Islas del Rosario is one hour from Cartagena and you can only get there by boat.
This was my second time diving there and for this trip I did a two day, 5 tank dive with Diving Planet which required an overnight stay at Islas del Rosario.
Before getting into site and dive experience let me describe the situation here in Colombia. National travel has been opened for 2-3 months and international for 1-2 months. Unlike in the US people here don't make a big deal for having to wear masks; it's expected that you do so everywhere including when walking outside. My cousin came down to visit from Virginia and was shocked at how everyone wears a mask. Many establishments also take your temperature when coming in. As far as getting into the country you need need a Covid test within 36 hours and you're temperature will be taken when you arrive. If travelling from Bogota to Cartagena, the airport in Bogota will make you fill out a form on an app called CoronApp and show the QR code before letting you inside (the airport in Cartagena didn't ask me for this in the trip back to Bogota). There are direct flights from the US to Cartagena.
Andres, the owner of Diving Planet, was very patient with me in the pre-trip stuff like providing recommendations on where to stay and answering my questions about bringing my own gear and the necessary forms you easily fill online the COVID stuff. BTW, the package they sold me included R/T transport Cartagena/Islas del Rosario, lunch on both days and tanks and weights (I was bringing my own gear so they gave me a small discount) and breakfast for day 2. The total cost for the package (minus hotel) was about USD $225 - not bad.
On Day1 I met up with them at the marina (easy as pie process) and I sat down in the section of the hotel they were operating out of for this trip . The transportation was managed by the hotel (San Pedro Majagua) which was very easygoing in complete contrast to every other ride I've ever taken to Islas del Rosario where they haul a@@ and the ride is extremely bumpy and sometimes downright reckless. The ride took about an hour as usual and once there they match you up with your gear. On Day1 there was a French couple who was finishing up their OW, a Colombian couple who was doing a Discovery, the DM who would guide me (Jorge) and Jorge's gf who is with an organization called Agenda del Mar and was there to get pictures for the organization (she would diving with Andres) which meant that I would be diving with Jorge the entire weekend which in turn meant that I had very personalized and outstanding service.
The first dive was a self inflicted disaster. I was testing out my buoyancy at the beginning (yes I know its better at the end of the dive with a nearly empty tank) because I was trying out less lead and at some point got distracted and dropped my GoPro. By the time I realized what had happened I had drifted quite a bit and there was so much coral that it was impossible to find it. Near the end of the dive Jorge indicated that we'd look for it but no luck, Back on the boat Jorge and some others jumped back in with just snorkel gear and after about 10 minutes the guy who was teaching the discovery dive actually found it. That saved my entire trip.
The third dive on that trip was at night and it would only be me and Jorge. Like always Jorge gave a great predive brief and made sure we each had at least two flashlights. Despite already having my AOW this was my fist ever night dive and I had a blast and saw lots of interesting stuff including an octopus, pufferfish and huge crabs.
Second day we had two more dives and on these it was just Andres, Jorge, Jorge's gf and me. I told them that I wanted to practice deploying my DSMB during the safety stops and they accommodated me (first attempt was a total disaster and the second was a little bit better).
As for the locations great coral all around; I did see various lionfish which worries me about efforts to control that invasive species. Water temps
Great experience with top notch service. Jorge was pro and probably the best DM I have dived with; I hope to be back very soon.
For those of you wanting to do this trip I recommend staying a night or two in Cartagena; they have incredible restaurants and cocktail lounges. Dress nice though; it's pretty chic. Also a w word of warning. Islas del Rosario is located in Baru but some of Baru is pretty crappy diving, so when you book make sure they are taking you to the Islas del Rosario.
This was my second time diving there and for this trip I did a two day, 5 tank dive with Diving Planet which required an overnight stay at Islas del Rosario.
Before getting into site and dive experience let me describe the situation here in Colombia. National travel has been opened for 2-3 months and international for 1-2 months. Unlike in the US people here don't make a big deal for having to wear masks; it's expected that you do so everywhere including when walking outside. My cousin came down to visit from Virginia and was shocked at how everyone wears a mask. Many establishments also take your temperature when coming in. As far as getting into the country you need need a Covid test within 36 hours and you're temperature will be taken when you arrive. If travelling from Bogota to Cartagena, the airport in Bogota will make you fill out a form on an app called CoronApp and show the QR code before letting you inside (the airport in Cartagena didn't ask me for this in the trip back to Bogota). There are direct flights from the US to Cartagena.
Andres, the owner of Diving Planet, was very patient with me in the pre-trip stuff like providing recommendations on where to stay and answering my questions about bringing my own gear and the necessary forms you easily fill online the COVID stuff. BTW, the package they sold me included R/T transport Cartagena/Islas del Rosario, lunch on both days and tanks and weights (I was bringing my own gear so they gave me a small discount) and breakfast for day 2. The total cost for the package (minus hotel) was about USD $225 - not bad.
On Day1 I met up with them at the marina (easy as pie process) and I sat down in the section of the hotel they were operating out of for this trip . The transportation was managed by the hotel (San Pedro Majagua) which was very easygoing in complete contrast to every other ride I've ever taken to Islas del Rosario where they haul a@@ and the ride is extremely bumpy and sometimes downright reckless. The ride took about an hour as usual and once there they match you up with your gear. On Day1 there was a French couple who was finishing up their OW, a Colombian couple who was doing a Discovery, the DM who would guide me (Jorge) and Jorge's gf who is with an organization called Agenda del Mar and was there to get pictures for the organization (she would diving with Andres) which meant that I would be diving with Jorge the entire weekend which in turn meant that I had very personalized and outstanding service.
The first dive was a self inflicted disaster. I was testing out my buoyancy at the beginning (yes I know its better at the end of the dive with a nearly empty tank) because I was trying out less lead and at some point got distracted and dropped my GoPro. By the time I realized what had happened I had drifted quite a bit and there was so much coral that it was impossible to find it. Near the end of the dive Jorge indicated that we'd look for it but no luck, Back on the boat Jorge and some others jumped back in with just snorkel gear and after about 10 minutes the guy who was teaching the discovery dive actually found it. That saved my entire trip.
The third dive on that trip was at night and it would only be me and Jorge. Like always Jorge gave a great predive brief and made sure we each had at least two flashlights. Despite already having my AOW this was my fist ever night dive and I had a blast and saw lots of interesting stuff including an octopus, pufferfish and huge crabs.
Second day we had two more dives and on these it was just Andres, Jorge, Jorge's gf and me. I told them that I wanted to practice deploying my DSMB during the safety stops and they accommodated me (first attempt was a total disaster and the second was a little bit better).
As for the locations great coral all around; I did see various lionfish which worries me about efforts to control that invasive species. Water temps
Great experience with top notch service. Jorge was pro and probably the best DM I have dived with; I hope to be back very soon.
For those of you wanting to do this trip I recommend staying a night or two in Cartagena; they have incredible restaurants and cocktail lounges. Dress nice though; it's pretty chic. Also a w word of warning. Islas del Rosario is located in Baru but some of Baru is pretty crappy diving, so when you book make sure they are taking you to the Islas del Rosario.
