
- San Juan 2 h 10
- St Maarten 2 h 25
- Lima 3 h 30
- Paris 11 h 00 long-range jet
When to go
December to April.
At sea level the afternoons reach 31 or 32 °C all year, and the water stays between 27 and 29 °C. From December to April the islands get under 40 mm of rain a month. Rain peaks in October, passing 200 mm.
- 31° J 8 27°
- 31° F 2 27°
- 31° M 6 27°
- 32° A 34 27°
- 32° M 102 28°
- 32° J 110 29°
- 32° J 97 29°
- 32° A 130 29°
- 32° S 140 29°
- 31° O 218 29°
- 31° N 129 29°
- 31° D 35 28°
On the calendar
A date to plan around.
Dates as published by the organisers. Runways, hotels and slots fill early around these weeks: the sooner we know, the more choice you have.
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9–17 Jan 2027
Music & opera
Cartagena Music Festival
21st edition of the classical music festival in the walled city of Cartagena, with concerts in theatres, chapels and squares.
Teatro Adolfo Mejía, Cartagena, about 36 km away
In 2 months
Where to stay
An island of its own, or a cove on Barú.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Corona Island Ten boat-shaped cabins for adults only, the only hotel on an island otherwise left to forest, beaches and a turtle reserve.
- Sofitel Barú Cartagena Beach Resort A hundred and eighty-seven rooms with sea-view balconies above a cove, four infinity pools and a spa, and the first LEED-certified hotel in the region.
Where to dine
Where to book in Cartagena.
There is no high-end table on the islands themselves, so these are in Cartagena, about 90 minutes away by boat: one on Latin America’s 50 Best list, two from a 2026 Cartagena dining guide.
- Celele Latin America’s 50 Best 2025, No. 5 Colombian Caribbean Getsemaní, Cartagena, about 90 minutes by boat
- Carmen Two Travel, Cartagena guide 2026 Contemporary $$$ Walled City, Cartagena
- Alma Two Travel, Cartagena guide 2026 Caribbean Colombian $$$ Casa San Agustín, Walled City, Cartagena
Elsewhere in Colombia
More reasons to come.
- Cartagena Balconies heavy with bougainvillea, inside the old ramparts.
- Bogotá The capital at 2,600 metres, the Botero museum and the old quarter of La Candelaria.
- Medellín The city of eternal spring, in a green valley of the Andes.
- Salento Coffee farms, and the tall wax palms of the Cocora valley.
- Santa Marta The oldest city in Colombia, with Tayrona national park next door.
Flying to Rosario Islands?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.