From Cartegena, most people travel East to the fantastic beaches of Park Tayrona or to Ciudad Perdida. An alternative and less visited route is to the west along Colombia's Carribean coastline.
San Bernardo Islands
On the Western stretch of Colombia's Caribbean coastline, in Sucre department, one finds the rarely visited areas of Tolu, Covenas and the islands of San Bernardo. The ten small islands and fine beaches of San Bernardo are the real travel highlight of this area. To visit you must travel overland by bus (or private vehicle) from Cartegena to Monteria or Sincelejo, from where you can travel onwards.
From Tolu one can travel by boat to the island Isla Palma, where Decameron has a 5 star beach resort and dolphins are often spotted. Alternatively, Isla Tintipan has cabanas that accommodate up to 12 people, while Isla Muruca has cabanas for up to 22 guests. An alternative is to use Tolu or Covenas as a base to visit San Bernardo Islands. Tolu is more of a port town, while Covenas is a much more pleasant place to stay, with much finer beaches in the surroundings. Consider Hotel Golfo de Morrosquillo, Cispatá Marina Hotel or Villa Babilla Hotel in Tolu, or Hotel La Fragata in Covenas. Another hotel in the area is Hotel Los Delfines.
Various tours can be made from Covenas. A popular trip is to see the egrets of the swampy Cienaga, or to the nearby volcanic mud baths.
