Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [150]
Tolú’s lengthy malecón, full of seaside bars, restaurants and small artisan stalls makes for a fun stroll, but the main draw for foreign tourists is its proximity to Islas de San Bernardo, part of Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo, the Bernardo section of which is more conveniently accessed from Tolú. Here the picturesque beaches on Isla Múcura, wrought with mangroves and postcard-perfect palm trees, are some of the coast’s most idyllic.
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Information
Bancolombia ( 288 5711; Calle 14 No 2-88; 8am-4pm Mon-Thu, to 4:30pm Fri) ATM; on the southside of Plaza Pedro de Heredia.
Hospital de Tolú ( 288 5256; Calle 16 No 9-61; 24hr)
iC@fe ( 286 0118; Calle 17 No 2-20; per hr COP$1400; 9am-10:30pm) Internet access.
Mundo Marina ( 288 4431; www.clubnauticomundomarina.com; Carrera 1 No 14-40; 6:30am-8pm) This recommended agency does daily tours departing at 8:30am to Islas de San Bernardo for COP$35,000.
Policia Nacional ( 288 5030; cnr Carrera 5 & Calle 16)
Servientrega ( 286 0630; Carrera 4 No 15-40; 8am-noon & 2-5pm Mon-Fri, 8am-noon Sat) Postal services.
Tourist office ( 286 0599; Carrera 2 No 15-40; 8am-noon & 2-6pm) Located in the alcadía on the west side of Plaza Pedro Heredia.
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Sights & Activities
Tolú is the main jumping-off point for day tours to Islas de San Bernardo. In high season, the town swells with Colombian tourists who come to eat and drink their days away up and down the coast of the Golfo de Morrosquillo from here to Coveñas, where you’ll find less infrastructure but better beaches (read better but still not great), many of which are dotted with thatched-roof tables fit for drinking an afternoon away.
For a bit of nature, the wonderful La Ciénega de Caimanera sits halfway between Tolú and Coveñas. This 1800-hectare nature preserve is part freshwater, part saltwater bog that is home to five varieties of mangroves, the most notable of which, the red mangrove, has roots that twist and tangle in and out of the water like hyperactive strands of spaghetti. The canoe trip here is a pleasant and beautiful way to live an hour and a half of your life, meandering through man-made mangrove tunnels and sampling oysters right off the roots.
To reach the Ciénega, grab any bus heading toward Coveñas and ask to be let off at La Boca de la Ciénega. Canoe guides wait for tourists on the bridge, and charge COP$20,000 for one to two people and as little as COP$8000 per person for larger groups.
Tolú’s beaches aren’t up to snuff – head 20km south to Coveñas for more agreeable patches of sand. The best is Playa Blanca, accessed via moto-taxi from Coveñas. Colectivos depart every 10 minutes daily (COP$2500) from near Supermercado Popular at the corner of Carrera 2 and Calle 17 in Tolú.
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Sleeping
Villa Babilla ( 288 6124; www.villababillahostel.com; Calle 20 No 3-40; s from COP$18,000, d from COP$23,000, r with balcony COP$25,000; ) Three blocks from the waterfront, this German-run hostel/hotel offers a gringo-friendly space highlighted by its thatched-roof outdoor TV lounge. There’s a kitchen, laundry service and free coffee all day. It’s also the only hostel we saw in the entirety of the Colombian coast that had installed showerheads. At time of research, a new three-story structure with apartments and rooms with balconies was nearly finished.
Two decent midrange options on the waterfront are Hotel Caribe ( 288 5115; hotelcaribe1@yahoo.com; Carrera 1 No 18-82; s/d with fan COP$25,000/40,000, with air-con COP$40,000/65,000), notable for its well-maintained exterior and cozy open-air restaurant; and Ibatama del Mar ( 288 5110; Carrera 1 No 19-45; s/d with fan COP$15,000/30,000, with air-con COP$30,000/50,000), which offers an interesting