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Cartagena and the Rosario Islands

Historic Cartagena, protected Rosario reefs and island days within one trip.

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Destination Guide Sources For Cartagena and the Rosario Islands

Reference links used to build and maintain this guide.

35 sources • Updated Oct 29, 2026

Written by DiveJourney. Built from public sources and local operator knowledge. Last updated Oct 29, 2026.

Parques Nacionales Naturales: PNN Corales del Rosario y de San Bernardo - Official park status, access, regulation, climate, ecological values and arrival guidance.
Parques Nacionales Naturales: Resolution 0273 of 2007 - Historical legal site lists distinguishing Rosario diving from snorkeling; ask park for current changes.
Parques Nacionales Naturales: Rosario ecotourism activities - Archived park description of authorized snorkeling sites and certified scuba schools.
Parques Nacionales Naturales: mandatory visitor accident assistance, June 2026 - Confirms requirement since March 2026 and insurance distinct from park entry fees.
Parques Nacionales Naturales: official PNN payment portal - Payment is not a reservation; official channel to verify fee and park availability.
DIMAR: maritime passenger safety recommendations for Cartagena - Historic primary maritime guidance on La Bodeguita, authorized private marinas, life jackets and vessel safety.
Cartagena municipality: weather restriction announcement, February 2026 - Real example of Rosario departures suspended during severe maritime conditions.
Cartagena municipality: island departure controls, September 2026 - Current official discussion of protected-area revenue and licensed pier oversight.
Diving Planet: Cartagena and Rosario Islands operator - Operator describes local diving, snorkel and island-hotel sea-access pickups.
Diving Planet: Rosario two-dive day trip - Advertises two guided certified dives, meeting point, approximate timing and selectable reefs or wrecks.
Diving Planet: guided Rosario snorkeling - Advertises guided snorkeling, Cartagena departure and island pickup with inclusions.
Diving Planet: trips from island hotels - Confirms hotel-side island pickup for scuba, introductory diving and snorkeling.
Diving Planet: tours and multi-day island stays - Distinguishes hotel-based night dives and packages from overnight liveaboard vessels.
Diving Planet: PADI courses - Primary operator evidence for beginner, advanced and referral certification paths.
Buzos de Baru: dive FAQs - Published mixed Cartagena-area pricing references, not an official Rosario tariff.
AQUACOAST: Cartagena supervised freediving training - Current pool-based breath-hold training, location and published monthly price.
Consejo Comunitario Islas del Rosario: community tourism - Island residents describe local guides, paths and community-led experiences.
ProColombia: Rosario Islands community experiences - Orika on Isla Grande, mangrove canoe trips, local memory, ecology and cultural tours.
ProColombia: specialized diving guide to Colombia - National tourism source for local marine ecosystems and reef-conservation guidance.
UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Cartagena - Primary source on the historic port, fortifications and cultural landscape.
Cartagena municipality: Getsemani heritage, July 2026 - City source for historic living neighborhood culture.
IDEAM: October 2026 Colombian rainy-season bulletin - Current rain-season warning for the Caribbean, especially October and November.
Rafael Nunez International Airport: ground transport - Official airport taxi-stand and transport guidance.
Migracion Colombia: entry and exit requirements - Current official entry rules, onward travel and visa-dependent documentation.
Migracion Colombia: Check-Mig - Official confirmation that Check-Mig is free and optional.
Colombia Ministry of Health: traveler yellow-fever guidance - Official risk-dependent vaccination guidance, check updates before travel.
ProColombia: Colombia practicalities - Official country electricity and plug information.
Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio: restaurant tips - Official statement that tips in Colombia are voluntary.
Divers Alert Network: flying after diving - Medical guidance on minimum intervals between scuba diving and flying.
Divers Alert Network: emergency assistance - DAN emergency phone and 24-hour support scope.
Armada Nacional: maritime emergency line 146 - Official Colombian Coast Guard sea-emergency contact.
Policia Nacional: Cartagena emergency line - Official Cartagena 123 emergency phone.
Armada Nacional: Naval Hospital hyperbaric center 2019 - Historic existence of hyperbaric facility; current admissions and chamber availability unconfirmed.
Destination hero photo by SebastianGalvis (historical) - Corales del Rosario islands near Cartagena, Colombia. Photo: SebastianGalvis / Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0. Cropped and resized. Cropped image retains the same license.
Destination hero photo by Zane Bolen - Small boat and Caribbean shore photographed in Cartagena, Colombia. Unsplash License (https://unsplash.com/license). Photographer: https://unsplash.com/@zanetb. Cropped and resized for the cover.