Islabela Cartagena – Bela Beach Club Day Pass, Rosario Islands
- Full day (7:30 AM – 3 PM)
- 9 plans: beach, open bar, paddle, culture, hookah and diving
- Boat from La Bodeguita
Islabela Cartagena, also known as Bela Beach, is a beach club in the Rosario Islands, about 45 minutes by speedboat from the city. It offers nine day passes on the same island: a simple beach day, a classic day pass with lunch, an open bar, or a morning of paddling, snorkeling, walking with a native guide or diving.
If this is your first island trip, read our complete Rosario Islands guide before you go.
A day at Islabela
Meet at Gate 1 of the La Bodeguita tourist dock at around 7:30 AM. The Islabela staff greet you there, you pay the dock tax and the mandatory maritime insurance in cash, in Colombian pesos, and you check in with a valid ID. The speedboat leaves between 8:00 and 8:30 AM and takes about 45 minutes. Every plan except Express includes a welcome cocktail and lunch, with seven dishes to choose from, served with agua de panela: typical platter, tilapia fillet, chicken fillet, posta cartagenera, chicken burger, pasta with vegetables or pasta with chicken in white sauce. The boat returns to Cartagena between 2:30 and 3:00 PM, depending on the weather and the Port Authority.
Beach plans
Islabela Express is the budget option: access to the island’s facilities, with drinks, lunch and activities paid separately on site.
Islabela Day Pass is the base of your day: round-trip speedboat, a welcome cocktail, a Caribbean lunch of your choice, full access to Islabela and 20 minutes of kayak.
Islabela Open Bar adds a national open bar all day, with cocktails such as piña colada, coco loco, mojito, caipirinha and cuba libre, plus national beer and water. It also includes the round trip to the Oceanarium (the entrance is paid there). The pool is not included on this plan.
Plans with activities
Every activity plan includes the round-trip speedboat, the welcome cocktail, lunch and full access to the island and its kayaks.
Paddle with snorkel starts at 10:30 AM: an intro class and a 90-minute guided paddle board tour, ideal for beginners, with a snorkel session over the coral reef halfway through, a dry bag, a snack and a video of your experience.
AlMar is native culture and sea. At 10:00 AM a native guide from the island, Juan or Dani, walks you along its paths for an hour, tells you its stories and introduces you to the people who live there, with stops at Tomasita’s for her bolis and cocadas. Then comes a 90-minute panoramic boat tour with snorkel over the coral. It is guided in Spanish and needs a minimum of 2 people.
Hookah dive lets you breathe underwater without a certification: after an intro class, you dive for one hour from noon with an expert guide, breathing through a hose connected to a floating tank.
Paddle and hookah puts both on the same day: paddle board with snorkel from 10:30 AM and a hookah dive at noon, until about 1:00 PM.
Certified divers is for divers with a valid certification: two guided boat dives of about three hours in total with an SSI dive professional, full gear and a snack, to a maximum of 18 m for Open Water and 30 m for Advanced Open Water divers. Send your certification when you book.
Mini dive course is your first time under the water: about three hours with an SSI dive professional, with a boat dive between 5 and 12 meters among corals and reef fish. It is an introduction, not a certification course.
The hookah and dive plans are run by Aventuras Submarinas, an SSI dive center, and alcoholic drinks are not served before the hookah or scuba dives. Paddle and hookah can be combined on the same day, but AlMar cannot be combined with paddle or hookah because the times overlap.
Good to know
Children aged 3 to 10 can only join two plans: the Islabela Day Pass and AlMar, each with its own child rate. The other plans are for adults only, so if you travel with children, choose one of these two. On every plan, Express included, the dock tax and the maritime insurance are paid in cash at the dock and can change without notice. Outside food, drinks and personal speakers are not allowed on the island. If it rains but there is no red flag, the plan can be moved to another day; money is refunded only when the Port Authority does not allow boats to sail. Hotel transfers to the dock are not part of the pass, but you can add a private transfer when you book.
Islabela is also the lunch stop on our 3 Island Tour Cartagena, and you can compare all Rosario Islands day passes side by side.
What's included
- Access to Islabela's facilities
- Drinks, lunch and activities are not included
Not included
- Dock tax and maritime insurance (paid in cash at the dock, on every plan)
- Oceanarium entrance
- Extra drinks and activities not in your plan
How the day goes
- 1Meet at La Bodeguita, Gate 1Around 7:30 AM; pay the port tax and insurance in cash and check in with your ID.
- 2Speedboat departsBetween 8:00 and 8:30 AM; about 45 minutes to Islabela.
- 3Welcome to the islandA welcome cocktail on most plans, then time on the beach.
- 4Your plan's activityFrom about 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM: paddle, cultural walk, hookah or diving, depending on your plan.
- 5Caribbean lunchChoose from seven dishes on the plans that include lunch.
- 6Return to CartagenaAround 2:30 to 3:00 PM, depending on weather and the Port Authority.
Meeting point
La Bodeguita tourist dock, Gate 1, Cartagena.
- Check-in
- 7:30 AM
- Boat departs
- 8:00–8:30 AM
- Return
- 2:30–3:00 PM
Paid in cash at the dock (per person)
- Port tax (National Parks & dock)$31.500 COP
- Mandatory maritime insurance$8.800 COP
Fees are paid in cash (COP) at the dock and may change without notice.
What to bring
Bring a swimsuit, water shoes, reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, a towel, a valid ID or passport, and cash in Colombian pesos for the dock fees and anything you buy on the island.
Frequently asked questions
What are the plans and prices at Islabela?
Islabela Express COP 260,000; Islabela Day Pass COP 380,000 (child 320,000); Islabela Open Bar COP 420,000; Paddle with snorkel COP 520,000; AlMar native culture and sea COP 590,000 (child 530,000); Hookah dive COP 520,000; Paddle and hookah COP 660,000; Certified divers, 2 dives COP 700,000; Mini dive course COP 820,000. Prices are per person.
Can children go to Islabela?
Yes, on two plans: the Islabela Day Pass (children 3 to 10, COP 320,000) and AlMar (children 3 to 10, COP 530,000). The other plans are for adults only, so if you travel with children, choose one of these two.
Which plans include lunch?
Every plan except Islabela Express includes lunch, with seven dishes to choose from, served with agua de panela: typical platter, tilapia fillet, chicken fillet, posta cartagenera, chicken burger, pasta with vegetables or pasta with chicken in white sauce.
Do I need a diving certification?
Only for the Certified divers plan (2 dives): send a valid certification when you book. The Hookah dive and the Mini dive course are for people without certification, with an introduction class first.
Can I combine activities on the same day?
Yes, paddle and hookah: that is the Paddle and hookah plan. AlMar cannot be combined with paddle or hookah because the times overlap.
What language is the AlMar walk in?
AlMar is guided in Spanish by a native guide from the island, and it needs a minimum of 2 people.
Can I drink alcohol before diving?
No. For your safety, alcoholic drinks are not served before the hookah or scuba dives.
What do I pay at the dock?
On every plan, Express included, you pay the dock tax and the mandatory maritime insurance, in cash in Colombian pesos, to the Islabela staff at the dock. The amounts are set by the authorities and can change without notice.
Can I bring my own food, drinks or speaker?
No. Outside food, drinks and personal speakers are not allowed on the island.
What happens if it rains?
If it rains but there is no red flag, the plan can be moved to another day. Money is refunded only when the Port Authority does not allow boats to sail.
