Caribbean Islands

Isla Grande of Rosario

In the context of a wonderful trip, perhaps the only minor drawback was this day when we were scheduled to visit the Caribbean islands off the coast of Cartagena. It's likely that expectations were very high, as is logical considering the Caribbean atolls, but the fact is that we weren’t the only ones planning an excursion, and the organizers of the various agencies did their best to accommodate everyone. We are regularly picked up by a bus that collects all members of our group, and after about an hour's drive, we reach the Baru Island; we arrive by means of a bridge that connects it to the mainland. This takes us some time, navigating around the lagoon south of Cartagena, where we can see the "real" part of the city, with its industries and outskirts which are not very different from the rest of the country. Once there, we find ourselves in a maze of people just disembarking from buses and cars in the parking lot, following the crowd and ending up on a beautiful beach, although it is full of swimmers. The group is quite diverse, with mostly Colombians and a couple of South American couples. With good organization, we board the boat which, at a high speed, reaches the Isla Grande of Rosario, we jump into the crystal-clear water for a swim and then head towards the island of Cholon, where, after arriving, we enjoy a delicious ceviche in a truly unique setting: tables are set up under umbrellas planted in the water, so that the consumption takes place with legs immersed. Another water-based stop near the Isla Azul on which stands the villa of Pablo Escobar, there is a possibility to dive and see a crashed plane, similar to those used for transporting cocaine in the United States during the drug trafficking era, but 5 meters deep are too much for our swimming abilities. The next stop is on an small island, based on tropical fruits, music playing, people swimming; a beautiful and not exclusive setting, given the Christmas period with lots of boat traffic and people being loaded and unloaded, in a cheerful but not excessive atmosphere. We return to Playa Blanca in the Playa Tranquila area for a decent fish dish and then take the bus back to Cartagena. A shower to remove the salt and we head back to the center for a great dinner in the Bastions area; final view at the ornaments in a pleasant weather extended by the festive evening and we return around 10:00 PM.