Anchorage· Isla Grande (Rosario)· Other Caribbean

Oceanario Anchorage (Isla San Martín de Pajarales)

10° 10.4′ N · 75° 46.3′ W

The official anchoring point off the Oceanario on Isla San Martín de Pajarales, west of Isla Grande - anchor here to visit the aquarium by dinghy.

Belize Barrier Reef

Practical

Waypoint A14 (10°10'26.865"N 75°46'20.540"W) from Colombia's official cruising guide (DIMAR/FONTUR Guía Náutica Turística). The aquarium (OSM islet position 10.17699, -75.77155) lies a few hundred meters north of the waypoint. Opening hours 9 am–1:30 pm daily (Oceanario site), so arrive in the morning. A charter itinerary (Be Blue Sailing) anchors nearby and returns downwind to Isla Grande for the night. Rosario approach rules: enter only in good light with someone on the bow reading the water (national guide; Noonsite). Many buoys shown on charts do not exist (Noonsite 2017), and the buoys for the Rosario and Cholón routes were removed in October 2023 and may not have been replaced (Noonsite Cartagena page, 2025) - rely on the official waypoints, eyeball navigation and satellite overlays. Seasonal choice (national guide): in the rainy season (April–November) anchor on the northern side of the archipelago; when the trades blow from the north (December–April) anchor on the south side. Park rules: anchoring on coral, collecting shells or coral, buying mero guasa, turtle or queen conch, loud music and single-use plastics are prohibited (Parques Nacionales); Noonsite adds no jet-skiing or fishing and limited anchoring areas. Day-tripper boats crowd the anchorages and their music stops around 5 pm (Noonsite). Security: Noonsite records a fatal attack on a cruising boat in the Rosarios in September 2015, a violent attack after an attempted dinghy theft in July 2016 and an outboard stolen from a lifted, unlocked dinghy in December 2014 - lift, lock and chain dinghy, outboard and tank every night.

Best for

Visiting the Oceanario by dinghy

Season

Rainy season (Apr–Nov): north side; Dec–Apr trades: south side

Nearby