What you are actually paying for
You are paying for a boat, a seat and a kitchen. That is the honest version. Every beach club near Cartagena that calls itself upscale is selling the same three things in different proportions, and the price differences come down to how far out you go, whether the transfer is included, and whether the food is cooked by someone who cares.
We are on Tierra Bomba, 25 minutes by boat from the city, on the southern shore facing the open sea. Our boat leaves the Muelle de la Bodeguita at 10am, 11:30am and 5pm, and comes back from us at 4pm and 5:30pm. No bridge, no car, no shortcut. That crossing is the single biggest thing separating a day here from a lounger on a city beach, and it is also the reason you should reserve rather than turn up: the boat has a limited number of seats.
The numbers, in one place
A day pass with boat transfers is $40. Then you choose where to sit, and you pay for what you eat and drink. Nothing is bundled into a wristband.
| What | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Club day pass with boat transfers | $40 | Our most recommended option |
| Sun lounger | $5 to $30 | Poolside for the music, beach for the quiet |
| VIP daybed | $50 | Right in front of the pool, fits three lying down |
| Beach cabaña | $30 | Quieter, easier access to the sand |
| Food and drink | As ordered | 8% food tax applies |
If you are staying with us rather than visiting for the day, your favourite lounger is held for you every day of your stay. You do not need to get up at seven and throw a towel at it.
The kitchen is the reason to come
If you only compare loungers, every beach club looks the same from a photo. The food is where the difference shows up. Our kitchen is Michelin Guide listed and runs under Chef Pedro Mosqueda, who trained at the Gato Dumas Institute in Bogotá, cooked in leading Colombian kitchens, and then worked in New York under Jean-Georges, April Bloomfield and Galen Zamara before coming back to cook with what these islands actually grow. Ceviche, cold rosé, meat we know the provenance of.
We were also the first beach club in Cartagena to put together a wine list, and yes, we sell rosé by the magnum. Cocktails are made with fresh juice. Vegetarians and vegans are properly fed here rather than handed a side salad, and we can work around gluten and lactose if you tell us in advance.
What we do not do is all you can drink. We offer full board for hotel guests at $90 per person per night, food and soft drinks included, and that is as close as it gets. This is not Cancún.
The sand is grey, and we would rather you knew now
Our beach is volcanic sand. It is natural and clean, but it is not the white powder you have seen in Rosario Islands photos, and the water in front of us is open ocean with a mood of its own. You cannot really snorkel off our beach: the house reef sits at six metres and the surface can be choppy, so a one hour scuba dive with our PADI team is the better way to see it, no certification needed to start.
We are also not wheelchair accessible. There is a boat to board and a 200 metre sandy track from the dock, and we would rather say so than have you find out on arrival.
Which day you pick changes the day you get
Weekdays here are quiet. Weekends are livelier, with music and locals coming out from the city. On Saturdays a DJ plays from one until five and the pool becomes the centre of things. Sundays wind down into cicadas and dinner.
One thing worth knowing if you are travelling with children: we love well behaved kids during the week, but Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays are for over 12s only, so the adults in the room get a day off too.
The sustainability part, without the halo
We are B Corp certified, solar powered and working towards zero waste, and we pay everyone on the team at least the established living wage in Colombia. We are also not perfect. There is air conditioning in the rooms, we still send around half a ton of waste to landfill each month, and every guest arrives on a fossil fuelled boat that we offset but have not yet replaced. We publish that because the cure for greenwashing is transparency, and you can see the whole operation for yourself on our back of house tour if you want to check our homework.
How to plan it
Book the day pass online before you come, especially if you want a seat on our boat. Bring cash or a card for food and drink, swimwear, and something for the sun. Leave the cooler at home: you cannot bring your own food and drink, and we are not going to lose it over a banana in your bag, but a picnic is a no.
If you would rather not do the round trip in a day, we have eleven rooms, and the last boat out at 5:30pm is the difference between a beach day and an evening where the only sound is the sea. See you on the boat.