4 Days in Cartagena: Beaches and Islands
Four days keeps the arrival evening, Rosario Islands day, and Bocagrande beach day from the shorter route, then adds a Volcan del Totumo trip for the mud-volcano novelty. Need a different length? See the 3-day , 5-day , or 7-day version of this route.
Book these before you go
- Rosario Islands boat day: check tours on GetYourGuide
- Volcan del Totumo round trip: browse departures on Viator
- A walled city, Getsemani, or Bocagrande hotel: compare on Booking.com
| Day | Focus | Travel time | Daily cost (COP, per person) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrival, Old City walk, sunset on the walls | 15-20 min CTG to center | 150,000-250,000 |
| Day 2 | Rosario Islands and Playa Blanca boat day | About 1 hour each way by boat | 350,000-450,000 |
| Day 3 | Bocagrande beach, easy pace | 10-15 min taxi from the Old City | 120,000-200,000 |
| Day 4 | Volcan del Totumo mud volcano | 1-1.5 hours each way by road | 200,000-350,000 |
Day 1: Arrival and one Old City evening
Fixed-rate kiosk taxi from CTG, roughly 20,000-30,000 COP into the center. Walk the Old City’s plazas and Las Bovedas in the cooler late afternoon, then the walls near Baluarte Santo Domingo for sunset, free and worth building the whole evening around. Dinner in Getsemani.
Day 2: Rosario Islands and Playa Blanca
A reviewed operator, not a dockside tout, roughly 159,000 COP adult, 139,000 COP child for boat, a Playa Blanca stop, and lunch, plus a separate 25,000-29,000 COP national park and dock tax paid in cash that is very often left off the advertised price. Confirm it up front.
Day 3: Bocagrande beach, easy pace
A short taxi hop, workable sand, restaurants and pharmacies within reach, a deliberately low-effort day sandwiched between two bigger excursions.
Day 4: Volcan del Totumo
About 1 to 1.5 hours from Cartagena by road, most people book an organized round trip running roughly $35-65 depending on group size, entry alone is 20,000-25,000 COP. You float chest-deep in warm mineral mud, then rinse in the nearby lagoon, genuinely a novelty rather than a scenic wonder, expectations matter here.
Is Volcan del Totumo worth a full day of a short trip? It is a fun, polarizing detour, not a must-do on the level of the islands. Morning slots, 8-11am, beat the crowds and the heat, and the in-mud massage plus lagoon rinse-assistance both run small expected tips, 5,000-15,000 COP each, budget for them rather than being surprised.
Return to Cartagena in the afternoon, a light dinner near your hotel, and an early night before departure. Four days done this way covers both signature day trips without either one feeling rushed.