Tolu

Tolu sits on the Gulf of Morrosquillo and is primarily a domestic holiday town - Colombians from Medellin and the interior rather than international visitors, which gives it a different feel from the Cartagena coast. Its most visible feature is transport: bicicarros, bicycle-drawn carriages with sound systems, are the main way to move around town and there are hundreds of them. Boats leave the pier for the San Bernardo archipelago, ten islands including Isla Múcura and Santa Cruz del Islote - the latter is a small coral islet holding well over a thousand people in around a hectare, generally described as the most densely populated island on earth, built up over generations by families filling in around the original rock.

The main sights

• Bicycle carriages as transport - hundreds of them, with sound systems.
• A domestic rather than international resort - the character is different.
• Boats to the San Bernardo islands - ten islands offshore.
• Santa Cruz del Islote - among the most densely populated islands on earth.

When to go

December to April; Colombian holiday weeks are the busiest. A full day or several.

Good to know

Town beaches are muddy and not the reason to come - the islands are. Boat operators overcharge and crowd the vessels; agree terms first. Santa Cruz del Islote is a home to over a thousand people, not an exhibit. Holiday periods fill the town.

Nearby

Coveñas is south; the San Bernardo islands are offshore.

Key facts