Isla Palma
Islas de San Bernardo, Bolívar, Colombia
Isla Palma splits down the middle between a resort on one side and simple hostel style lodging on the other, part of the San Bernardo Archipelago off Colombia's Caribbean coast. The sand runs white and the water stays clear close to shore, and it's a shorter hop by boat from neighboring Isla Tintipán than either island is from the mainland.
The clear water and quick island hopping are real pluses, but the resort development on one side means it doesn't have the untouched feel of Tintipán next door.
How we score beachesThe hostel side of the island is quieter and cheaper than the resort end, worth asking a boat operator to drop you there specifically if that's the pace you're after.
No road access, this is a boat only island. Speedboats run from Cartagena or Tolú the same way they do to the rest of the San Bernardo archipelago, and inter-island hops to Tintipán or Múcura run ten to twenty five minutes.
Boats land on the beach or at a small pier, with flat, easy walking on the sand from there. There's no paved infrastructure beyond the resort grounds.
December through April brings the driest weather and calmest seas for the boat crossing. Water stays warm year round in the archipelago.
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