Save for wondering whether or not I have a parasite from my treasured trip to the Colombian coast, I’m still floating in the memories of my scuba experience with Centro Buceo Rincón del Mar.  A far cry from the harsh concrete and garbage landscape of NYC, the protected coral reefs of Islas del Rosario and Islas de San Bernardo are a vibrant image in my mind that I’ll never forget.

I decided to take several days in the small coastal town of Rincón del Mar, a lesser known destination approximately a three hour drive from Cartagena. It took a lot of digging around the internet to find this hidden gem that surely will be turning a corner in the next few years as far as tourism is concerned. It was really important to me to spend part of my trip in Colombia somewhere quiet. I took a lot of time reading blogs, pouring over reviews and searching for a tranquil town not too far from Rafael Núñez International Airport in Cartagena, where I would be flying directly from New York City. Seeing as how I had to run around to more than one currency exchange in the final week before leaving, I would say the direct flights quickly have made Cartagena a hotspot for people looking for a fast (probably party heavy) getaway. “There’s a lot of demand for Colombian pesos lately,” one independent currency exchange told me while I stood there trying to figure out who might still have pesos so I wouldn’t have to exchange at the airport (a no no if we can help it).

It would be hard to forget my first reaction to the directions sent to me by the Eco-lodge, Dos Aguas, where I booked my stay. There were a lot of steps, one of which included 30 minutes along a dirt road and another that read “You will come upon a footbridge. It’s lovely, but be careful.” I raised an eyebrow. I did want somewhere quiet and a bit off the beaten path, so I supposed that a little bit of adventure in getting there could be well worth it. And it was.  

Once there and settled in, I took the two minute walk over to Centro Buceo Rincón del Mar, which passed the vibe check. It looked exactly how I wanted it to. Nestled on a further part of the beach, it is connected to beachy lodging- a hip-looking hostel called Cabañas Rincón de Juan. On the walls of Centro Buceo were posters of regional coral species and crustaceans. Being a crab myself, of both the astrological and emotional type, I was looking forward to what I might see beneath the surface.

I booked my excursion- a day of two fun dives exploring the reefs of Islas de San Bernardo. Still a scuba baby, the night before gave me a lot of flutters, but the calm Caribbean Sea was putting me at ease leading up to it.

As soon as I walked into the dive school the day we were heading out, I felt good about it and less concerned with my lack of expertise.  

I would be diving with two much more experienced divers, which was both intimidating and relieving. They were very chill and thankfully, open to my lack of experience. They also thought I was a native Spanish speaker, *dusts shoulders off* – just saying.

Alex and Felipe were great instructors. Energetic guys who made everyone feel comfortable. A larger part of the group were all doing a first time discovery dive together and I listened as I sipped my coffee. Felipe explained things so clearly, I started to gain confidence, even as an eavesdropper.

Absorbing the good vibes as I sat with a cup of coffee facing out to the sand, the dive boat that would take us out looked like the adornment of a tropical postcard with crystal blue water beneath it and beautiful blue skies above.

Alex sat us (me and the two experienced divers) down to discuss the plan for the dive. This was truly a very exciting moment for me because 

1) It was the first time I felt I could pay attention to what he was saying instead of worrying about my mask (more about my previous mask woes here).

2) The whole rundown was in Spanish and I realized how far I’ve come on that lifelong language-learning journey.

Once we set off, the happy captain of our little motorboat steered us to the first dive site. We had pretty decent visibility once we descended. As usual it took some time to get my ears equalized. It is truly an incredible to be able to experience protected areas, because they appear so healthy- a bit of a disconnect from what is happening largely in the ocean with disease and climate change damaging reefs.

We saw many different corals – tube sponges, different species of brain coral and wisping anemone. I felt like I was floating through coral heaven.

We came across garden eels doing their little snake charmer dance from the sea floor (so creepy yet mesmerizing those little guys), what I think were bobo mullet fish, schools of porgies, eye catching lionfish and the most adorable porcupine fish with round curious eyes as if to say, “Why are you filming me?”.

The water was generally calm, without much current and super warm. It was the first time in my limited scuba career that I didn’t wear a wetsuit. I had some buoyancy challenges but overall was very pleased with how I did. Alex helped me out and my two chill diving companions served as calming supports.

We did our safety stop at the line and made our way up from the first dive. I was thrilled.

After a short ride and a snack, we made our way to the second dive site.

Grateful for the lack of a strong current and the ability to put our gear on in the water, we suited up and descended. Holy corals. It seemed like endless nooks and crannies, angelfish, damselfish, many tube and brain corals and schools of fish swimming in mesmerizing synchronicity. Coral reefs, in my opinion, are what fairy tales are made of and seeing as how they are home to over 25% of marine life species and are 300% necessary (my personal statistic) for the health of our planet, it is has been eye opening for me to experience them and in turn, start choosing daily habits in my NY life that aims to protect them.

After close to an hour, we met up with the larger discovery dive group which was great practice for me never having been with that many divers fluttering around. I know that will be useful in my future if I ever want to try a liveaboard or something similar. After swimming through some teeny tiny jellies, we made our way up and I bobbed at the surface with the group, thoroughly spent and ready to bask in the post-dive glow for the rest of the day in my hammock at Dos Aguas.

Truly, a highlight in my experience visiting Rincon del Mar and for a great price. Once we got back, Alex helped me fill out my dive log and I pattered back through the sand to Dos Aguas feeling accomplished, ready for a meal and to collapse in the hammock. And I did both, happily.