
Full Day Tour to 4 Rosario Islands with snorkeling and plankton in Cartagena
Traveler rating
3.4/5
Based on 13 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Full Day Tour to 4 Rosario Islands with snorkeling and plankton in Cartagena worth booking?
Full Day Tour to 4 Rosario Islands with snorkeling and plankton in Cartagena is a 12-hour experience in Cartagena, Colombia, from $70 per person. It scores 49 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Worth a Look”, based on a 3.4/5 rating across 13 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 49 / 100
- Rating
- 3.4/5 (13)
- Duration
- 12 hours
- From
- $70 per person
Enjoy a full day of adventure in the beautiful Rosario Islands with snorkeling and sighting of luminescent plankton. Swim in crystal clear waters and admire marine life in its most colorful and spectacular forms.
What you get
About this experience
Enjoy a full day of adventure in the beautiful Rosario Islands with snorkeling and sighting of luminescent plankton. Swim in crystal clear waters and admire marine life in its most colorful and spectacular forms.
What's included
Included
- Snacks
- Use of snorkeling equipment
- Lunch
- Tasting of fruit salad in Isla Agua Azul
- Seafood cocktail in cholon island
Not included
- Alcoholic beverages
What you'll see and do
Torre del Reloj
This will be our meeting point for those who are staying in the center, such as san diego, getsemani and the walled city.
30 minutes here
Isla Baru
Once the collection of passengers is finished, we will move to Barú Island to start the activity.
45 minutes here
Playa Blanca
Here we will begin our activity of the 4 islands, follow the instructions of the guide.
30 minutes here · Admission included
Islas de Rosario
We will start with the walk through the Rosario Islands and previously we will do a snorkel
240 minutes here
After the walk through the Rosario Islands we will be on the islands of Sin and Fiesta, Isla Cholon here they will receive a seafood cocktail
60 minutes here · Admission included
After the Isla Cholon party, we will go to relax on the virgin beach of Agual. Here they will receive a fruit tasting.
60 minutes here · Admission included
Playa Blanca
Here you will enjoy lunch at Playa Tranquila on Isla Barú and we will wait to make the plankton
240 minutes here · Admission included
Isla Baru
Here we will do the plankton in the Laguna de Barú
120 minutes here
Where it starts and ends
Meeting point
Cartagena
For those who are outside the limits of the center, you will have to be located in the indicated place to ensure the reservation, contact the tour operator, please write to whatsapp and communicate the instructions.
Hotel pickup
Pickup is available for selected locations. Pickup begins about 120 minutes before departure.
Ends at
For those who are outside the limits of the center, you will have to be located in the indicated place to ensure the reservation, contact the tour operator, please write to whatsapp and communicate the instructions.
Options you can book
Family or groups without plankton
Duration: 8 hours no plankton: This option is only for those who do not want to plankton Pickup included
Family or groups with plankton
Duration: 12 hours with plankton: This option is for those who want to end up with plankton Pickup included
Plan 1 or 2 person with plankton
Duration: 12 hours Plan 1 or 2 person without plankton Pickup included
Plan 1 or 2 person without plankton
Duration: 8 hours: Promo plan 1 or 2 people without plankton Plan 1 or 2 people without plankton Pickup included
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- en, es
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Every day
- Group size
- Up to 15 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- GR TOURS Cartagena
Know before you go
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Photos






What travelers are saying
Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 13 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.
The guide
7 mentionsTravelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
Food and drink
4 mentionsThe tastings and food stops are a highlight for most reviewers.
Pace and timing
3 mentionsSeveral reviewers found the schedule tight or the day long.
Photo opportunities
2 mentionsThe views and photo stops come up again and again.
Value for money
2 mentionsTravelers feel they got more than they paid for.
Good for families
2 mentionsReviewers traveling with kids report it landed well with their group.
Traveler reviews
13 verified traveler reviews for Full Day Tour to 4 Rosario Islands with snorkeling and plankton in Cartagena. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Islands of the Rosary
Very good tour and attention of the guides. Spectacular beaches and activities were what we expected
Response from the operator: Muchas gracias por su comentario
via Tripadvisor (translated)
Probably give more attractive tours to the Rosario Islands
A tour aimed primarily at local tourists - the poor English description should have been a warning. The listed features have been largely met, but snorkeling without snorkeling is not snorkeling for me. From the approximately 90-minute round trip in rickety buses via e.g. T. very bad roads was not mentioned in the description. All the information on site was given in Spanish; since we were the only non-native speakers, no one else was bothered. The points approached were always quite crowded, but even with that the locals had less of a problem than we did. The concluding swim in the bright plankton, which we waited several hours for after lunch (even this "idling" was not clear to us before), was checked off very quickly - after 10 minutes we should already return to the boat. Compared to other tours we did in Colombia, this one was rather disappointing overall, but we were obviously not the right target group either.
Response from the operator: Thx for the comments
via Tripadvisor (translated)
Cartagena Fun
Out of the four islands I really enjoyed the 'Fun Island'. Luis our tour guide was great and so much fun!!
Response from the operator: Muchas gracias por sus comentarios..
via Viator
Spend a bit more and get a private tour
TLDR: spend a bit more and go on a Catamaran or private tour This is an outline of the trip: We were picked up at 7.30 am by a lovely man (he didn't join as a guide) and got on the bus to pick up other people. We made stops along the way where street vendors came on the bus to sell various things. We were given breakfast along the way, no vegetarian option available. 9.45am approximately we started off for the beach. At 10.45am we arrived and all got into a boat and the boat was filled to the maximum. And went for about 30 mins to the first stop of snorkeling or paying 40.000 cop for a dolphin interaction. We snorkelled in some choppy water where most of the coral has died due to people kicking it. We saw some beautiful fish. The guide fed the fish so we could see them next to us. We jumped back into the boat and headed to an island. My clothes were knocked off my seat into the bottom where it was wet. We then went to Isla Cholon where we had a table in the water and saw floss floating around and was super crowded and loud. I will quote one of the other tourists to sum this up 'I just paid $30 for a UTI'. We went to the next island for a fruit tasting. We were sat in plastic chairs on the beach where we swarmed with different vendors who constantly came to sell things. The fruit tasting was two large trays of fruit needing to be shared amongst 24 people which was not the most hygienic or easy to do. Next we went back to the beach where we had lunch around 2.30pm/3pm. The lunch was tasty. The bathroom there did not flush nor had toilet paper. My friend saw the kitchen and I did not want to hear about the state of it. At the beach every 10 mins someone would approach you to sell something. We stayed there until 6pm and got given a snack, no vegetarian option available either. Then went to swim in the bioluminescence which was enjoyable. We then head back to Cartagena at 7 30/7.45 and arrived at 9pm. The main guide could speak English however would only do the briefings in spanish, and not bother to translate eventhough half of the tour were English speakers. At the end of the day about 3 guides were left who only spoke Spanish but were friendly enough. This is not a trip for rest and viewing pristine islands. There is constant music and it is very crowded. We were disappointed by the amount of rubbish around the beaches and constantly being approached by vendors. I would recommend going on a Catamaran or private tour instead and spending a bit more. We considered leaving after a few hours and asking for a boat and taxi to take us home as we were not enjoying this at all. If you do choose to do this tour pack a dry bag for all your belongings and sit an the very back or very front of the boat as everyone will climb over your belongings wet.
Response from the operator: Muçhas gracias por sus comentarios... veo que prestaron atencion a las indicaciones del producto y la del guia..mis guias son personas nativos qué tienen acentos latinos cuando hablan ingles pero se esfuerzan en demostrarlos, son guias capacitados en buceo y jovenes atentos, a la ultima actividad hacen cambios pero siempre les dan las indicaciones..sino entiende el acento de ellos pregunten y ellos les van a responder con mucha amabilidad.
via Viator
Would be a blast if we spoke Spanish on our English tour
So we booked an English tour and ended up with a guide that didn’t speak English until after we got to the boats and combined with another group. The English guide translated most of it but we definitely had to ask for clarification multiple times and we booked plankton just for no one present to speak English, also we didn’t get life jackets even tho we asked multiple times in an overpacked boat. For the most part it was ok the food was good and we enjoyed snorkeling just wasn’t really worth the headache
Response from the operator: We apologize for the headaches, it must be that on the bilingual guide's list he asked for the day off... we are sorry for all the confusion
via Tripadvisor
Good to know
- Duration
- 12 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Every day
- Price range
- $70 to $6,500
- Hotel pickup
- Available for selected locations
- Booked in 30 days
- 5
- Verdict
- Worth a Look
Why this scores 49
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Full Day Tour to 4 Rosario Islands with snorkeling and plankton in Cartagena: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Cartagena.
How much does Full Day Tour to 4 Rosario Islands with snorkeling and plankton in Cartagena cost?
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Prices start at $70 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Cartagena usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does Full Day Tour to 4 Rosario Islands with snorkeling and plankton in Cartagena take?
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Plan for about 12 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Cartagena is not rushed.
Is Full Day Tour to 4 Rosario Islands with snorkeling and plankton in Cartagena worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 49 out of 100, which we label "Worth a Look". That score blends traveler sentiment (3.4/5 across 13 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Cartagena, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule Full Day Tour to 4 Rosario Islands with snorkeling and plankton in Cartagena?
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Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is Full Day Tour to 4 Rosario Islands with snorkeling and plankton in Cartagena suitable for kids and families?
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Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 12-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book Full Day Tour to 4 Rosario Islands with snorkeling and plankton in Cartagena?
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Around 5 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Cartagena can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
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Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Cartagena and add a light layer if any part of the 12-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Full Day Tour to 4 Rosario Islands with snorkeling and plankton in Cartagena start and how do I get there?
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The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Cartagena within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Cartagena?
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On Outty we rank every Cartagena experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include Historic Center & Getsemaní Shared Tour in Cartagena, Cartagena Antigua & Barrio Getsemani group with audio system, Cartagena VIP Boat Tour: Rosario Islands & Snorkel. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Cartagena?
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Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Cartagena?
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Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
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Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
What is included in Full Day Tour to 4 Rosario Islands with snorkeling and plankton in Cartagena?
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Included: Snacks; Use of snorkeling equipment; Lunch; Tasting of fruit salad in Isla Agua Azul; and Seafood cocktail in cholon island. Not included: Alcoholic beverages. Always check the voucher for the final list before you travel.
Does Full Day Tour to 4 Rosario Islands with snorkeling and plankton in Cartagena include hotel pickup?
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Yes, pickup is offered, or you can meet at the start point instead from 197 listed pickup locations in and around Cartagena. Be ready about 120 minutes before the start time. You can also enter a custom pickup address when booking.
What languages is Full Day Tour to 4 Rosario Islands with snorkeling and plankton in Cartagena offered in?
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It is offered in English and Spanish. Pick your language when choosing a date and time, as not every departure runs in every language.
Will I get instant confirmation and a mobile ticket for Full Day Tour to 4 Rosario Islands with snorkeling and plankton in Cartagena?
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Confirmation is sent by the operator after booking, usually within 48 hours; if it is not confirmed you are not charged. Mobile tickets are accepted, so you can show the voucher on your phone.
Is Full Day Tour to 4 Rosario Islands with snorkeling and plankton in Cartagena wheelchair or stroller accessible?
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The operator notes: Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap; and Not recommended for pregnant travelers. If accessibility is critical, contact the operator after booking to confirm arrangements for your date.
What happens to Full Day Tour to 4 Rosario Islands with snorkeling and plankton in Cartagena if the weather is bad?
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This experience depends on good weather. If it is canceled because of poor weather, you are offered a different date or a full refund.
What do travelers say about Full Day Tour to 4 Rosario Islands with snorkeling and plankton in Cartagena?
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Across 13 reviews averaging 3.4 out of 5, recurring themes include the guide, food and drink, photo opportunities. Travelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works. One thing to know: Several reviewers found the schedule tight or the day long.
What booking options are available for Full Day Tour to 4 Rosario Islands with snorkeling and plankton in Cartagena?
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There are 4 options to choose from, including Family or groups without plankton, Family or groups with plankton, Plan 1 or 2 person with plankton, Plan 1 or 2 person without plankton. Prices and start times differ by option, so compare them on the booking screen.
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