Santa Cruz del Islote: A Brand New Way Of Living
2.4 acre island of Santa Cruz del Islote is located in the heart of the San Bernardo archipelago, near the coast of Colombia. This extremely small coral island has 1,200 inhabitants; considering its size, the density of the population here is four times bigger than that of Manhattan! The living conditions here are far from modern. There are only 5 hours of electricity per day, no running water and the only source of fresh water comes from the Colombian navy; once a month.
It’s been 150 years since people have started living there and despite the challenging conditions, they have no intention of leaving the island. According to the legend, it was a small group of fishermen, who discovered this island, while they were searching for new places to fish. As it was already getting dark outside, they decided to spend the night there and it felt so good, they never left.
Today, fishing remains the main occupation for the Santa Cruz del Islote residents. However, the area also includes a restaurant, a disco, a couple grocery stores and a school, along with other tourist attractions. An increasing number of locals are now working on the nearby islands, such as Mucura, at luxury resorts or restaurants.
The island is the size of one and a half soccer fields, which means that there is no place to hide. There is no crime rate at all, so everybody keeps their door unlocked. Most of the locals here describe the life on the island as peaceful and calm and they wouldn’t trade it for anything.
UnusualPlaces Field Notes
- Location
- Santa Cruz del Islote, San Bernardo Archipelago, Bolívar, Colombia (island-area reference)
- Coordinates
- 9.7859, -75.85906
- Access
- Santa Cruz del Islote is an inhabited residential community, not an open-air attraction. Colombia Travel describes a roughly 45-minute boat ride from Tolú. A separate Cartagena operator (Rutas de Mar) quotes about two hours to the San Bernardo islands, with Santa Cruz included only on some booked plans. Confirm route, departure point, timing and sea conditions with your own operator; go ashore only with local guidance, respect residents’ privacy and ask before photographing people. The map pin marks the island area, not a dock.
- Admission
- There is no published universal island entrance fee. Rutas de Mar lists Cartagena–San Bernardo transport at COP 160,000 per person per leg, plus a COP 29,000 cash pier tax; the operator says a COP 10,000 Santa Cruz community visit contribution applies only if included in the booked plan. These are route-specific operator charges, not an island-wide tariff; confirm on booking. A 2024 El País report also described a local guided visit for about COP 10,000, but that is not a current price guarantee.
- Time needed
- Rutas de Mar's current Cartagena day-trip plan allots up to 30 minutes for the optional Santa Cruz del Islote stop and says the community visit may cost COP 10,000 when included. El País reported a local guided visit of about 25 minutes in January 2024. Treat 25–30 minutes as a guide-reported visit window, not a stay limit or guarantee; boat travel and delays are separate, and the booked route controls the schedule.
- Best season
- No authoritative source publishes a preferred season for visiting the island. Crossings depend on the boat operator and sea conditions; check marine weather and confirm that the trip is operating before travelling.
- Opening hours
- The community does not publish fixed visitor opening hours. Colombia Travel describes daily boats from Puerto Viejo/Tolú; Rutas de Mar’s Cartagena service lists morning check-in/departure times, but only reaches Santa Cruz when included in the booked plan. Operator schedules and island access depend on the chosen route, sea conditions and maritime authority; confirm directly before travel.
- Location checked
- 2026-09-27
- Facts checked
- 2026-11-01
Map marks the area, not a visitor entrance.
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