Bocachica is a village on Tierra Bomba, the island that sits just off Cartagena's shoreline. It is not on Barú, which is where we are, and the two are often confused. From our three houses on Cholón Bay the crossing takes around 45 minutes by boat. We're glad to help you organise that boat, or you can charter a private one independently if you'd rather.
We send guests across for a day rather than a night. What follows is how we'd think about that day.
Where Bocachica is, relative to us
Bocachica sits on the southern end of Tierra Bomba, facing the channel of the same name. Tierra Bomba itself is a small island, roughly 19.8 square kilometres, home to an estimated 9,000 people, and it falls under the municipality of Cartagena.
We're further south, on Barú, on the water of Bahía de Cholón. That puts Bocachica between us and the city, which is why it works as a stop on a boat day rather than a separate excursion from Cartagena. It's worth saying plainly because many guests arrive assuming the village they've read about is a short walk from our door. It isn't. You'll need the boat.
The fort: San Fernando de Bocachica
The reason most people make the crossing is the fort. The walls you see today belong to the Fuerte de San Fernando de Bocachica, begun in 1753 under the military engineer Antonio de Arévalo and built over the ruins of an older castle.
That older one, the Castillo de San Luis de Bocachica, was started in 1646 by the engineer Juan de Somovilla and named for the governor of the day, Luis Fernández de Córdoba. Its job was to guard the entrance to the Bocachica channel as part of Cartagena's defences, and it did not have an easy century. In 1697 French forces under the Baron de Pointis took it after a two-day siege, against 139 defenders commanded by Sancho Jimeno. In 1741, during the British siege of Cartagena, it was destroyed by artillery and naval fire. San Fernando went up in its place a little over a decade later.
Our view: if you've already walked the city walls in Cartagena, this is the same story told from the water, and it makes more sense seen from a boat than read about on a plaque. If you have time for only one piece of colonial history on your trip, the walled city is the larger and easier one. If you've done the city, Bocachica is the better second chapter.
The village
We'll be direct about Bocachica village, because we'd rather you arrive with the right picture. It has no running water and no paved roads. It also has a great deal of character, and guests who go with open eyes tend to come back talking about it.
What it does not have is chic restaurants and bars. Don't plan a long lunch in the village expecting a menu like the walled city's. Go for the walk, the people and the fort, and keep your expectations about food and comfort modest. Light clothes, a hat and water will serve you better than anything smart.
Blue Apple Beach, for the beach half of the day
For swimming and lunch on Tierra Bomba, we recommend Blue Apple Beach. It's a beach club on the island with its own food and drinks menus, and it takes day visitors as well as overnight guests. Their own listings also include scuba diving and horse riding.
The sensible order, in our experience, is to see the fort and the village first and then settle in at the beach. Book your day with them directly through their website before you set out, so you aren't arriving by boat to find the club full.
Getting there and back
The crossing from us is around 45 minutes each way by boat. There are two ways to do it:
- We help you organise the boat: tell us the day you'd like to go and we'll arrange it with you.
- You charter privately: if you already have a boatman or a charter you like, that's fine too.
With 45 minutes in each direction, plan on a full day rather than a quick stop. Leave in the morning, and you'll have the fort and the village done before the beach.
If you'd rather stay on Barú that day
Not every day needs a boat trip. Our restaurant, Ancalá Waterfront, is open daily from 11am to 4pm, to our guests and to visitors arriving by boat or by car. Chef Pedro Mosqueda cooks a premium BBQ menu there. On a day you spend in the mangroves around us, that's where we'd have you eat, and Bocachica can wait for the next one.