You can dive from the beach, and that's the point
Most diving sold in Cartagena involves a long boat ride before you get wet. Ours doesn't. Our house reef is straight off our beach on the southern shore of Tierra Bomba, sitting at about 6 metres, and a discovery dive on it takes roughly an hour from kitting up to coming out. You don't need a certification, a logbook, or any experience at all.
We're 25 minutes by boat from Cartagena, so the whole thing fits inside a day out of the city, and you can eat lunch afterwards without moving more than fifty metres.
What it costs
| What | Price | How long |
|---|---|---|
| House reef discovery dive | US $90 | About an hour |
| Discovery day | US $140 | A full day |
| PADI Scuba Diver | US $320 | 2 days |
| PADI Open Water | US $460 | 4 days |
| PADI Advanced Diver | US $440 | 2 days |
If you're deciding between the discovery dive and the discovery day: the single dive is for people who want to find out whether they like breathing underwater. The day is for people who already suspect they will.
If you're doing Open Water, four days means four days on the island. That's a room, not a day pass, and it's a good reason to look at our rooms rather than commute back and forth on the boat.
No, you can't snorkel here
Straight answer: no. Our beachfront leads out to open ocean, and while the house reef is there, it's at 6 metres with surface water that's frequently choppy. Floating on top of it with a mask is a waste of a morning. Going down to it with a tank is not. This is one of the very few things we'd tell you to spend money on rather than do for free.
If you specifically want easy, shallow, warm-bath snorkelling, that's the Rosario Islands, and we run boats out there.
What the water is actually like
The sea in front of us changes with her mood. Some days it's glass, some days there's swell, and visibility moves with it. Nobody serious will promise you Caribbean postcard clarity every single morning, and we're not going to either. The trade for that is a reef that isn't crowded with other operators' boats, because most of them are an hour away pointing at the Rosarios.
The crossing from Cartagena is usually smooth, and much calmer than the infamous Rosario Islands run. In windy weather it can be choppy. Getting on and off the boat takes a bit of agility, which is worth knowing before a day carrying dive kit.
Fitting a dive into a day trip
Our boat leaves Muelle de la Bodeguita at 10am and 11:30am, and comes back from us at 4pm and 5:30pm. Take the 10am if you're diving. It gives you the morning water, lunch afterwards, and a lounger for the flat part of the afternoon when you shouldn't be doing anything strenuous anyway.
The day pass with boat transfers is $40 per person, with a sun lounger from $5 to $30 on top and food and drink paid as you go. The beach club is open to day visitors from 11am to 6pm.
One planning note that catches people out: there's no phone signal on the island. Sort your dive booking over WhatsApp before you come, not from the dock.
Who shouldn't book
We'd rather say this than have you waste the money.
- If you're flying within 24 hours of diving, don't book the dive. Standard rule, no exceptions from us.
- If the idea of open ocean rather than a lagoon makes you tense, the Rosario Islands trip is the better day.
- If you're travelling with under-12s on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, those days are over-12s only here.
What to bring
Swimwear, a towel is provided, sun cream that isn't going to strip the reef, and something to change into. Leave the GoPro pole at home for a first dive: you'll enjoy it more with both hands free. If you take medication, or you've had recent surgery or any heart or lung condition, tell the dive team before you book rather than on the beach.
And if you finish the dive and decide you want the certification after all, tell us that day. Four days on an island is an easier sell after you've seen the reef.