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My Travels: Rosario Islands - Cartagena, Colombia

skyline of white buildings in Cartagena Colombia

My last travel post was at Puente de Boyaca, the site where Colombia gained independence from Spain. A country site located at the top of the Andes mountains, which sports a cold climate year-round.

Well, a bit tired of the cold weather, I headed to the Caribbean alongside my son and sister to enjoy a whole week of sun, sand and water. We arrived at Barranquilla, but by the second day we moved on to Cartagena, a gorgeous tourist and cultural district. 

boat travaling alongside Cartagena's coast line with the tall buildings in the distance.

Cartagena, also known as Cartagena de Indias in the colonial era, is a major port situated on the northern coast of Colombia.

Its strategic location turned it into the main port for trade between Spain and its overseas empire during the colonial era, exporting goods to Spain and importing African slaves. The city was a common target of pirate attacks during those times, but I'll talk more about that on my next post.

The first thing we did in Cartagena was get on one of those boats and head to the Rosario Islands...


Tall buildings in the background, water and big rocks

We wanted to enjoy the water and the sun, and just lie down and relax. The city was left behind.


in the middle of the ocean the castillo stands still
San Fernando Fort

Also known as the Rosario Islands, it is an archipelago of approximately 30 islands located off the coast of Colombia, near Cartagena. 

A Natural National Park dedicated to protecting one of the most important coral reefs of the Colombian Caribbean coast.

Caribbean islands part of Colombia's Rosario Islands

We only visited two islands, the first one, on the right: Pirate Island.


Cartagena de Indias Colombia

A little paradise in the middle of the ocean.


brick floor cabin with big tables for lunch

The main lunchroom, with its large tables and benches.


Islas del Rosario Cartagena Colombia - boat with tourists getting to the islands

Looking out the window... The majestic Atlantic Ocean is a breathtaking shade of blue.


Isla del Pirata - lunch room

Coconut trees and sandy beaches and vegetation

on the boat Cristina Garay, Claudia Herran and Matthew Garay heading off to the corals to snorkeling

Here we were on our way to the coral reefs...

dock

And we had an enjoyable time snorkeling!


snorkeling in the Caribbean

I wished I had an underwater camera to capture all the beauty we got to experience there. 

Oh well, those are some unforgettable memories.

coconut tree and white railing overlooking the Atlantic Ocean

The other island we visited: Cocoliso.



I loved those balusters.



And the swimming pool with the big'ol ocean in the background.

This archipelago is a gorgeous place on earth that I really recommend. Nothing like being in one of these islands and forgetting about the world!

Stay tuned for more of Cartagena... My next post: The Historic Center.







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