How To Enjoy A Caribbean Island When Traveling To Cartagena

When traveling to South America, it is hard to visualize sometimes how close you are to the Caribbean when you are visiting Venezuela or Columbia. Last weekend, I was in Cartagena, Columbia and was astounded to learn that I could go to the beach in the Caribbean for the day and snorkel for a very affordable price. As soon as I learned this from my waiter at a restaurant, I began to investigate and this is what I found out…

Everyday there are several tour companies that offer boat rides from Cartagena to Barú with the option of snorkeling or being transferred to a luxury resort that has a private beach. What is amazing about these tours is that they are quite economical. For example, my husband and I paid $25 USD per person for a tour that included transport to and from Cartagena, a fresh fish lunch, and a stop at multiple islands near Barú for snorkeling. The only thing that was not included in our sensational experience was the price of snorkeling that was $10 USD per person and the Cuba Libre Cocktails that we consumed on the beach to relax in Barú, which were $2 USD each. All in all, I would have spent more in the United States than I did that day had I decided to stay home and not travel!

I have seen tours such as these in many parts of the world but they are always a great idea particularly if you know the local language or know someone who can translate for you. With this kind of assistance, you can often pay what the locals do and have a more authentic travel experience. For example, if I had asked a luxury hotel to arrange this for me, I would have probably spent four times what I did that day.

The cost aside, the people who you meet on these tours are usually fun and engaging travel lovers such as yourself. Throughout the tour, you are able to share meaningful experiences about your home countries and enjoy the day together sharing a memorable life experience. The next time you are traveling and you find out that you are near a neat natural wonder, UNESCO monument or distinct cultural museum unique to the country that you are visiting, consider investigating some of these tours. You will be truly amazed at the deals that exist out there and the rewarding travel experience that you can have as a result.