PLAYA BLANCA, BARU
Beautiful isn't it? Playa Blanca is, for my money, Cartagena's best beach. Not everyone feels the same. A quick glance at forums and Tripadvisor reviews will reveal that some people find it crowded and that overbearing touts make the experience completely unpleasant. Then there's the sometimes perilous journey home in high seas during the December- February high wind season.
I'm all about the full disclosure.
But saying all that. it's still where I prefer to go for my beach retreat time.
Avoid (or at least minimize, they are admittedly getting bigger and bigger every year) the crowds by going on a weekday and making your way up the quieter end of the beach (ooh.. should I really be telling everyone this?!). As far as the crazy homeward boatride, honestly, it can be intense, especially in Dec-March high winds season. If it seems more than you can handle, maybe take the road option (taxi or shuttlebus). For the touts.. a simple, but firm, no gracias and no eye-contact should usually suffice. Really they will ask me once or twice and then leave me alone when they see i'm not buying it. But that kind of thing really doesn't bother me and in fact, I prefer my beach with personality and people-watching and "realness". If you know it will bother you, maybe go for another option in the menu-list above.
So.. to avoid the rough seas.. the Shuttle Bus service we recommend make it very easy. It is run by the good folks at Mama Llena. It costs 50,000 pesos for the return trip which is the cheapest way to arrive and return available on the market. It means you don't have to pay the marine tax (currently 18,500 pp), you don't have to take the rough seas, and you will leave on time (departure times at the marina are notoriously bad). The other benefit is the ticket is open, so you can stay one or two nights at Playa Blanca and really make the most of the beach when it is at it's best (when all the day-trippers have gone home for the day) or just go home on the latest departure, so you can even stay for a night plankton tour.
They have a bunch of departure times:
The departure times from Mama Llena Hostal, Calle Media Luna, Cartagena are 8.30am and 12 noon, 5pm
The departure times from Playa Blanca, Baru are 10.30am, 3pm, 8.30pm
Mama Llena also now operate a beach house/restaurant on the quieter part of Playa Blanca (called Playa Tranquila). You are under no obligation to eat there or go there if you take their shuttle, it's just a good option. If you take the shuttle bus with them you can opt to take their free speed boat that travels along the beach up to Playa Tranquil and hang out at their restaurant there. They have security boxes you can store your things. They have packages that include lunch or dinner (depending which time you're arriving) and swimming with the plankton or snorkeling. If you don't want to go to their restaurant you are completely free to walk up the beach yourself to wherever you think looks good.
Here are the options for the Mama Llena Beach Club which I just found out is actually called Ocean Blue Beach Bar:
Day Pass 80,000 pesos
Includes
return shuttle transport as above
Lunch
Welcome cocktail
Day Pass with Snorkel or Plankton Tour 115,000 pesos
Includes:
Return shuttle transport as above
Lunch or Dinner (depending on arrival time)
Snorkel (mornings) or Plankton tour (nights)
Staying until the night shuttle back, even if you don't do the plankton tour, allows to you enjoy Playa Blanca in its best moment - sunset after the crowds have gone home.
Here's some of Mama Llena's happy snaps from people enjoying the day passes.
I'm all about the full disclosure.
But saying all that. it's still where I prefer to go for my beach retreat time.
Avoid (or at least minimize, they are admittedly getting bigger and bigger every year) the crowds by going on a weekday and making your way up the quieter end of the beach (ooh.. should I really be telling everyone this?!). As far as the crazy homeward boatride, honestly, it can be intense, especially in Dec-March high winds season. If it seems more than you can handle, maybe take the road option (taxi or shuttlebus). For the touts.. a simple, but firm, no gracias and no eye-contact should usually suffice. Really they will ask me once or twice and then leave me alone when they see i'm not buying it. But that kind of thing really doesn't bother me and in fact, I prefer my beach with personality and people-watching and "realness". If you know it will bother you, maybe go for another option in the menu-list above.
So.. to avoid the rough seas.. the Shuttle Bus service we recommend make it very easy. It is run by the good folks at Mama Llena. It costs 50,000 pesos for the return trip which is the cheapest way to arrive and return available on the market. It means you don't have to pay the marine tax (currently 18,500 pp), you don't have to take the rough seas, and you will leave on time (departure times at the marina are notoriously bad). The other benefit is the ticket is open, so you can stay one or two nights at Playa Blanca and really make the most of the beach when it is at it's best (when all the day-trippers have gone home for the day) or just go home on the latest departure, so you can even stay for a night plankton tour.
They have a bunch of departure times:
The departure times from Mama Llena Hostal, Calle Media Luna, Cartagena are 8.30am and 12 noon, 5pm
The departure times from Playa Blanca, Baru are 10.30am, 3pm, 8.30pm
Mama Llena also now operate a beach house/restaurant on the quieter part of Playa Blanca (called Playa Tranquila). You are under no obligation to eat there or go there if you take their shuttle, it's just a good option. If you take the shuttle bus with them you can opt to take their free speed boat that travels along the beach up to Playa Tranquil and hang out at their restaurant there. They have security boxes you can store your things. They have packages that include lunch or dinner (depending which time you're arriving) and swimming with the plankton or snorkeling. If you don't want to go to their restaurant you are completely free to walk up the beach yourself to wherever you think looks good.
Here are the options for the Mama Llena Beach Club which I just found out is actually called Ocean Blue Beach Bar:
Day Pass 80,000 pesos
Includes
return shuttle transport as above
Lunch
Welcome cocktail
Day Pass with Snorkel or Plankton Tour 115,000 pesos
Includes:
Return shuttle transport as above
Lunch or Dinner (depending on arrival time)
Snorkel (mornings) or Plankton tour (nights)
Staying until the night shuttle back, even if you don't do the plankton tour, allows to you enjoy Playa Blanca in its best moment - sunset after the crowds have gone home.
Here's some of Mama Llena's happy snaps from people enjoying the day passes.
