• 1. Where to Stay
• 2. Where to Eat
• 3. What to Do
• 4. Insider’s Tip
• 5. An Oddball Day

Islas del Rosario   (Photo: Courtesy of Gareth Thomas)

After a dizzying night of partying, regain your balance by inhaling some salty sea air in Islas del Rosario, a coralline archipelago of 27 islands—some so tiny they only have space for a single hotel or house. Locals often head to Playa Blanca in state-owned Isla Barú, where white sands, turquoise waters, and a few food stalls enliven the sleepy scene. Divers and snorkelers looking for something less sedate can book an all-day excursion with Caribe Dive Shop (57-5-665-3517). Most trips include transportation, a midday sandwich, and access to the accommodations at Hotel San Pedro de Majagua, a high-end property owned by the same folks as the Hotel Santa Clara in Cartagena. If you stay overnight, make sure to book a boat trip to Isla Grande, where at night, microscopic plankton light up like tiny stars in the mangrove lagoons.

Published on June 5, 2007 as a web exclusive.