Barú Island Exploration: Mangroves, Snorkeling & Bioluminescent Plankton Experience
4.4
68 Ratings
Cartagena de Indias
Embark on a full day adventure on Barú Island, exploring mangroves, snorkeling, and witnessing the mesmerizing bioluminescent plankton. Book your magical experience now!
Duration: 15 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Cartagena District - 1. We start with the pick up at your hotel, hostel, accommodation or whatever your location is. between 6:00 am and 7:30 am in an air-conditioned transport We will pick up other travelers as well. You must be patient because traffic is sometime a problem. We will enjoy a panoramic tour of approximately 45 minutes through the beautiful city of Cartagena until we reach the Barú Peninsula.
  1. We will pass through the Baru bridge without stopping where we will find the Corles del Rosario and San Bernardo National Natural Park. The Barú Peninsula (sometimes called Isla de Barú or simply Barú), is separated from the territory by the Canal del Dique. Until 2014 the only way to cross it was by raft, or its variants. It was in that year when the so-called “Baru Bridge” was inaugurated. (Barú is an artificial island that was formed almost 100 years ago by the construction of the Canal del Dique. The three towns on the island are Ararca, Santa Ana and Barú).
  • Playa Tranquila Baru - 2. We arrive at Playa Blanca Famous for its white beaches and turquoise waters. it is the only public beach. . Once in Barú, we will walk about 5 minutes until we reach the Beach Club, where you can spend time in a sun lounger or chairs, you can explore the beautiful crystal clear waters. Lunch is a voucher for 30,000 consumables on the menu. You can make use of huts, lounge chairs, bathroom and social areas at no additional cost.

3.Visit to the Mangrove Swamp You will be picked up in a native boat to go to the mangrove swamps where you will see different types of animals and learn the importance of mangrove swamps in our ecosystem. You will practice snorkeling and see different species of fish and their habitat. At the end you will be able to feed them and interact with them.

  • Isla Baru - On the white beach you will wait for nightfall, we will take you in the company of native islanders in a boat to see Plankton is a group of organisms that float and drift in suspension in fresh or salt water. when shaken, they produce a brilliant light like a star or diamond.
    Plankton performs a very important task in fixing or capturing CO2 found in the atmosphere and exporting it to deeper ocean waters or to the seabed.
    Plankton is also responsible for the production of more than half of all the oxygen on our planet. At the trophic level it is the beginning of the food chain.
What's Included
  • Travel insurance
  • Bilingual guide
  • Snorkel activity, use of goggles to see underwater.
  • Welcome cocktail
  • Biolumiscent plankton activity
  • Use of comfortable facilities (toilets, lockers, tables and sun chairs) in Mambo Beach.
  • Lunch voucher of 30,000 pesos for use a la carte
What's Not Included
  • Alcoholic Beverages
  • Towels
  • All fees and/or taxes
  • access to showers. *Additional cost
  • Balinese beds
Additional Information

Embark on a spellbinding adventure in Barú Island, an ideal location for a day full of activities. Get ready to marvel at the pristine waters of the Colombian Caribbean teeming with diverse animal and birdlife, as well as become enlightened about the essential role of mangroves in maintaining our ecosystem. Get a chance to snorkel and discover a variety of fish along with their habitats. We will be stopping over at Mambo Beach club in Playa Blanca, an exclusive locale where you can relax amidst cozy surroundings facing the sea. The day’s special feature would be the bioluminescent plankton, an encounter you will cherish for a lifetime. It is the most authentic way to experience the island’s magic. So what are you waiting for? Schedule your complete day worth of exploration today.

Location
Monumento Los Pegasos
Calle 24
In the Statue of the Pegasus there will be an employee with his company uniform
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.4
(68 Ratings)
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L8511jhenriquev
Jan 18, 2024
GOOD TOUR OPERATORS. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - My most precious congratulations to the Nexxtours team: the 3 excellent guides, many thanks to Miguel (Mike), Kevin and Sergio: pleasant, attentive to everything, in situations that could have aroused concern, they calmed us down and gave us confidence; The driver, Gualberto, also very friendly. They had the courtesy to divert the hotel search route to look for us in Manzanillo, 30 minutes north, at the hotel where we stayed, which was not on the list. Permanent contact by WhatsApp with the office managers, for all the details. British punctuality: 6:02 pick up from the hotel. The arrival at Barú Island was good, the beach, without waves, very pleasant, stating that I have extensive experience in tropical beaches. Beyond the tour operators, the Mambo Beach Club has several aspects to improve: for example, waste management, which generated abundant flies at lunch time, (it can also be solved with simple and inexpensive "flytrap" tapes); The Balinese beds looked like a line of sheets in the wind, (just tie the curtains); Andrés, who was in charge of the service at the club, very good, a gentleman. The snorkeling to see the fish included underwater photography, something unexpected, and very nice, they even made sure that all the members of the tour could appear in individual underwater photos, including people who didn't know how to swim, wearing masks. What needs to be improved: having breathing tubes would make the process much easier, as would life jackets, not all of which are in perfect condition. The mangroves: unforgettable experience (even when I got a small bite from a raccoon, but seawater heals everything); Solidarity was also seen between the different operators who quickly solved a problem with the boat's engine; The experience of feeding the fish is enjoyable. The snack before the tour to see the luminescent plankton can also be improved, however, this plankton experience is something to treasure among unforgettable memories, the only pity lies in what cannot be improved: you cannot make a photographic record of the plankton Well, phone cameras do not have the sensitivity for that, a professional camera is required. In short, the balance is very positive, and the expected incidents of any tour, nothing very relevant. Absolutely recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nancymw975cj
Nov 10, 2023
An unforgettable experience - Excellent visit, we. we have fun quite and. HE. They took quite a few. photos, an incredible experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Davidcg1242mo
Oct 21, 2023
Excellence - Great experience from early on enjoying the beach and the clean facilities of Mambo Beach Club
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sawuelreyes
Feb 29, 2024
Nice tour in baru and cartagena - I really loved the experience! It's a really nice place, loved the food and the ambiance. And the shoots of Ron !!! Everything was amazing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cesaranzola945
Jan 28, 2024
Good experience but expensive and dangerous at night - The tour picked us up near the clock tower but not at the hotel. Our guide Valentina was very friendly and attentive while the bus took us to Baru beach. Issues to keep in mind: the Mambo Beach Club welding beds are not included, we have to pay 80 thousand more for them. The site does not have lockers to store your things safely. The food was delicious although it is somewhat expensive (minimum 60 thousand pesos). If you want a shower after getting out of the sea you have to pay extra too. The tour of feeding the raccoons in the mangroves and seeing the fish was very nice, I recommend it! However, the experience with the fish was very short and we didn't really snorkel, we just submerged our heads for a short while to see them. The plankton experience was very cool! However, the boats that transport people at night do not have lights. I think it could be very dangerous since there were ships transiting at the same time. They should at least have a simple light. We liked the experience, but it was undoubtedly very expensive for what it is.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Khickman1023
Nov 9, 2023
Overall a good tour. - I was a solo tourist. The day I was supposed to meet the group, I ended up sick. Next tours agreed to allow me to go the next day in which I was very grateful. The app I had the tour on, therefore canceled and my itinerary disappeared, So the next day I got up to meet the tour, however, the new details were earlier, and I ended up missing my ride. I messaged with the tour and they agreed if I could meet up by UBER to the first meeting place I could go on from there. (I am glad I don't have to give the uber review, because that was rough. Sergio was my guide, and all I can say, he was fantastic. He took care of me the whole time he was there. He would end up switching later when he was done, the next guide would take over Juan Luis. Juan was also exceptional. Negatives would be, the mangroves were so overcrowded with boats, didn't even know what I was looking at. Loved the raccoons, but really was expecting more. The second negative was the hours spent between snorkeling and bioluminescent was long, and it seemed all I got done was telling the vendors , no.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karla_t
May 30, 2024
Fun-iah excursions, not a relaxing beach day - The activities (mangroves, plankton) were a lot of fun. There isn't much to see with the snorkeling. The sunset and the moonlight over the ocean at night is very beautiful. I wanted to relax on the beach between everything, but the vendors are relentless. Three of them tried to steal my friend wallet. Also according to viator lockers would be provided. We did not get lockers. Overall experience was... eh.
Review provided by Viator
Lyudmila
Mar 7, 2024
Playa blanca and plankton tours are great, snorkeling and mangroves awful. - Had good customer service, and good time at the private club in Playa blanca (there are still vendors bugging you in there, just not every 10 sec). Plankton tour was great, however the boat was over capacity. Snorkeling and mangroves part was pretty bad: there is nothing to see when snorkeling, I had to argue with the guide to get a mask that I can actually see clearly through (masks were super old, scratched an beat up, and they even didn't provide the snorkel!). Mangroves tour just included a quick boat ride (5 min) in the mangroves (very bad smell) and feeding raccoons that looked like rats.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dana_s
Feb 14, 2024
Horrible - The beach is ok but the mangroves and snorkelling was awful You get on a crowded boat and are given life jackets. My husband's didn't close properly and no one cared after he mentioned it. Then we took the boat up and down the beach for half an hour picking up other people. I was so excited for the mangroves but you only go in 500 meters and they let you get off the boat to feed the lemurs which is so gross. You're supposed to look but not touch. And that's all you do in the mangroves! Then they to us to feed minnows. The snorkeling experience doesn't even give you a snorkel - just a mask. And again the only fish around are there because the guides are feeding them. The ladder slipped out from under me and I crashed into the boat. My husband got hit in the head when the driver was pull starting the engine. When we got back to the beach we asked our guide if we could skip the plankton because we were so disappointed we didn't want to wait until dark to see if the plankton would be any good. She seemed totally unfazed by this. Also the driver was TERRIBLE. He kept honking his horn and blasting music. 0 points for this tour. I honestly want my money and time back.
Review provided by Viator
Annaag6
Jan 23, 2024
Worst trip ever - this booking was a total fraud , we didn’t get to do any of the events that they offered in the tour and it was a waste of one of vacation days
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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1 Adult
July 2024
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