Celebrating any major event in Cartagena, Colombia, and hosting a Cartagena yacht party will be the high point of your trip—and it’s not even close.
But after years of hosting hundreds of trips to Cartagena, we’ve come to the conclusion that the perfect yacht party isn’t only about your ride and the views. It’s about vibes, perks, and having a plan in place every step of the way.
Cartagena Yacht Parties
As the name suggests, a Cartagena yacht party is a day out on the water where every hour of the day is properly curated to ensure the best experience. But how does Cartagena Crew deliver?
To start, our yacht parties in Cartagena aren’t exclusive to yachts. We offer luxury speedboats, sailboats, and power catamarans depending on your group size and budget.
These yacht parties are an all-day private event where, after a simple phone call, you walk us through your group dates and size, and we do our part by giving you the peace of mind that your search stops here.
What islands do we visit?
This is where punctuality and the size of your boat dictate how far we go and how much time we spend out on the islands.
We always recommend a luxury speedboat or yacht, and if you’re going to book a catamaran, make sure it’s a power cat. The latter has two twin engines, while traditional catamarans rely on wind and sails, allowing you to travel further in less time.
These three options will allow us to cover more distance if what you want is less about partying (what am I saying?) and more about legitimate sightseeing.
Here are some of the islands we visit (a continuación la respuesta de Claude*):
- Islas del Rosario (Rosario Islands) — The main archipelago, about a 45-minute boat ride out. There are 27 small islands with turquoise water and coral reefs, making them great for snorkeling. Some private islands here also have beach clubs where you can stop.
- Isla Barú — Technically a peninsula, Barú is home to Playa Blanca, one of the most popular white-sand beaches near Cartagena.
- Cholón — A small sandbar/island near Barú known for its shallow, calm turquoise water. It’s very popular for a relaxed swim stop and is often included with lunch. It’s also a party island, known for other boats docking nearby and guests mingling in the water.
- Tierra Bomba — The closest island to the city, just across the bay, with beach clubs like Blue Apple Beach House, Eteka, and others. It’s a shorter trip if you don’t want to go all the way out to Rosario.
- Isla Grande / Isla Múcura area — Part of the wider Rosario/San Bernardo chain. Some multi-day yacht charters go further to the San Bernardo Islands for quieter, less touristy waters.
For these types of trips, where the journey will be just as important as the destination, a day trip out to the Rosario Islands with a few stops along the way is more than plenty.
Yacht Parties in Cartagena: Itinerary
The day starts off at 8 AM (sleep on the plane) where a delicious, home-cooked breakfast courtesy of our VIP chef is in order.
After breakfast, a Sprinter-style van will be waiting for you right outside your hotel or Cartagena Crew-approved villa.
If everything is going the way we anticipate and your crew is still on time, it should be about 9:30 AM when we reach the docks. Here, your concierge for the day will lead you to your boat. Speedboats dock at different places from the bigger boats, so this part is pivotal to know if you didn’t lock in transportation through us.
At the docks, you’ll see our team bringing on copious amounts of supplies and our onboard staff setting up. Supplies include snacks, lots of water, and, sure, why not, beers and your pre-selected spirits for the ride.
The staff accompanying you depends on the type of trip you booked with us, but a full package includes:
- Captain and first mate
- Chef and assistant
- Bartender
- DJ (depends on the boat size and capacity)
- Host (you’re going to need one once you get to the islands)
Once you’re onboard and ready to go, we crank up the music and get the day started.
We’re sure to bring plenty of water and refreshments because once we reach the islands, prices are ridiculously high.
After about 45 minutes from Cartagena, we get to Barú Island. At this point, you’ve worked up quite an interesting buzz, and we’re ready to take our first dip into water that’s already a more beautiful shade of blue.
Your quick swim in Barú means you’ve caught a much-needed second wind. We then head over to Cholón to see what the crowd is like. After about 30 minutes, we look for another small island on the way to dock for lunch and, finally, head out to the beautiful Islas del Rosario.
While all of this is happening, remember you have a bartender on deck and a DJ with music on blast. Don’t forget about the chef cooking up a feast, starting with Cartagena Crew’s signature seafood paella and plantain baskets.
To avoid super choppy waters, we recommend starting the trip back from the Rosario Islands to mainland Cartagena at about 3 PM. Maritime law doesn’t allow boats to be out past a certain point, so shoot for a 5–5:30 PM arrival.
Do We Have to Visit the Islands, or What Else Can We Do?
Yacht parties in Cartagena are a must for every group trip to La Heroica. Bachelor and bachelorette parties alike can’t get enough of the turquoise-blue waters and beautiful Rosario Islands. However, families and corporate events also make up our list of satisfied clients.
We also have many groups that rent our boats to head out to a few beach clubs for the day. Clubs like Bora Bora, Pau Pau, Makani Luxury, and Blue Apple Beach Club, to name just a few.
These places offer day passes that include transportation. But transportation is in a shared bay boat that leaves every morning at approximately 7 AM and comes back at 3 PM.
The time restriction and lack of privacy make this less about you and more about staying on a schedule. Groups that want that added level of comfort, and the ability to come and go as they please, opt for speedboats and yachts to head out to these beach clubs.
So, if you’re part of a group that wants to check out a few beach clubs, check out the vibes, and not have to worry about a “water-taxi” like service, save yourself the stress and get your own boat out there.
Our Fleet
We work with a few different vendors, all owning various ship sizes and types. But we don’t work with everyone.
This is largely due to the fact that a lot of these ships will have old, outdated pictures, resulting in high expectations and prices, and eventually not meeting said expectations.
There are also a few vendors that have one or two ships, and if anything goes wrong on the day of departure, this can result in delays and potential rescheduling. The latter being almost impossible on a 3–4 day trip.
This is why we keep our fleet small and are ready for eventualities.
(Agregar acá un carrusel con algunos de los botes que están en la página de yates).
Y en este carrusel agregar la capacidad de cada una de las embarcaciones.
How Much Does a Cartagena Yacht Party Typically Cost?
We’ve discussed various boat options, amenities, times, and plans. But how much should you expect to pay for an all-day event like this?
The variables above will set the overall pricing, but the biggest factor is the boat. Boats tend to cost about:
- Speedboats: $800–$2,000
- Yachts: $2,800–$6,000
- Catamarans: $2,000–$3,500
These prices will fluctuate depending on the day of the week, number of guests, as well as the COP-to-USD conversion. Other items, such as the amenities mentioned above, will also depend on the number of guests.
These rates include a captain, first mate, ice, water, a waiter, and sometimes transportation to and from the docks.
Best Time of Year for a Yacht Party in Cartagena
Cartagena is hot year-round. The average temperature is in the high 80s, with very little expected rain for the first four months of the year. This makes mostly any time of the year a good time to host these events.
September–November sees the highest expected rainfall, but even then, unless there is a red flag by maritime police due to heavy rain and storms, your trip is still on.
We recommend inquiring a few months in advance to ensure you have a range of boat options for your trip.
Planning your Cartagena Yacht party
At the end of the day, a yacht party in Cartagena should feel easy. You shouldn’t have to spend your trip worrying about where the boat is, what’s included, whether there’s enough ice, or what happens if something goes sideways. You should be on the water, drink in hand, music playing, and enjoying the fact that you’re in Cartagena.
That’s really what we’re trying to accomplish with every trip we put together. We know the boats, the islands, the schedules, and the little things that can make a great day even better—or turn it into a headache. Our job is to handle all of that in the background so you and your crew can focus on having a damn good day out on the water.
