Cartagena Beach Running

The city of Cartagena offers some of the best beach running in the Caribbean. It’s absolutely a city beach run, so don’t expect quiet seclusion, but the sand is near-perfect for running, providing a hard-packed, flat surface that goes on for miles. Since Cartagena is surrounded by so much coast, there are multiple beaches available, but these are the best three for running:

Playa Bocagrande: Playa Bocagrande is the most obvious choice for a run, and the most easily accessible. Since many visitors to the city stay near Old Town, it’s possible to hop on the sand at the north end without requiring public transportation. The beach is about 1.7 km one-way, but can be extended with the Bocagrande Waterfront or Castillogrande routes. MAP.

Playa Marbella: Playa Marbella is the sandy stretch reaching roughly from El Cabrero in the south to the La Bocana bridge in the north, about 0.75 km. It’s a little bit more narrow the other beaches in the city, but it’s mostly runnable, and can be used as a useful connector between the Bocagrande Waterfront Sidewalk and La Boquilla Beach, which is 2 km to the north. MAP.

Playa La Boquilla: La Boquilla is a little bit quieter than other beaches in Cartagena, and it’s a fantastically runnable wide beach. It’s also the longest option in the area, with up to 4 km one- way. Runners can start at La Bocana bridge, just north of the airport, and continue all the way north to the land’s end. MAP.