Advertisement
South America
Colombia
Bolivar Department
Cartagena District
Isla Baru
Things to do in Isla Baru
Playa Blanca

Playa Blanca

See all things to do
Playa Blanca
3.5
#3 of 4 things to do in Isla Baru
Beaches
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
Duration: More than 3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Playa Blanca
See all
See what travellers are saying
  • 1beingpoor5being
    250 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Ssshh
    I'm on the beach now outside Geronimo glamping, this will be our last night of 3. Maybe this is the time of year to visit. Vendors yes, but are put off just as easily as in Cartegena. The beach is not crowded, if anything, when the boats go back to Cartegena, it's too quiet. There are about a dozen bars open at night with 3 or 4 people in each and they close around 10 p.m. It's not what I expected, but in a good way.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written December 30, 2023
  • Jasmine38Chichester UK
    Chichester, United Kingdom1,983 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Pleasant beach day if you appreciate its over developed and busy
    White sand beach although not very wide and blue waters. However, it is very overdeveloped and busy. It's probably best to book one of the nicer beach clubs as far as from the parking area as possible. Ignore all the guys that will approach you when you arrive. Once we'd walked to our beach club, the area was roped off and we didn't get hassled at all. Was a nice relaxing day after a lot of travelling around Colombia.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written February 18, 2024
  • Paradise599044
    20 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Loved it!!!
    Tour guide we hired in Cartagena took us to such an unspoiled spot. A little rough getting down the hill from parking area….wear good shoes…but sooooo worth it went you get to bottom. Nice authentic beach restaurants, good food and good prices. Water was spectacular
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written March 14, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions
3.5
3.5 of 5 bubbles4,694 reviews
Excellent
1,308
Very good
1,284
Average
856
Poor
498
Terrible
748
These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.
Xcan
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Isla Baru , Playa Blanca Colombia
Mar 2020
This place is an utter hole. We were trapped for 4 days at Rincon del Mar. non-functional toilets, had to beg every evening for the “free” internet to be turned on, no water in the shower, infrequent electricity. We chose to look on it as a chapter from a Paul Theroux book.

Paid for a snorkel trip and were given only a cheap leaky mask...no fins, no snorkel! Nothing but dead coral to see.

Rincon del Mar punted us off the beach chairs immediately after arriving because they were all sold to a day trip from Cartagena. Excuse me? I’ve paid for a beachfront room for 4 days that’s windowless plywood walls with the stench of a cesspool but I can’t sit in a chair? The venezolano who manages the place was extraordinarily unfriendly, never once offering a “buenos dios” or “como estas”. We have more than rudimentary spanish skills, but nothing we tried melted his obvious dislike of what he felt were rich gringos. These people don’t understand that we bank our holiday money for a year and we simply don’t have a bunch of cash to subsidize their lack of social security.

It’s certainly a destination for colombianos for a beach getaway, but hugely overmarketed to foreign tourists with misleading photos. Go if you want, but expect zero creature comforts, toilets full of rank stew and substandard food choices. Wash your hands as much as possible.
Written March 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fabian G
2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
DO NOT go to this beach , overcharged
Mar 2022 • Friends
They are over pricing at this beach , I was charged $240 usd for two plates of fish & rices , two drinks and a sprite …. Meanwhile I’ve been eating and drinking at 5 star restaurants in the city area for less that $60 usd. The people are money hungry trying to get over on tourist , the beach is beautiful water is clear but the people on the beach are too money hungry and looking to scam you so I would not recommend going there
Written March 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ter06
London, UK11 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Avoid at all costs
Mar 2020 • Friends
While the sea may be clear and the sand may be white, the beach is far too crowded for this to feel like an idyllic Caribbean experience. Everywhere and everyone will try rip you off. We got 4 beers at a bar and they tried to charge up £30 service charge which I refused to pay. There is constant hassle from vendors when you are trying to relax in the sun, even from guys in jet skis hollering at you from the water. Speaking of which, they come really close when you are trying to swim and pollute the water. It’s disgusting. When we got the bus back to Cartagena, literally everyone on the bus was talking about how they had been scammed. One solo traveller even had her bus ticket robbed cos they tried to get her to pay for a cab back to town. Avoid
Written February 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
teresacorica
Melbourne, Australia62 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Beyond crowded
Jan 2020 • Couples
I came here 5 years ago and although it was busy then, there was still plenty of sand area to relax and not overly crowded with shacks.... we went there yesterday (January 6th and on a weekend) and it was the most chaotic beach experience ever. There were hundreds upon hundreds of people everywhere, beach shacks that came almost up to the water so there is no patch of sand anywhere along the beach. Heaps of vendors, but a shake of the head and the moved on (so they weren’t the worst part). The dirt road leading into the beach took almost as long and the journey from Cartagena and it was only 10am. They even had to close the entrance because the beach was that full.
I’m so disappointed how overrun it has become, and would absolutely not recommend anyone to spend a day there over the holiday period.
Written January 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Zeynep B
5 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Avoid at all cost
Feb 2020 • Couples
Couldnt be worse.. too crowded, too expensive, and place to get ripped off. You cant even put your towels down, everywhere will charge you and food is overpriced. Bring pesos with you, our lunch place said they accept credit card but turns out they didnt even have a credit machine so they wanted us to pay in usd.. It looks like its all sand but after 3 steps into sea its rock..
My worst beach trip in my life so far. Dont waste time and money on this
Written February 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David K
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
WHATEVER YOU DO STAY AWAY
Apr 2021 • Couples
I’ve never been more uncomfortable a day in my life, let alone a day that was supposed to be relaxing on the beach. Traveling by car, locals stand in a line in the middle of the road to force your car to stop just to try to sell you a stop on the beach. If you say no, they sprint after your car, reaching in the windows and banging on the doors. When you finally arrive on the beach, you are swarmed by seller after seller, many who don’t want to take no for an answer. The only way to avoid their harassment is to go in the water, which you can only do for so long. On top of this all, the people who you do choose to buy something from are liars. Our check for our breakfast and drinks came and was $250.000 pesos instead of $130.000 pesos. We left the beach early because it was excruciatingly stressful... the exact opposite of what it’s meant to be.
Written April 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Benedicte
Oslo, Norway56 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
DO NOT GO HERE - La Vaina en playa Blanca (playa tranquila)
Apr 2023 • Couples
Worst experience I have ever had while traveling. I feel the need to be very strong with my words in this review because I don’t want anyone having this experience.

From the moment you enter the parking and WHILE INSIDE the car you are harassed and pushed to go wherever they want, because there are gangs gathering around you following (forcing) you to “their” place where they will make you sit down.

Later when they are doing the check/bill for whatever they have made you eat/drink they changes the menu to a menu that contains insane prices for everything and forces you to pay those prices. Also before leaving you will have to pay a “security fee” / “service fee”. We told them that this is crazy and that they are robbing us, but they just gathered around us telling us to pay up.

Basically we got robbed and the situation was super uncomfortable and tense. Literally felt like a hostage for the time we spent in this, sorry to say it, s***hole.

Hot tips: just avoid this place and keep living your life without the amount of stress and insecurity that Playa Blanca gives you. It’s not a safe place and it’s a shame for the few honest (I hope there are some of them) hostels and restaurants that is trying to make a living around there.
Written April 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beatriz F
Amsterdam, The Netherlands1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Dont ever go into the boat trips to see the coral
Jul 2019 • Couples
When we arrived there were already people trying to get you in the boat tour sayong that the boat was leaving now. Which it wasnt. It took half an hour to fill the boat until not one needle fits in there. They tell you it will take one hour when it was 3h. (I left my boyfriend waiting for me at the beach without knowing where i was since they told me it would take so short...). Then the coral we went to see had no color at all so nothing to see there. Plus the driving of the boat was super scary. I was really scared for my life. There were waves and driver was like crazy against them. On top of that they told me i could pay later with the card and they followed me for 1h since they couldnt find the machine to pay. It became a stressful day in a beautiful place. Dont go. Its a tourist trap.
Written June 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephanie M
2 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Beautiful Beach
Jan 2020
I just came back from my trip to Cartegena 2 days ago. Initially even before landing I already knew i wanted to visit this beach. The day of (Friday AM) I started reading reviews on here and I almost didnt go because of everything I read but my brother insisted so we went and I am glad I did! I stayed in Bocagrande so it took us about 40 min to arrive at Playa Blanca. My taxi guy was amazing. He took us to a spot toward the end of the beach. Less than 5 vendors came up to us but a FIRM "no thanks" did the trick and we were able to relax and enjoy the beach. I will agree that the entrance to the beach is very rocky and not pretty. The rental of 2 chairs cost me 50k pesos which is about $16. We had such a great time. Our taxi guy offered to wait for us (5 hours) and took us back to the hotel (very common to do this). Total round trip cost me $40.
Written January 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Martin D
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Go your way for your safety
Sept 2023 • Friends
A very bad experience. We were 4 French people aged 30 leaving from Cartagena in the direction of Baru, which some people had recommended to us during our trip to Colombia. First notable fact when arriving near Playa Blanca, the road is rutted and almost impassable, but we say to ourselves that this is authenticity. We quickly became disillusioned when, stopping at the Playa Blanca parking lot, young locals began to stick their heads to the window of our taxi to see what was inside, I admit I began to doubt from that moment on, and my instinct did not deceive me. As soon as we got out of the taxi, a group of these young people started to attack us, pushing us from all sides and telling us to pay 200 dollars if we didn't want any problems, explaining to me that their leader was going to pull out the gun if I continued to refuse to pay. We continued walking with this morbid escort who blocked our path every time we tried to enter a public place. Finally we managed to take refuge in a public place, the staff having watched the end of the scene without moving. The offenders did not pursue us any further.
We are clearly not the first to have this happen.
Google
Written September 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2
…
Showing results 1-10 of 979
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

PLAYA BLANCA - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

All Isla Baru HotelsIsla Baru Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Isla Baru
All things to do in Isla Baru
RestaurantsFlightsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars