Mangata — Hotel in Bolívar

We were limited in our selection for Isla Del Rosario day trips since we booked this place last minute with our hotel. (Note: There are tons of “resorts” like this you can book and all offer similar packages — I recommend having an idea of what you want to do prior to help you select).

Our main goal was to relax in front of beautiful waters and water activities. We selected this resort because it was advertised as a more luxurious, adult friendly, private & secluded place. Our package included: boat transportation, about 5 hours on the resort with cabana & daybed, live DJ, lunch with a drink, water activities (snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boarding), and a private shower with fresh water to freshen up before/ after activities. In total we spent approx $100 USD. Highly recommend booking in Cartagena because online prices were way more expensive.

Embarkation was at Muelle Bodeguita and we had to report there by 7:40A (our package did not include a taxi to the port and there is an additional mandatory port fee approx $5 USD per person that must be paid in pesos at the port). Our hotel advised us to take a clear photo of our passports because they do check for identification (even for children ) so make sure you have this on hand — you do not need the physical passport book. Check-in at the port was smooth and staff was very friendly (but it was about an hour wait before you could board and everyone waited in an outdoor seating area — get there early to sit under the shade). They also obtained our meal selection.

The actual boat transportation to and from the island was very pleasant. Our staff was funny, gave us a mini tour, and made sure we were comfortable. The ride one way is approx 45 -60min (depending on weather and water currents). We gave an additional cash tip to the boat crew (optional but not obligatory — they do ask you at the end if you would like to give a tip but were not pushy).

The resort was a little off from what was advertised but it did not disappoint. It did not have a large white sandy beach. The beach looked more like a beautiful private nature preserve (it was surrounded by trees and the water was beautiful but had lots of rocks — we ended up jumping from the dock and swimming the corner to the beach area to avoid the rocks). The resort was also not secluded, there were other resorts that looked like large houses/mansions next to it but were empty. The area reminded me of the houses on the Florida Keys. Note: there are no fans/ AC on the property, bring your own personal fan to keep you cool or you’ll end up jumping into the water every 30-min to avoid the heat/ humidity.

The property itself looked beautiful, it is well maintained and did look very luxurious. We received free champagne upon arrival. The cabana/daybeds were clean, shaded, and comfortable ( but you do have other people pretty close to you). There was no live DJ, but the DJ lounge/ bar area was nice and the music they played was pretty good. The food was delicious and better than expected (we were told we could select one free drink with our meal but they just gave everyone the same non-alcoholic fruit drink). Aside from this provided meal and drink, everything additional you had to pay for — including water (it was pricey, would recommend bringing your own water & snacks). Note: the included meal and drink were given at a set time about 2-3 hours after we arrived.

The water activities were honestly kind of pointless — all of them occurred in the water area where everyone was swimming. While they offer a limited amount of snorkels and one kayak to share with all the guests, there were locals in the water trying to get us to pay more to show us a better area to do the activities and attempting to sell us fresh seafood/ drinks. While they were friendly, I do not think they were part of resort and staff did not interfere with their attempts — personally didn’t like this as it interrupted our time in the water. There was also no paddle boards (as one of the locals...

A little piece of paradise away from the busyness of Cartagena. The journey there did take longer than the 45 minutes but it was a smooth journey. Going back now on the speedboat was intense and very bumpy but it was a shorter journey (warning to anyone with back issues or prone to motion sickness, you might want to request NOT going on a speedboat).||We were staying at the resort for a couple of nights rather than just doing the day excursion and so glad we did. The accommodations were comfortable and as we expected for an island boutique stay. What made our stay exceptional was the staff. They were very kind, accommodating, and did all they could to make our stay the best it could be. We dined mostly at the resort and it was on par with most restaurants we felt and yes some items were a little more pricey. My friend and I are use to island life and know that at times certain amenities come and go, so we had expected some of this during our stay. The water had shut off a few times while we were there, but once we notified the staff they were on top of getting it back up for us to do what we needed to. We didn't expect to have wifi there and that was the case. If you are looking for a calm and slow time after 3pm (once the day visitors leave), this is the place. We had the most relaxing time and the best sleep. It was a one of a kind experience to be one of six guests at the resort. On our last evening, they even did a bonfire for us which was a fantastic touch. We would definitely return in a heartbeat. If you are interested in visiting or staying at Mangata a few items for you to consider to hedge your expectations:||1. Its a beach club so day guests come from about 9:30am until 3:00pm. Music is pumping, drinks are flowing, and visitors are having fun or lounging in the cabanas/loungers.||2. It's an island with only 1300 residents. Most things have to be brought to the island. Don't be surprised if certain items are not available, the water is low pressure or randomly shuts off or the power goes on or off.||3. There wasn't any wifi when we visited, so we had to use our data. We had a signal so that wasn't a problem.||4. The beach ares is smaller, rocky and if the tides are high, you might not be able to access it. Its not a beach area where you can lounge, but thats what the cabanas and seating areas are for.||5. If you plan on spending the night and are a light sleeper, the cabins right by the water are likely not where you want to be. It can be quite loud especially if it's windy.||All that considered, our stay was one of the highlights of our trip to Colombia. We had fun, got rest and met some incredible people. We look forward to visiting again soon.||Special shout out to the staff members: Uriel, Kebin, Wilson, Cesar, Carolina and the DJ Andres. Thank you for all you did for us...

A little piece of paradise away from the busyness of Cartagena. The journey there did take longer than the 45 minutes but it was a smooth journey. Going back now on the speedboat was intense and very bumpy but it was a shorter journey (warning to anyone with back issues or prone to motion sickness, you might want to request NOT going on a speedboat).

We were staying at the resort for a couple of nights rather than just doing the day excursion and so glad we did. The accommodations were comfortable and as we expected for an island boutique stay. What made our stay exceptional was the staff. They were very kind, accommodating, and did all they could to make our stay the best it could be. We dined mostly at the resort and it was on par with most restaurants we felt and yes some items were a little more pricey. My friend and I are use to island life and know that at times certain amenities come and go, so we had expected some of this during our stay. The water had shut off a few times while we were there, but once we notified the staff they were on top of getting it back up for us to do what we needed to. We didn't expect to have wifi there and that was the case. If you are looking for a calm and slow time after 3pm (once the day visitors leave), this is the place. We had the most relaxing time and the best sleep. It was a one of a kind experience to be one of six guests at the resort. On our last evening, they even did a bonfire for us which was a fantastic touch. We would definitely return in a heartbeat. If you are interested in visiting or staying at Mangata a few items for you to consider to hedge your expectations:

Its a beach club so day guests come from about 9:30am until 3:00pm. Music is pumping, drinks are flowing, and visitors are having fun or lounging in the cabanas/loungers.

It's an island with only 1300 residents. Most things have to be brought to the island. Don't be surprised if certain items are not available, the water is low pressure or randomly shuts off or the power goes on or off.

There wasn't any wifi when we visited, so we had to use our data. We had a signal so that wasn't a problem.

The beach ares is smaller, rocky and if the tides are high, you might not be able to access it. Its not a beach area where you can lounge, but thats what the cabanas and seating areas are for.

If you plan on spending the night and are a light sleeper, the cabins right by the water are likely not where you want to be. It can be quite loud especially if it's windy.

All that considered, our stay was one of the highlights of our trip to Colombia. We had fun, got rest and met some incredible people. We look forward to visiting again soon.

Special shout out to the staff members: Uriel, Kebin, Wilson, Cesar, Carolina and the DJ Andres. Thank you for all you did for us...