Las Islas Rosarios: Hidden Reefs, Escobar Myths & How Long to Stay

As our boat rocked its way into a small snorkelling bay on Isla Grande, ‘La Playita’, Pablo Escobar’s alleged Caribbean hideaway, came into view from behind towering palms. I hadn’t come to The Rosario Islands for its infamous and contested connection to Colombia’s most controversial figure (in fact, I hadn’t heard anything about it) – but our guide was certainly keen to show it off. While she told stories of sunken smuggler planes and secluded narco empires surrounded by nothing but coral reefs, blue sky and even bluer waters – I started to see why these islands on the edge of the world were claiming a legendary stake in Colombia’s contemporary history. I didn’t question her tales and returned to my accommodation with an appreciation for The Rosario’s mysterious, but slightly dubious, secret. Las Islas del Rosarios are a protected national coral reef park, made up of 27 individual islets, sitting just an hour off the coast of Cartagena. “It’s wonderful to live in the Caribbean” (pxhidalgo/iStock) They are a truly tropical escape and during my time in the city, I spent four days on the islands snorkelling, partying and learning about the (uncertain) local history and indigenous isl...