Playa Punta Arena, Isla Barú
While Playa Blanca on Isla Barú draws the day-trip masses, Punta Arena sits at the island's southern tip and rewards the travellers who push a little further — a crescent of powdery white sand, water in three shades of turquoise, and a fraction of the vendors and noise. Getting here requires a longer boat ride or a bumpy road, which is precisely why it stays beautiful.
The beach itself
Punta Arena curves around a shallow bay protected by a natural sandbar, making the water calm enough for snorkelling even when the open Caribbean is choppy — visibility regularly reaches 8–10 metres and you'll find parrotfish, sergeant majors, and the occasional spotted eagle ray in the seagrass.
A handful of family-run rancho restaurants line the back of the beach, serving whole fried pargo (red snapper), coconut rice, and patacones at tables literally in the sand; prices are honest and the fish is pulled from the water the same morning.
Unlike Playa Blanca, there are no persistent vendors walking the shoreline every five minutes — you can actually lie here undisturbed, which on the Colombian Caribbean coast feels like a minor miracle.
Getting there and staying longer
The most direct route is a 45-minute lancha (motorised boat) from the Muelle de la Bodeguita in Cartagena, negotiated with one of the boat cooperatives for roughly COP 50,000–80,000 per person return.
A small number of basic but charming ecolodges and hammock camps operate on Isla Barú, allowing an overnight stay that transforms the experience entirely — sunsets here, with the island silhouetted against a coral sky, are genuinely spectacular.
Combine the visit with a snorkel stop at the Islas del Rosario coral reef system on the way back; many boat operators offer this as a standard add-on for an additional COP 20,000–30,000.
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