Blue Apple Beach House is a boutique hotel and beach club located on the southwestern shore of Tierra Bomba Island, approximately 30 minutes from the Santa Cruz Marina in Cartagena by speedboat.
Blue Apple’s owner and founder, a UK expat with years of experience working on yachts in the French Riviera, opened her first restaurant on Isla Baru in October 2015. It was an immediate hit, and diners kept asking to spend the night rather than make the return journey by boat to Cartagena. Blue Apple opened in July 2016 in response to that demand. The hotel now has 10 guest rooms, as well as one of the best beach club in Colombia.
The beach club is open to day trippers, and private groups as large as 200. It’s a popular venue on weekends and holidays.
Accommodations
Blue Apple Beach House is a converted private home, constructed with local architectural techniques and materials–thatch, stone, and rattan. Each room is unique in terms of colors, layout, and furnishings. You’ll find custom-crafted textiles; handwoven hammocks; and pieces created by local carpenters, artists, and artisans.
Each of the ten rooms has a private, ensuite bathroom, hot water, air conditioning, balcony or terrace, mini-bar, cable television, and Wi-Fi.
Nota bene: Blue Apple’s beach club guests love to dance and enjoy the music. Do not ask or expect Blue Apple to turn down the music or dampen the party.
Children under age 12 are not permitted to stay at Blue Apple Beach House on weekends.
Cuisine
The beachfront restaurant offers a seasonal menu featuring mediterranian classics and Colombian-Caribbean specialties–think mussles, coconut rice, seabass, shrimp, fresh vegetables, and chocolate churros. Food is made to order from locally and sustainably-sourced ingredients. Guests have access to vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Hotel guests can even enjoy kosher-style meals.
The wine list is eclectic, with favorites from the new and old worlds. Cocktails are prepared with fresh herbs and juices.
Amenities
Among the shared amenities at Blue Apple Beach House are two open-air swimming pools, a large restaurant, beach club, and dive center.
Hotel guests receive VIP status at the beach club, with complimentary access to specially reserved sun-beds.
Massage treatments are available for an additional fee.
Shuttle boat service is offered for hotel guests, with service 4x daily.
Mobile phone signal does not currently reach Blue Apple.
Activities
Guests can paddle board, kayak, snorkel, SCUBA dive, swim, and enjoy the beach club. Horseback tours of the island can be arranged, with helmets and chaps provided.
Bilingual dive instructors are available on site, offering guided snorkeling, diving, and PADI certification courses. The area’s top sites for diving and snorkeling–Rosario Islands and Baru Island–can be accessed in under an hour by speed boat.
If you can spend more time in the Cartagena area, LANDED can also arrange special experiences during an extended stay in the Old City:
- Visits to the sprawling, ever-changing Bazurto Market
- Rum tastings led by a master mixologist
- Sunset cruises in the Bay of Cartagena
- Private day trips by yacht to the Rosario Islands (snorkeling and beaches)
- Visits with sculptors and painters
- Walking or driving explorations of the old city with architects and historians
- Cooking classes and chef’s table experiences
- Coffee tastings guided by master baristas
- Visits to handmade candy and ice cream shops
- Helicopter overflights of the Caribbean Coast and The Lost City
- Day trips by helicopter to coastal Tayrona National Park or sleepy, historic Mompox
- Salsa lessons and accompanied visits to salsa clubs
- Drumming workshops (seasonally available)
- Boxing sessions (no prior experience necessary)
ARE YOU CONSIDERING A STAY AT BLUE APPLE? LANDED PROVIDES PERSONALIZED, CUSTOM TRAVEL WITHIN CENTRAL AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA, AND THE ANTARCTIC. WE’LL CREATE A UNIQUE ITINERARY PLAN TAILORED TO YOUR INTERESTS AND DREAMS. EXPERIENCE THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME. SPEAK WITH ONE OF OUR EXPERT TRAVEL PLANNERS TODAY AT 801.582.2100.