Cartagena, ColombiaIsla Tierra Bomba
Blue Apple Beach
Riviera-inspired beach club
Isla Tierra Bomba Cartagena, Colombia
Opened
2016
Price
$$
Rated for
Design Resort SocialOutside the door
Riviera-inspired beach club
The property runs like a Côte d'Azur beach club by day, clearing out by sunset so overnight guests have the island to themselves.
“In July 2016, she opened Blue Apple Beach, a bright, five-room, six-cabana beachfront escape a few minutes’ motorbike ride down the road from Bocachica.”
What it’s good at
Notable
Thatched cabanas with vibrant oceanic patterns, artisan woodwork, and private plunge pools.
Notable
Lively pool-deck afternoons with house DJs transition into quiet honesty-bar evenings.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
UK Readers' Choice Awards – The best hotels in South America
Condé Nast Traveler
2025
Also in AFAR.
This boutique hotel takes inspiration from beach clubs in the south of France...where the owner used to live: rosé flows freely and DJs spin afro-latino beats.
Tucked away
A place apart: the property is the destination.
Cartagena is twenty minutes across the bay by boat. A short ride down the road leads to Bocachica's 17th-century Spanish forts.
The rooms
Standalone cabanas have palm-thatched roofs and outdoor rainfall showers. The largest bungalows add private plunge pools facing the water.
The pool
Bring a swimsuit.
The turquoise-tiled infinity pool is framed by daybeds and shaded loungers looking out toward the beach.
Gym and yoga deck
A conical thatched pavilion holds a weight rack and yoga mats, draped in breezy white curtains.
At the table
Tables sit along the sand and beneath shade sails, serving fresh Caribbean seafood and house-made kombucha.
How it began
Founder Portia Hart converted a private home into the hotel in 2016, later adding an on-site workshop to pulverize and recycle glass.
The app
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.