Full-Day Rosario Islands Including Barú, Cholon and Playa Blanca

I have purchased MANY trips on Viator that have been great and have accurate website descriptions. However, this tour was NOT exactly what it said.We are two adults in our early 30's, friends traveling together, that have used Viator trips around the world with hardly any issues ever. First of all, the tour company BackpackersCTG emailed us to say the pickup was at 7-7:30 am. We prepared to be ready by 7. At 6:30am, the tour operator arrived at our hotel, while my friend was still in the shower!!! Unacceptable. We had to make them come back at 7 to get us. Then, when the person came to pick us up at 7 and saw us holding towels, they told us we could go back to our room to drop them off since towels would be provided by the tour guide at every stop. Thank goodness we didn’t listen to him, because there were NO TOWELS anywhere to be found on the trip. On the actual island hopping tour – the speedboat was NOT a typical speedboat anyone was expecting after paying $95+ each person. They used a SMALL fishing boat and crammed 18 people on top of each other- one seat was meant for one person, but they sat 2 people together. It was insane and uncomfortable in extremely hot conditions. Not to mention, extremely unsafe for the amount of people on the boat versus the weight and choppiness of the sea. The boat driver went very fast in rocky waters and people were flying out of their seats. Many of us were worried the boat would flip since it was so small. In addition, there were many men on the trip for a bachelor party that purchased TWO large foam coolers for their alcohol, which took up even more room on the boat that should have been for PEOPLE. The guides NEVER told them it was too big or too much to put on such a teeny boat. Then, on our way back from the tour, the air conditioner was not working on the van. They DID NOT replace the van and were driving with the windows and doors open. Again, very unsafe. This is absolutely unacceptable for a tour that costs $95 per person. I have spent several hundred or even thousands of dollars on tours with Viator over the years throughout my worldly journeys including with friends and family who have also made purchases, and I have never had an experience like this. The islands were gorgeous and we had a great time swimming, snorkeling, enjoying the warm clear waters and beauty of the islands. But you can definitely see the same thing from a better, more organized, SAFE company! We requested a full refund.

Our tour guide was Osmel, he was a great guide and had a very cheerful presence. The tour itself was great value for the price. You get picked up right outside your accommodation and they take care of everything from start to finish. We start off at Playa Blanca to get into a small boat (~15 people) and then we went to 3 different locations, spending 1-1.5h at each location. The three places were very different from each other and was a good overview of the Rosario Islands. The water is crystal clear and so beautiful. Highly recommend it!

First and foremost, our guide Jorge was AWESOME. Super friendly and fun and enthusiastic. The entire boating and event crews helping out were incredibly friendly and fun. This was a great way to see several of the islands and spend some time at each of them. Different experiences on all the stops as far as swimming, relaxation, and partying levels. All beautiful beaches and water. Only somewhat surprise we had was that the boat was not what we'd typically expect for a boating experience - it was truly a speed boat with rows for about 30 people to sit and fully covered - no lounging. We didn't spend time on the boat out in the water, just used it to cruise from spot to spot. Not a negative and nothing was wrong, just different than what we've seen in similar experiences elsewhere. Overall great time and totally worth it the money / time. Would do it again!!

The tour was very fun I would definitely do again. Our tour guide Osmel was totally awesome, helpful and very fun. If I could change anything it would be just wishing the tour was longer

The trip was so much fun! If you love beautiful islands, aqua water, great guides, snorkeling and local cuisine...this trip is for you! Was nervous after reading the reviews from a few people! However, this trip did not disappoint in any way!!

informative and helpful staff, right next to beach, clean room, nice balcony view and idk what else to write im just filling in space lol

This tour was pretty great. Our guide Ozmel I hope I am spelling this right was amazing and so helpful and funny. He gave us enough details about the islands and also gave us some snack as well as the lunch that was provided. It was a fun day that began at 7.30am and ended at about 4pm. Cholon was a lot of fun and the drinks were so yum! We also had a great time at Playa Blanca and Playa Azul. We all didn't want to snorkel but we were able to sit on the boat and listen to music while others snorkeled. It was a great time! Worth the price.

This tour was very scenic. We got picked up at our hotel in Cartagena and was taken to the beach to get picked up. Our boat broke down half way getting to the first island. We had to go back and split the group in 2 different boats. This was a quick turn around and we were on our way quickly to the islands. The first island we went to, we went snorkeling, 2nd island we went to was Cholon and it was awesome which had a beach bar , tables and chairs IN the middle of beach water. We got serviced and ordered piña coladas . Wish we could of stayed there longer. Then we went to Baru where we sun bathed and enjoyed shrimp cocktails. Playa Blanca we had a nice lunch and view. We stayed there for an hour. Jorge is a good tour guide and handled everything very well. One thing that was an issue that isnt the tour guides fault was the attitude of our driver. My husband and i understand and speak spanish and english. We almost got dropped off where our hotel was and the driver didnt want to drop us off first. He didnt do the right turn. He didnt want to park so our tour guide and driver were arguing on the drop off schedule and we got dropped off last. Hopefully yall will get a better drive next time. It was very well worth the money and i highly recommend it . Everything was included. We're a couple in our late 20s

I can not in any way recommend the tour of Full-Day Rosario Islands Including Barú, Cholon and Playa Blanca. Faulty boat engines, wasted time, lack of organisation, hounding from locals swindling guest out of money, unsafe snorkelling and more! I have emailed the company to complain.

The islands are definitely worth a visit, but with 34 people on this tour it definitely wasn’t small. We spent a lot of time picking up other people and waiting while trying to load/unlod the boat. If you sit in the back you can’t hear a word the guide says. Didn’t follow time schedule either so got back to Cartagena very late which made us have to change our plans. Guide didn’t explain the plan well either.

Pick up was prompt the bus didn't have AC and was very packed. The boat was older and they didn't even offer a stepping stool to climb it. Could have been better for what we paid. Overpriced. Pros: Islands were beautiful but another tour company would've been better.

This was the best tour I have the pleasure of being on! Jorge was the absolute best, he kept it entertaining and educational at the same time. He educated us about the histories of the islands and entertained us upon arrival. They company picked us up and dropped us off by to our hotel, so that was super convenient. The lunch on the beach was amazing, if I had to tour again I would not hesitate to ask for Jorge.

I had a really great time during the tour. the whole team was very attentive about getting us food, drinks, and anything we needed. For our tour guides we had Jorge and Arturo. They both were fantastic. The beaches were incredibly beautiful! The food was incredible. They adjusted their menu to a vegetarian meal really well. It was super delicious! We did not know, but there is a fancier way to get to these islands. There are boats that leave from the port. Leaving from the port gives you two more hours in the hotel in the morning. We were picked up really early in the morning by the bus. Seems like the boats are a direct shot and less adventurous than the bus. Having said that, we had a fantastic time! The snorkeling was definitely an experience. We swam out pretty far to a ship wreck, the scenery was unbelievable, and we had great customer service. I would sign up again for this tour.