About Isla del Encanto

Isla del Encanto is located in the Rosario National Park and it’s a 45-minute speed boat ride from the city. It makes a perfect day trip from Cartagena as you get to escape to a beautiful island surrounded by crystalline turquoise waters. The island serves as a private resort as well. Beyond the day trip, guests have the option to stay overnight in cute little cabanas. If we would’ve had more days in Cartagena, we would’ve looked into staying overnight. For the day trip, we paid around $70 per person (the baby was free). The fee included transportation from the hotel to the dock, lunch, boat ride, and other amenities at Isla del Encanto. More about the amenities here. Make note that there’s no transportation provided upon return. Return transport is a point for improvement, given the price point.

Getting to Isla del Encanto

We booked the tour with our concierge and were picked up early in the morning by van to go to the docks. Make note to bring cash to pay for a small port fee before getting into the boat. Our speedboat had around 30 people. We were traveling with la piccola so we decided just to bring baby carrier because the stroller would be to cumbersome. That was a great call. She was four months at the time but she did fantastic on the boat. We also appreciated the lady who was the leader of the tour group. She was very accommodating, even saving us a seat on the boat which provided the most shade for the baby.

The Experience

We loved the relaxed vibe of Isla del Encanto. There are options to go diving and snorkeling but since we had the baby we just lounged by the beach and pool. There are plenty of cabanas available that provide shade. A must if traveling with a baby! The beach was pristine with clear waters and very fine sand. After the baby had a very brief first dip in Caribbean waters, we moved to the pool area. We enjoyed frozen limonadas de coco (a very popular drink in Cartagena) and played with our picola in the pool.

This day trip from Cartagena offers a buffet lunch and some water sports for free. You can buy alcoholic beverages and other premium food items like lobster for an extra charge. Cocktails run around $3 per person. A steal if you’re coming from a city like Washington, DC. The service was impeccable: our waiter came often to check up on us, the tour leader was very accommodating, and nobody soliciting at the beach. It was the perfect environment for a relaxing day. The lunch was solid for a buffet. I particularly enjoyed the arroz con coco (rice with coconut) and fresh fried fish.

Day Trip from Cartagena: The Verdict

If you’re looking for a day trip from Cartagena with a gorgeous beach, great service, and plenty of activities, Isla del Encanto is the place for you. Isla del Encanto is appropriate for families, groups of friends, and even couples. We saw a bit of everything and it seemed like everybody was having a great time. Overall, great experience. The only point for improvement would be for the resort to arrange transportation back from the dock to the hotel.

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Tuc Tuc

Tuc Tuc, the creatively decorated restaurant at our hotel Tcherassi Hotel is a must for places to eat in Cartagena, whether or not you’re staying at the property. The delicious breakfast, open to non-guests as well has a small buffet and a’la carte menu options available. A must is their french toast with a coating of hard caramel. Delicious! Bonus: you can get Tuc Tuc’s lunch and dinner menu at their rooftop pool.

Tuk Tuk, Calle Plaza Fernández de Madrid, Cl. 38 #6-21, Cartagena

La Cevicheria

This restaurant came at the suggestion of several people I know who have visited the city frequently for business. This tiny restaurant, as the name implies, specializes in ceviche. Ceviche being one of my favorite dishes, I was in heaven with the many selections of fresh fish. Not a ceviche lover? There are also other menu items to choose from. Tip: get there early! They do not take reservations and there was a long wait by the time we were done with dinner around 7:30pm.

La Cevicheria, Cl. 39 #7 14, Cartagena

Carmen

Restaurant Carmen came at the suggestion of a friend who visits Cartagena often and the concierge at Tcherassi. This restaurant scores high on both ambiance and food. We ate at the courtyard where a tree sits in the middle of the courtyard and we had a view of the bar and open kitchen. This was our favorite dining experience of the trip. We started our dinner with a ceviche (yes, I ate ceviche at every chance I had!) and finished with the pork belly braised in tamarind and palm sugar.

Calle 38 # 8-19, Calle del Santísimo, Cartagena

Alma

Although we didn’t get to have a full meal at Alma, we went for cocktails and dessert. We truly wished we had another night in Cartagena just to dine there. The stunning open dining room playing live salsa music opens the experience. We decided to go to their patio for the drinks. We had a deliciously airy meringue and passion fruit dessert that sadly I no longer see on the menu.

Restaurant Alma, Calle de la Universidad No. 36-44., Cartagena

Clemente

Clemente is a recent add to the Cartagena dining scene, having opened early spring at the Sophia Hotel. The hotel is tapas style and merges flavors from across the globe, focusing on local and mediterranean influences.  I still think of the mini arepas topped with grilled octopus. Their seared tuna with hummus is also a must. While at Sophia hotel, make sure you go to their rooftop for a drink, it offers some amazing views!

Clemente, Calle 32, de la Aduana, Cra. 45 #26c4, Cartagena

Places to Eat in Cartagena: The Verdict

This is a snapshot of places to eat in Cartagena, but there are dozens more I wish I could’ve tried! I only spent three days in this gorgeous city, but fell in love hard. The people, the food, the atmosphere, the architecture… Most of all, every restaurant we dined had great service. We dined with our daughter who was 4 months old at the time and every place we went to was so accommodating. In Latin America we say “el amor entra por la barriga”. That means, you fall in love though your stomach. That was how my love affair with Colombia began.

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