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Location :
Added by Jopie, at 18 March 2016
Opening Hours
- Monday 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Tuesday 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Wednesday 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Thursday 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Friday 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Saturday 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Sunday 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM
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10 Reviews
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18 February 2018
We visited Isla Baru (Playa Blanca) com a Opitour, the guide was Cesar. They told us to be at the meeting point at a quarter to eight, we waited until a quarter to nine for the bus. When I asked Cesar if we would return later since we left late, he told me not to complain!
Their lunch is not worth the price. Bring your own food and take a taxi to the beach. Much less stress! Playa Blanca is nice but all the jet ski's really spoil your time there. They pass so close to the beach and you have to run away from them.response / report this review -
11 December 2017
After having prepaid at my hotel a sea tour in the surroundings of Cartagena, I start this tour the day after.
After having waited 30 minutes on the dock, under the sun, the dozen of tourists of my group and I take place on board of one of the numerous “lanchas” that regularly come and go. Our boat is the “Isleno” and our on-board guide says his name is “Chocolate”, more exactly “Chocolate sin leche”. Yes, this guy likes humor made of wits such as “fasten your seat belt! Ooops… I forgot to tell you: they are transparent!”. During the trip, I learn that the so-called jewel of our seatour (i.e. the “aquarium”) can only be seen if you pay extra fees. Aside from all those additional fees asked during a supposedly all-inclusive tour, the interest of the trip itself was a bit disappointed. Such a disappointment is more likely due to my good knowledge of Caribbeans though.
Be that as it may, the worst was coming. The second part of the tour was supposed to be reserved for “beach time”. With a bit less than a 60 minutes delay compared to the initial timing, the boat drops us on Playa Blanca, which was presented to me as the best beach of the Cartagena region. Maybe it is the best beach. However, the boat certainly leaves its passengers in the creepiest section of the beach: section where all the boats, lanchas and jet skis are parked. Therefore, you don’t dare to spend too much time in water: all the parked boats around do not help to make water very clear and you pray to not be beheaded by one of the numerous crazy jet skis regularly passing at a few meters from your head.
On the beach itself, everything is ready to welcome tour operators’ client with a questionable sense of welcoming. During lunch, I was specifically welcomed by a local guy. As I saw him talking with “Chocolate” when we arrived, I think he is a member of the tour operator’s staff or something like that. This guy, José, is first very kind. And I was quite naïve. When I ask for locker rooms, he proposes me to look after my belongings during all my time on the beach. He even proposes to me and to another young tourist to take a seat under a parasol. Times goes by and so do the “small talks” with José. When the boat is about to arrive, José suddenly turns to be someone else: he asks me for money for having kept my belongings. There is no longer smile – just a limited sense of conversation entirely focused on my new sudden “debts”. I try to discuss with him for 5 / 10 minutes. But I quickly realize that my hopes to make José reasonable are vain. Also, José has had the idea to take me in a beach section away from all the members of my group. As a result, I mostly feel surrounded by other local beach sellers who carefully follow our tense discussion, which doesn’t help to feel more comfortable. After 10 minutes of a useless conversation, I decide to go the beach police station, which is 30 meters behind me. First, the three local policemen seem a bit uneager to deal with the local beach seller. Then, I convince the policemen that it is in the interest of everyone, for now and for future, to have no tourist harassed by persons behaving like José. Finally, the policemen’s chief just reminds to José that this is not the first time that he tells him that he must first inform tourists that his “services” are not free. To conclude, the policemen propose I give to José a tip, which I naturally agree and which I planned to do so before José showed his other personality. However, José, who seems unhappy about such an ending, refuses the tip. Thankfully, the boat has meanwhile come back to the beach and I can go back on board. Before that, “Chocolate”, who has come back on the beach with the boat, has learnt the entire story from the other beach sellers. He seems somewhat bothered by the implication of the police. As a likely result, he will never talk to me again after that and he will even seem a bit hostile. Maybe having his clients face some dishonest beach sellers seems to him perfectly normal.
My recommendation: run away from Optitours and Isleno.response / report this review -
24 October 2017
Fiz o tour full para Playa Blanca. O lugar onde nos deixam na praia, que é onde é servido o almoço é horrível! Cheio de sujeira, inclusive onde fazem a comida, cheio de gente e de cadeiras de praia, muito ruim. Os Jets ou Moto aquática como eles falam, andam em alta velocidade na área dos banhistas, e são muitos, o que torna a praia perigosa e aí não dá pra nadar e nem fazer snorkeling de medo. A 1h de bar aberto que eles falam, só tem rum, suco e coca e nada mais. Além de colocarem essa 1h de bar aberto exatamente após o almoço, para ninguém beber mesmo. Muita encanação! Não recomendo! Praia muito mal cuidada e suja!
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17 August 2017
Poor arrangement. the time to pick up is 8:20 and the guide lady come to the hotel at 8:10 and ask me to hurry up un bad manner. Finally, the bus take 40 minuets to go around the city to pick up the guest, but only 10 minutes walk from the hotel I stay to the pier.
At the pier, just give me the tax receipt and told me to go inside. The lady who pick up me will not follow and disappeared. The staff who wear the uniform told me to aboard another boat which is carried the Mexican tour and no one speak English. On board, the crew speak Spanish and no staff of the company can help me. I use the Google Translate to get the time to return the boat.
ISLA DEL ROSARIO - only the small area in front of the Oceanarium. If not enter, nothing to see. Enter - not worth to see.
Lunch - only a fried fish and some rice. No drink or open bar stated in the website.
When I arrived the pier after the trip, the staff only tell me that no bus transfer for me and the other does. Fortunately, the hotel I stay is close to the pier.
An also, I have booked the VIPTOUR. But the staff pick me up is OPItours.response / report this review -
05 August 2017
Pésimos, una agencia totalmente desorganizada, incumplidos en cuanto a o que prometen en la página y lo que dan en el tour (esto en cuanto a horarios, recogidas en el hotel y la comida) por lo cual fueron muy incumplidos, el servicio al cliente es muy malo y nunca responden al requerimiento que efectúa el cliente, solamente dejan de contestar , cuando aparecen promociones, realmente son muy mala, en Cartagena se pueden conseguir planes iguales o mejores a un mejor precio, solo se rescata la amabilidad de los guías y los conductores, realmente piénsenlo antes de comprar aquí
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06 January 2017
Rendez vous at Reloj Tower at 7:30am to leave only at 8:40am . One useless stop on the way, and we finally arrive at playa blanca one hour and a half late. On the 6 hours of beach, we lost a quarter. Company did not care and we left the beach at the scheduled time. Never late to get back !
Guide was nice though, but do not expect a smooth service.response / report this review -
06 January 2017
Nos robaron el dinero después de haberlo dado el día anterior en la playa a un vendedor llamado Oscar Hernández. Al otro día lo llamamos al celular y lo tenía apagado, llamamos a la compañía y nos dijeron que no se hacían responsables por los contratistas de la compañía. Evítense una molestia!
Avoid this place at all cost! They stole my money after promising me a tour the day before on the beach from a guy called Oscar Hernandez. The next day we were calling the guy and he didn't respond. Do yourself a favor and keep your money safe.response / report this review -
22 December 2016
Lo peor que existe. Desorganización total. No responden. No lo recomiendo. Un viaje a islas del rosario para olvidar
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08 December 2016
Confusing itinerary, hidden fees. We were led to believe 2nd choice was Isla Rosario not a stamp sized rock only for snorkeling that spans 10 paces. Lunch was terrible. You do not want to see how dirty the water is for washing the food tubs. Nasty! Playa blanca is a nice spot but the locals constant harrasment makes it unenjoyable.
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25 March 2016
Be very careful with this company. Really old boats that kept getting stuck on the water with almost 8 ft waves. On the ride back from playa Blanca, bus driver crashed and found out he was driving without brakes and using downshifting for braking. They put lives at risk in the sea and land. Gladly made it out alive.
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