Barú is an unmissable destination to visit in Colombia and easily accessible, it is characterized by having beautiful white sand beaches, crystal clear waters, and some keys surrounded by mangroves and multicolored corals. Going to Barú is a plan that can be done in one day if you are staying in Cartagena because it is only 1 hour from the historic center.
The first thing you should be clear about is that Barú is not an island (although many travelers identify it as Isla Barú), it is a peninsula that is located within the Corales del Rosario National Natural Park, which is why it can be reached both by land and by sea.
The fastest way to get to Isla Barú from Cartagena by car is by taking the variant on Calle 31 until you reach the crossroads on the Turbaco bridge before the Jardines de Paz cemetery. There you must take the crossroads to the right onto the road to Mamonal and at the next roundabout, you must turn left to take the road to Gambote.
Continue on this road to the bridge in Reficar, which is the one that allows you to cross to the right to exit the road directly to the hotel zone of Barú without having to enter the township of Pasacaballos.
On this road you must go through Ararca and Santa Ana, then on the road, you will find the junction to Playa Blanca on the right with a sign that says "PNN Corales del Rosario". Here you turn right and continue along the road until you reach the Playa Blanca parking lot, which is where the unpaved road ends. If you do not make the last crossing to the right, you will continue along that road until the town of Barú, 20 minutes away.
Within the peninsula, there is a small corregimiento called Barú but the tourist area where the best beaches, hotels, and restaurants are located is called "Playa Blanca" which is long before reaching the Barú hamlet and is also known as the center of Barú. The distance between Playa Blanca and Barú is almost 10 kilometers, which would be almost 20 minutes.
By this route, you will have to travel a distance of 42 kilometers, pay a single toll of 5,000 Colombian pesos (2 dollars) for cars and the travel time is 60 minutes. At the entrance to Playa Blanca, you can find parking that costs COP 15,000 (4.2 dollars) per day.
How to get to Playa Blanca Barú by bus from Cartagena
To get to Barú by bus from Cartagena, on your own and without the need for a tour, you must first get on a bus that will take you from Cartagena to Pasacaballo; It is a corregimiento on the outskirts of the city that is 20 minutes from the historic center. The bus ticket has a value of $2,100 Colombians (less than a dollar) and you can take it at Mall Plaza el Castillo in Cartagena. You must tell the driver that you are going to Playa Blanca so that he can tell you where the whereabouts are in Pasacaballo.
Then, when you get off at the bus stop, you must board a motorcycle for a cost of 8,000 Colombian pesos or a 3-seat motorcycle taxi for a value of 10,000 Colombian pesos (it would be about 3 dollars) to take you to the beaches of Barú. A very important recommendation is always to negotiate the prices before taking the transport.
Remember, as we mentioned before, Barú and Playa Blanca are two separate sites. The tourist area for the beach and hotels is located in Playa Blanca, so you must tell the motorcyclist that you are going to Playa Blanca because if you tell him that you are going to Barú, he will take you to the village. The ride from Pasacaballos to the entrance of Playa Blanca takes approximately 30 minutes.
Another transfer option is to rent a private transport from Cartagena to Barú with a capacity of up to 4 people for a value of 100,000 pesos, in which you can go with air conditioning and you can tell the driver to make several stops to take photos of the landscape before to arrive at Barú Playa Blanca.
How to get to Barú by boat from Cartagena?
The rates to get to Barú by boat from the city of Cartagena vary between $65,000 to 80,000 Colombian pesos (20 dollars) plus the amount of tax for entering the island. The boats leave the Bodeguita Pier from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm every 30 minutes and the trip lasts 40 minutes to Playa Blanca Barú.
In Playa Blanca Barú there are just over 100 kiosks that offer various typical Caribbean dishes. Among them you must try the sierra, the red snapper, and the sea bass; The value of the dish ranges between 10,000 Colombian pesos and 20,000 Colombian pesos, but always remember to negotiate the price first before buying anything in this place.
How to get to the Decameron Barú hotel by land?
If you are going to stay at the Decameron hotel in Barú, you should not go until the intersection to Playa Blanca. Once you are on the road to Barú, you must go through the township of Santa Ana and then cross at the first entrance on the right, which is the only road to the Decameron hotel. The entrance to the hotel is at the end of the road, 18 minutes after the intersection.
Hotels near Barú
If you plan to travel to Barú for a few days, you should check out these lodging options.
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