Playa Mamón, Bocachica
While day-trippers pile onto the packed beaches of Playa Blanca, those in the know slip around to Playa Mamón on the southern shore of Tierra Bomba — a crescent of pale sand facing the open Caribbean with warm, calm water and a fraction of the foot traffic.
The Beach That Cartagena Forgot
Playa Mamón sits on the southwestern tip of Isla Tierra Bomba, facing the open Caribbean Sea rather than the bay, which means cleaner water, a steadier breeze, and sunsets that melt into the horizon without a single high-rise in the frame. The sand is fine and the water shallow enough for long, lazy wading.
The beach is home to Blue Apple Beach, a boutique hotel and PADI dive resort that has quietly become one of the most lauded small hotels on Colombia's Caribbean coast. Day visitors are welcome at the beach club — arrive early to secure a sunbed.
Diving, Paddling and Doing Absolutely Nothing
Blue Apple operates as a full PADI Dive Resort in partnership with Paraiso Dive, Cartagena's top-ranked dive school, with a 4-metre house reef within swimming distance of the shore and easy boat access to the richer dive sites around the Rosario Islands and Barú.
For those who prefer the surface, stand-up paddleboards are available on the beach, and the hotel's turquoise-tiled pool — soundtracked by afro-latino DJ sets on weekends — is one of the most photogenic spots in the entire Cartagena region. Come evening, the palapa yoga deck converts into an open-air cinema.
Getting to Playa Mamón
Blue Apple runs its own scheduled boat from Cartagena — roughly 25 to 30 minutes each way — with several departures daily. Alternatively, take a public water taxi to Bocachica village and arrange a short mototaxi ride across the island to the beach.
The hotel formed a nonprofit called Green Apple in 2018 to promote sustainability across Tierra Bomba, employs almost exclusively local staff from Bocachica and neighbouring villages, and sources food from local suppliers — so every peso you spend here stays in the community.
Playa Mamón, Bocachica on video
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