REVIEW · CARTAGENA TOURS

Nena Beach

★ 5.0 · 2 reviews 7 hours From $85 Operated by Backpackers Cartagena · Bookable on GetYourGuide
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White sand, clear water, and a slow afternoon. Nena Beach gives you a simple beach day near Cartagena, with a one-hour speedboat ride each way and five hours to eat, swim, rest, and enjoy the shore at your own pace. I like the included lunch and the useful facilities, especially lockers, showers, changing rooms, and Wi-Fi.

I also like that the beach club offers more than a towel on the sand. You can use a beach bed, order drinks, try the handmade pizza, or rent a kayak or paddle board. The main consideration is the long boat ride: two hours of the seven-hour outing are spent in transit, and bar purchases and water activities cost extra.

Key points to know before booking

Nena Beach - Key points to know before booking

  • The speedboat ride takes one hour each way, so the trip is best for a full beach day rather than a quick escape.
  • Five hours at Nena Beach gives you enough time for lunch, swimming, photos, a walk, and proper rest.
  • Lunch and a welcome cocktail are included, but drinks from the bar and water activities are not.
  • Practical facilities make the day easier, including lockers, fresh water showers, dressing rooms, a swimming pool, and luggage storage.
  • The setting suits different travel styles, from couples wanting a quiet beach day to families and friends looking for food and water activities.
  • The food gets especially strong praise, with positive comments about both the meal and the handmade pizza.

A Beach Day That Keeps the Pace Easy

Nena Beach - A Beach Day That Keeps the Pace Easy

Nena Beach is located at Playa Blanca in Bolívar, a well-known white-sand beach area near Cartagena. The plan is not packed with several stops. Instead, you make one boat journey to the beach club, settle in, and have several hours to shape the day yourself.

That flexibility is the main appeal. You can swim in the clear sea, sit with a cold drink, enjoy a coconut, take photos, or simply claim a quiet stretch of time with no sightseeing checklist. I find that useful after a few busy days in Cartagena, where walking tours and historic sights can fill every hour.

The beach club also offers a cocktail bar, restaurant, beach beds, kayaks, paddle boards, and luxury glamping in front of the sea. Not every option is included in the price, so think of the $85 cost as covering the main outing and facilities, with room to spend more if you want extra comfort or activities.

Starting at Calle de La Sierpe

Nena Beach - Starting at Calle de La Sierpe

The transportation begins from the Calle de La Sierpe area, while the meeting point is also listed as the Convention Center. Since both locations appear in the booking information, I would confirm the exact meeting instructions before the day of departure.

That small bit of planning matters in Cartagena. You want to arrive early enough to find the correct place without rushing, especially when a boat departure sets the rhythm for the entire day. The experience includes round-trip ground transportation, so the land transfer is part of the package rather than something you need to arrange separately.

The host or greeter can speak English or Spanish. That is helpful at the start, when you need to confirm the boat, meeting details, and any questions about lunch or the facilities.

The One-Hour Speedboat Ride to Playa Blanca

Nena Beach - The One-Hour Speedboat Ride to Playa Blanca

The boat ride takes about one hour. It is not a short hop, but it does give the outing a clear sense of leaving the city behind and heading toward a full beach day.

The return ride also takes one hour, making transportation fourteenths of the experience? No, two of seven hours, or about 29 percent. That is worth keeping in mind when comparing this outing with a beach club closer to Cartagena. You are paying for the destination, but you are also giving up a good portion of the day to travel.

The speedboat is a practical choice for reaching Playa Blanca in a reasonable time. Still, conditions on the water can affect how comfortable the ride feels. I would avoid filling your schedule with an important evening plan, since the activity is built around a full seven-hour window and boat timing.

Five Hours at Nena Beach

Nena Beach - Five Hours at Nena Beach

Once you arrive, the pace changes completely. You have around five hours at Nena Beach for a photo stop, a visit, lunch, free time, and a walk along the shore.

That is enough time to do a little of everything without turning the day into a race. You might start with the welcome cocktail, take photos while the light is good, then swim before lunch. After eating, you can return to the water, rest on a beach bed, or settle near the pool.

The white beach and clear sea are the main attractions. This is not a museum or a guided cultural outing. Its value comes from having a comfortable base beside the water, with food and facilities close at hand.

If you enjoy making your own schedule, this setup works well. If you prefer a guide explaining every stop or a day filled with organized activities, the open structure may feel too loose.

A completely different kind of day:

Lunch, Pizza, and the Extra Cost of Drinks

Nena Beach - Lunch, Pizza, and the Extra Cost of Drinks

Lunch is included, which makes the $85 price easier to judge. You are not paying only for a boat ticket and a place to sit. The package also includes the welcome cocktail, round-trip transportation, and the meal at the beach club.

Food quality received clear praise. Lina from Colombia gave the experience five stars and singled out the delicious food, along with the excellent staff service and good transportation. The club is also known for handmade pizza made from an original recipe, so pizza fans have a clear reason to consider ordering it.

The bar is not included. A cold drink, coconut, cocktail, or extra food adds to your final cost. The same applies to kayaking, paddle boarding, and other water activities. I would budget for those extras in advance, especially if you want a beach bed and several drinks rather than only the included meal.

The best value comes if you plan to use the included lunch and spend most of your time enjoying the beach and facilities. The value becomes less clear if you are mainly interested in a quick swim and do not want to buy anything beyond the package.

Showers, Lockers, and a Pool

Nena Beach - Showers, Lockers, and a Pool

The practical details here are better than you might expect from a basic beach outing. Nena Beach provides fresh water showers, dressing rooms, lockers, luggage storage, Wi-Fi, and a swimming pool.

These features can change how comfortable the day feels. A freshwater shower is useful after swimming, while a locker gives you a safer place for belongings when you head into the sea. Dressing rooms also mean you do not need to spend the whole day in the clothes you wore on the boat.

Luggage storage is especially helpful if you are carrying more than a small beach bag. The available information does not specify the locker size or storage procedure, so ask staff where larger bags should go when you arrive.

The pool gives you another place to cool off, though the sea remains the reason to come. I like having the choice, particularly when you want a break from salt water or sand.

Kayaks, Paddle Boards, and Beach Beds

Nena Beach - Kayaks, Paddle Boards, and Beach Beds

Water activities are available but cost extra. Kayaks and paddle boards give you a way to do more than swim, while beach beds offer a more comfortable place to spend the afternoon.

The free time is deliberately flexible. You can pay for an activity when you feel like moving, then return to your seat or the restaurant. Or you can skip the extras and keep the day simple.

For couples, the beach beds and sea-facing glamping option may be appealing. Families may appreciate having several choices in one place, including the pool and restaurant. Groups of friends can split their time between the water, food, drinks, and photos.

Because the activity prices are not provided, I would ask about them before committing. The base price does not include these options, and a few add-ons can change the total quickly.

Service That Earned Strong Praise

Nena Beach - Service That Earned Strong Praise

The staff service was one of the most highly praised parts of the experience. Lina described the attention as excellent, while also praising the meal and transportation.

That matters at a beach club. Good service affects the whole day, from getting settled after the boat ride to understanding what is included and finding the showers or lockers. The multilingual team speaks English and Spanish, which should make basic questions easier for many visitors.

The rating record is small, with two verified five-star reviews, so I would treat the praise as encouraging rather than as proof of a perfect experience every day. Still, both available comments are strongly positive. Imane from France called it the best part of the stay and gave a direct recommendation.

The transport also received positive mention. That is useful because the boat journey is a major part of the outing. Reliable movement to and from the beach helps protect the five-hour stay you are paying for.

Who Will Enjoy Nena Beach Most

Nena Beach - Who Will Enjoy Nena Beach Most

I would recommend Nena Beach to you if you want a full day beside the sea and prefer a comfortable beach-club base over a bare stretch of sand.

It suits:

  • Couples looking for time by the water, a meal, and optional beach beds
  • Families who value lockers, showers, a pool, and flexible free time
  • Friends who want to mix swimming, drinks, food, and water activities
  • Pizza lovers interested in a handmade recipe
  • Anyone who wants a break from Cartagena’s streets and indoor sights

It may not suit you as well if you dislike boat rides, need a tightly guided schedule, or want every activity included in one price. The outing also makes less sense for a short stay when a seven-hour commitment leaves little time for other plans.

Children have a separate price structure. Ages 0 to 4 pay only for extra food consumption, ages 5 to 9 pay half price, and children aged 10 and older pay the adult rate.

Is $85 a Fair Price?

At $85 per person, the price is reasonable if you use the main inclusions. You receive round-trip ground transportation, a speedboat ride, a welcome cocktail, lunch, and access to the beach club’s listed facilities.

The strongest value comes from convenience. You do not need to arrange your own route to Playa Blanca, find a place to eat, or search for changing facilities after swimming. The package also gives you five hours at the destination, which is much better than a rushed photo stop.

The price is less attractive if you plan to avoid the restaurant, skip the cocktail, and do not care about the pool, lockers, showers, or other amenities. In that case, you are paying for a structured transfer and beach access when a simpler beach plan might cost less.

Before booking, I would decide how much comfort you want. If you value a known meeting point, included food, staff support, and a place to store your things, the package has solid practical value. If you want a low-cost beach day and are happy to organize every detail yourself, compare other options first.

Booking Flexibility and Timing

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later, which helps if your Cartagena schedule is still changing.

Starting times depend on availability. Since the experience lasts seven hours, check the departure time carefully and leave enough space for the return boat and ground transportation.

I would also confirm the meeting point, since Calle de La Sierpe and the Convention Center are both connected with the pickup information. That is a simple step, but it can prevent the most avoidable problem on the day.

My Verdict: Book It for an Easy Beach Escape

I would book Nena Beach if I wanted a mostly effortless day at Playa Blanca, with lunch, a speedboat, clean-up facilities, and enough free time to relax properly.

The strongest reasons are the excellent staff attention, the food, and the practical setup. The handmade pizza is a nice extra for anyone who wants something beyond a standard beach meal. The main caution is the two hours spent on the boat, plus the extra cost of drinks and water activities.

Choose it when you want a beach club day, not a bargain transfer or a packed sightseeing tour. Confirm the exact meeting point, budget for bar purchases, and plan to enjoy the five-hour stay instead of trying to squeeze in other attractions. For couples, families, and friends who want a comfortable day beside clear water, Nena Beach is a sensible Cartagena add-on.

FAQ

Where is Nena Beach located?

Nena Beach is located at Playa Blanca in Bolívar, Colombia.

How long does the full experience last?

The experience lasts seven hours, including transportation to and from Nena Beach.

How long is the speedboat ride?

The speedboat ride takes about one hour each way.

Where is the meeting point?

The meeting point is listed as the Convention Center, while the starting location is given as Calle de La Sierpe. Confirm the exact pickup details before departure.

Is lunch included?

Yes, lunch is included in the experience.

Is a welcome drink included?

Yes, a welcome cocktail is included.

Are drinks from the bar included?

No. Bar purchases are not included in the price.

Are water activities included?

No. Kayaking, paddle boarding, and other water activities are not included.

What languages are available?

The host or greeter can speak English and Spanish.

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