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Island of Barú Tour: Wildlife and Beach Adventure
4.5
184 Ratings
Cartagena de Indias
Experience the wonders of Colombia’s wildlife and nature on a full-day tour to Isla Baru. Visit the National Aviary to see colorful parrots, peacocks, and flamingos in their natural habitat. Then, relax and enjoy the turquoise blue sea at Playa Blanca. Book your unforgettable adventure now!
Experience the wonders of Colombia’s wildlife and nature on a full-day tour to Isla Baru. Visit the National Aviary to see colorful parrots, peacocks, and flamingos in their natural habitat. Then, relax and enjoy the turquoise blue sea at Playa Blanca. Book your unforgettable adventure now!
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Cartagena District - 1. The journey begins with a pick-up from your hotel, hostel, or any accommodation between 6:00 am and 7:30 am in a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle. Other travelers will also be picked up, so patience is appreciated due to occasional traffic. Enjoy a scenic 45-minute tour through the stunning city of Cartagena on the way…
- Cartagena District - 1. The journey begins with a pick-up from your hotel, hostel, or any accommodation between 6:00 am and 7:30 am in a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle. Other travelers will also be picked up, so patience is appreciated due to occasional traffic. Enjoy a scenic 45-minute tour through the stunning city of Cartagena on the way to the Barú Peninsula.
- The tour continues over the Baru Bridge without stopping, where the Corales del Rosario and San Bernardo National Natural Park can be seen. The Barú Peninsula, also known as Isla de Barú or simply Barú, is separated from the mainland by the Canal del Dique. Until 2014, crossing was only possible by raft or similar means, until the “Baru Bridge” was opened. Barú is an artificial island created nearly 100 years ago by the construction of the Canal del Dique, and it includes the towns of Ararca, Santa Ana, and Barú.
- Playa Blanca - Arrival at Playa Blanca, renowned for its white sandy beaches and turquoise waters. It is the only public beach within the Corales del Rosario National Natural Park. Upon reaching Barú, a short 5-minute walk leads to the Beach Club, where visitors can relax on sun loungers or chairs and explore the stunning clear waters. Lunch is provided with a $30,000 voucher redeemable for menu options. Guests can enjoy huts, sun loungers, bathrooms, and social areas at no extra charge.
- Aviario Nacional de Colombia - The visit includes a trip to the National Aviary, where guests will learn about the biology and behavior of various bird species, as well as the importance of preserving Colombian avifauna and nature. The presentation at 11:30 am showcases three ecosystem environments and 22 exhibits, featuring large immersion aviaries, radial aviaries, estuaries, and lakes. The diverse landscapes, vegetation, and aquatic environments offer a chance to appreciate a wide variety of bird species.
What's Included
- Snacks
- Travel insurance
- Bilingual guide
- Entrance to the national aviary
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Lunch
- Snacks
- Travel insurance
- Bilingual guide
- Entrance to the national aviary
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Lunch
What's Not Included
- Alcoholic beverages
- On-board WiFi
- Balinese beds
- Towels
- access to showers. *Additional cost
- Alcoholic beverages
- On-board WiFi
- Balinese beds
- Towels
- access to showers. *Additional cost
Additional Information
Embark on a memorable journey to Barú Island, Playa Blanca, and the National Aviary. This venture is ideal for those interested in Colombia’s diverse wildlife and breathtaking nature. When touring the National Aviary, expect to encounter an array of vibrant parrots, peacocks, flamingos, along with other species in their natural environments. Next,…
Embark on a memorable journey to Barú Island, Playa Blanca, and the National Aviary. This venture is ideal for those interested in Colombia’s diverse wildlife and breathtaking nature. When touring the National Aviary, expect to encounter an array of vibrant parrots, peacocks, flamingos, along with other species in their natural environments. Next, unwind at Playa Blanca, soaking in the striking blue seascape and picturesque views. This outing suits those eager to explore Colombia’s fauna and nature without straying far from Cartagena. Don’t delay, secure your spot today!
Location
Muelle de la Bodeguita
Avenida Blas de Lezo
At the Bodeguera Dock there will be an employee with his company uniform
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.5
(184 Ratings)
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Alex_r
Mar 14, 2026
The pickup process was... - The pickup process was very well organized. They communicated both the day before and the day of the tour to confirm details and provide the arrival time. Once on the bus, expect up to about an hour of additional pickups around Cartagena before the group officially heads out.
Our first stop was the bird aviary, which was truly a treat. The exhibits are beautiful, well maintained, and very professionally done. The full walkthrough takes about 2–2½ hours, which was perfectly timed for the bus to pick us up afterward and continue on to the beach.
When we arrived at the beach, we went to Mambo for lunch. They offer great grilled food options along with drinks. The area also has restrooms, outdoor showers, and lockers to rent available for guests. While there are cabanas available to rent, they really aren’t necessary since Mambo provides plenty of shaded lounge space to relax and cool off from the sun.
The water was mildly warm and very refreshing. Throughout the day, the tour guides were meticulous in answering questions and making sure everyone knew exactly where and when to meet for departure.
If you’re looking for a great combination of nature and relaxing beach time, this experience is definitely worth it.
Review provided by Viator
Angelica
Mar 4, 2026
Cartagena tour trip - This was a great tour, the bus ride to the aviary was smooth and quick. Enjoyed seeing all the different birds at the aviary the highlight was seeing the flamingos!
Playa Blanca was beautiful the water was crystal clear they provided beach beds and the lunch was great. Definitely recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paradise00603702389
Feb 27, 2026
Beautiful water - Great experience but very long bus ride. Most of the day is traveling not much time at the beach unfortunately
Review provided by Tripadvisor
182juliethm
Oct 3, 2025
Woman travels alone- Incredible experience - A woman who wants to travel alone NEEDS 🚨 This Enterprise, Excellent Service oriented me at all times, took care of me and my comfort. Daniela did everything I wanted. It was an amazing birthday because of you. Thank you Aisa and Daniela thank you annex Tours
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Candice
Aug 1, 2025
Amazing experience - >2000 birds of varied species in the aviary. The live show is interesting. Amazing experience! Mambo Beach Club is a good place to relax and the food is good too. How ever the plankton trip takes too long waiting. No camera /light is allowed there so only enjoy it with our eyes.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lawrencea323
Jan 31, 2026
Bust beach awesome aviery - Not much beach and completely crowded with vendors and guest. The Aviery was the highlight and we totally recommend a visit there.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Olivier_c
Jan 27, 2026
Great experience if you're willing to go outside your comfort zone - I recommend joining the WhatsApp to ask questions and get updates (pickup place was a few hundred meters away from the Viator place indicated in the app).
The bus ride was fine, AC was decent, seats were Ok-ish, the ride was about 1h15 long to go from Los Pegasos to Aviary Park.
The Aviary park was amazing, 9/10. There is a rest space with bathrooms about 50% of the way with a small store if you need water or snacks. The birds are amazing and the show at 11h30 was a great way to end the park.
Now, to the Mambo beach part was... Rough to say the least. The guide just walked without a word from the bus through locals then on the beach for... 5-7 minutes without turning around or saying where Mambo is...
Then when we arrive at Mambo, the place was good, you then HAVE to select your food, not later, now.
We picked our food (rice and fish) then rented a locker for 10K Pesos which was worth the peace of mind. Then the beach, incredible blue water, white sand, no algues, only sand with some rocks/corals.
It was very pretty, the water was warm but refreshing. I didn't like the jetskis coming very close to swimmers, it was also smelling like diesel at times.
The guide then called each person to come and prepare since the bus was leaving soon (20-ish minutes) which was great.
The ride back was good, a bit of traffic but not too bumby and the driver was patient and didn't use the horn, so we could snooze a little.
I recommend this experience to people who wants a bit of a change of scenery and something outside your comfort zone.
Review provided by Viator
Julieye5644zy
Feb 28, 2026
An adventure - The bird aviary was great but we wished we’d had a guide. The color of the water at the beach was exquisite and it was fun to jump in the waves. The tour guide did a good job keeping track of us but he did not stay with us at the aviary or the beach. Otherwise, the trip was a bit of an ordeal. We had requested a hotel pickup but never got notification of pick up time. Instead, we got an email saying to meet at the Pegasus dock downtown. So we walked over there but we were the only ones on our tour there and the guide was trying to pick us up at the hotel! (apparently they communicate via what’s app but we weren’t informed of that). The beach club was primitive and the access to it would have been impossible for anyone with mobility issues. The fried fish lunch was good but we stayed way too long at the beach. I can’t recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
872felipem
Jan 12, 2026
Playa Blanca? Think well... - The aviary is beautiful and for those who love birds, a mandatory stop.
Playa Blanca could be a wonderful experience, however, the absurd amount of walkers, boats, jet skis, trumpets, wallet beats and loud music of poor quality, turns the walk into a suffering.
Arriving and leaving the place is a hot, dangerous and unpleasant saga.
The guide, Juan Luíz was great, mitigating the setbacks.
Club Mambo serves delicious food with a pleasant atmosphere.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anthonypu2472jp
Oct 28, 2025
Beautiful Birds, Horrible Beach - As an American tourist, I had a horrible experience with this tour. The National Aviary was the only redeeming part it was beautiful and well-organized.
However, once we got to Playa Blanca, everything went downhill. The beach was overcrowded, dirty, and full of aggressive scammers who constantly swarmed and pressured us into buying things or paying for “services” we didn’t ask for. The guide took us to a beach club that felt like a setup for nonstop hustling rather than relaxation. It completely ruined what should have been a peaceful day. Definitely not worth the money or the stress.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
