Full-Day Tour Isla Baru - National Aviary of Colombia and Playa Blanca
Description
Get ready for an unforgettable experience on the Island of Barú, Playa Blanca and the National Aviary. This tour is perfect for those who want to experience the wonders of Colombia's wildlife and nature. During your visit to the National Aviary, you will have the opportunity to see many colorful parrots, peacocks, flamingos, and other species that live in their natural habitat. Afterwards, you will go to Playa Blanca to relax and enjoy the turquoise blue sea and the beautiful views. This excursion is ideal for those who want to get to know the fauna and nature of Colombia without having to travel too far from Cartagena. So don't wait any longer, reserve your place today!
Tour Options
Itinerary
1. We begin with the pick up at your hotel, hostel, accommodation or whatever your location is between 6:00 am and 7:30 am in an air-conditioned transport; we will pick up other travelers as well. You must be patient because traffic is sometime a problem. We will enjoy a panoramic tour of approximately 45 minutes through the beautiful city of Cartagena until we reach the Barú Peninsula. 2. We will pass through the Baru bridge without stopping where we will find the Corles del Rosario and San Bernardo National Natural Park. The Barú Peninsula (sometimes called Isla de Barú or simply Barú), is separated from the territory by the Canal del Dique. Until 2014 the only way to cross it was by raft, or its variants. It was in that year when the so-called "Baru Bridge" was inaugurated. (Barú is an artificial island that was formed almost 100 years ago by the construction of the Canal del Dique. The three towns on the island are Ararca, Santa Ana and Barú).
We arrive at Playa Blanca, famous for its white beaches and turquoise waters. It is the only public beach in the Corales del Rosario National Natural Park, once in Barú, we will walk about 5 minutes until we reach the Beach Club, where you can spend time in a sun lounger or chair, you can explore the beautiful crystal clear waters. Lunch is a voucher of $30,000 that you must redeem for the options we have on our menu. You can use huts, sun loungers, the bathroom and the social areas at no additional cost.
We will visit the National Aviary where they will learn about the biology and behavior of some bird species, as well as the importance of the preservation and conservation of Colombian avifauna and nature. We will attend the presentation at 11:30 am where you can enjoy three ecosystem environments and 22 exhibits divided into large immersion aviaries, radial aviaries, estuaries and lakes. There are different landscapes, vegetation and aquatic environments, which allow you to appreciate a great diversity of bird species.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We pick up the northern area of the City of Cartagena, Historic Center, Bocagrande and Getsemaní. We will contact you to agree on the time and confirm the pick-up location. You must be in the lobby or meeting point at the time of pick-up.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(192)
I had a great time at the aviary — it was relaxing and a nice way to start the day. Afterward, we were picked up and taken to the beach, where we had lunch and rented a cabana for 135 COP. The only downside was the vendors. They were very persistent and kept approaching us every 10 minutes, which made it difficult to fully relax. Be aware that some of the ladies offering massages may quote a low price at first. We were told it was only 140 COP for a shoulder massage, but the final charge ended up being 500 COP, which was a surprise. Make sure to confirm the full price before agreeing to anything. Also, if you’re buying bracelets, they should only be around 10–20 COP. Don’t overpay and be sure to negotiate. Overall, it was a fun experience, but just come prepared and aware of the extra sales.
We were told pick up was between 7:45-8:00 we did not get picked up until 8:30, I understand things happen that are out of our control but once we arrived to enter the area we were not let in due to the entry being blocked by the locals of that area and had to turn around, this was now around 11:00 am (an entire morning lost at this point). On our way back they offered the option to be dropped off at the pick up location or go to another nearby island. I was with my kids so we chose to just go and not lose any more time. We arrived at the island around 12:45ish since we still had to drop off whoever did not want to go and then left the island at 5:00 pm. Transportation back to the original pick up location was not included so once we made it back to Cartagena we had to get an uber from the beach where we took the speedboat (Not a big deal for us since we chose to get picked up from the meeting location, but maybe if you got picked you up at your hotel which was an option then it would be in my opinion!!) the island we went to had a beautiful view of the city and the beach did have turquoise water but had a lot of trash in the water as well. I am not sure if it was still the same moneys worth as the original plan (as you did not get a refund if you chose to go to the island). Overall we enjoyed the new location to not lose an entire day but was very disappointed as we were excited for the Aviary. Our guide was amazing I will give him that however I am still giving this 2 stars because of everything else.
Included meal very limited and only one small non-alcoholic beverage is included. Watch your personal belongings, we got robbed for 10 seconds of absence, bring cash
J'espère que vous allez bien. Nous tiendrons compte de vos commentaires afin d'améliorer nos services dans les domaines où nous rencontrons des difficultés. Concernant le vol dont vous avez parlé, nous avons été surpris car nous n'étions pas au courant de ce qui s'était passé. Nous aimerions savoir si vous en avez informé le guide et s'il a proposé des solutions après votre récit. Nous espérons avoir de vos nouvelles. Bonne après-midi.
I liked it, but the transportation was a bit old
espero este bien agradecemos su comentario lo tomaremos en cuenta para seguir brindando un excelente servicio a todos nuestros visitantes
I wanted a bit of a beach experience but I was very excited for the aviary which was enjoyable. I did not have high expectations of the show but it was very enjoyable. 2 hours is more than enough time to sit and watch birds along the way. Time at the beach-I saw mixed reviews so I wasn’t sure what to expect but our food was good. As people said the dining space has shade and you can sit there if you want without extra cost. They have lockers to hold your belongings at a reasonable price which was nice. I think once we ate we had about 1.5 hours on our own time at beach which was perfect for what we wanted. Some people did extra things on the boats and if I had done a full day I would’ve taken advantage of it but this is exactly what we were looking for with the time we had. It was a bit confusing on the buses when leaving but our guide gave the number of the bus but we didn’t see it at first as it was parked very far away. They called names before driving away and made sure we were on the correct bus (which seems to be a good improvement from prior). Manuel “Mike” was a good and fun guide.
I hope you are well. We are very happy that everything met your expectations, as we work hard every day to provide wonderful experiences and ensure that our customers feel safe with us and make the most of their experience. Have a great day!
Surprisingly very chill and memorable experience. Bird park is the best in the world. Many cute bird in the park. The beach is also very crystal clear and blue color. Park entrance isnaround25$which is already include in the tour price. Free lunch is good too.
I hope you are well. We are very happy that everything was to your liking. We will continue working hard to provide wonderful experiences in the city of Cartagena.
I fondly remember the bird park with its parrots, toucans, flamingos, and owls. Isla Baru is a beautiful beach on the Caribbean Sea.
Ich hoffe, es geht Ihnen gut. Wir freuen uns, dass Ihnen alles gefallen hat. Wir arbeiten täglich daran, Ihnen unvergessliche Erlebnisse in Cartagena zu bieten.
Bus with Low AC. No place to shower or bathrooms. Food not good. Extremely crowded.
I hope you are well. We appreciate your feedback and will take it into account and address the points mentioned. Have a nice day.
I was the only English speaking person on the bus, Miguel the guide was excellent. There was only 5 of us from a full bus that went to the Aviary, the rest were spending the whole day at the beach. The aviary was interesting and we saw many gorgeous birds. The beach was ok, if you like crowds and loud music, which I don’t. The tour was as described.
I hope you are well. We appreciate your feedback; it helps us to continue improving the experiences we offer in the city of Cartagena.
Birds were amazing, but you may be rushed through the aviary. There’s an insurance fee I didn’t know about beforehand. It’s not expensive, but a surprise. There’s a bit of a hike to get to the beach club, and you only get a few hours there. Depending on your guide, there may be little help ordering, getting towels, etc. and towels cost extra. Bali beds and towels need to be paid in cash.
I hope you are well. We appreciate your feedback. There are additional services that require an extra payment; all the necessary information is in the descriptions.
