Tolú: Beaches, Tourism & Things to Do on the Gulf of Morrosquillo
Tolú is an ideal destination for a few days at the beach on the Caribbean Sea.
Its official name is Santiago de Tolú, and each year it welcomes thousands of tourists.
Tolú is a small Caribbean-coast town in the department of Sucre, on the Gulf of Morrosquillo; its white-sand beaches and warm water are its main draw.
Tolú is 20 kilometers from Coveñas, and the two towns form a single tourist corridor.
Tourism in Tolú
The town of Tolú stretches along the Caribbean Sea, and most of the hotels and other accommodation sit right by the beach. The choice is wide, with options for every budget.
There are also plenty of restaurants, where the typical dish is fresh local fish.
The nightlife is lively, especially on weekends, long weekends and holidays. Bars and clubs are the evening meeting points.
Beaches in Tolú
The town-center beaches are not the prettiest in the area. A few minutes away, however, you can enjoy lovely beaches with white sand and crystal-clear water.
Twenty minutes from the center is Playa del Francés. This beach is lively on weekends and has restaurants, drink stalls and chair and umbrella rentals.
One of the must-do trips is a boat excursion out to the San Bernardo Islands, where you can spend the day on clean, quiet beaches.
San Bernardo Islands
Tolú is the gateway to the Gulf of Morrosquillo and the San Bernardo Islands. Motor boats leave the Tolú shoreline daily for the different islands and their beaches.
The islands are the perfect place for water sports, diving and snorkeling. Most of the beaches offer food and drinks.
The best beaches in the San Bernardo Islands
- Tintipán
- Panda
- Boquerón
- Palma
- Mangle
- Cabruna
- Santa Cruz del Islote (artificial island)
- Maravilla
- Ceycén
Hotels in Tolú
Hotel Catalina del Mar
Address: Carrera # 19-42
Phone: 2860510
Mobile: 315 5048321
Website: catalinadelmartolu.com
Cabañas Aqua Blue
Address: Autopista Tolú – Coveñas, km 10.
Website: cabanasaquablue.com
WhatsApp: +57 316 834 9117
Condominio Caribbean Town
Address: Vía Coveñas-Tolú Km 5, Tolú, Sucre, Colombia.
Phone: +57 304 5624641
FB: Logisticaenturismo
Hotel Katylú
Address: Carrera 3 #21-29, Santiago de Tolú, Sucre, Colombia
Phone: +57 321 6484753
Map of the San Bernardo Islands
Map of Tolú
Related destinations
On the Colombian Caribbean
- Barranquilla — Carnival and nearby beaches
- Capurganá — beaches on the Gulf of Urabá
- Cartagena — walled city and Caribbean beaches
- Caribbean Coast — guide to the Caribbean shoreline
- Coveñas — beaches on the Gulf of Morrosquillo
More beaches in Colombia
- Bahía Solano — beaches and whales in Chocó
- Nuquí — whales and Pacific rainforest
- Tumaco — southern Pacific beaches
Frequently asked questions about Tolú
Santiago de Tolú is a beach town in the department of Sucre, on the Gulf of Morrosquillo, 20 km from Coveñas (the two form a single tourist corridor).
Mainly by road. The nearest airport is Montería; you can also arrive by bus from Medellín, Cartagena and other Caribbean cities.
The town-center beaches are not the best; a few minutes away is Playa del Francés, and the great day trip is by boat to the San Bernardo Islands, with crystal-clear water.
Stroll the seafront promenade, take boat trips to the San Bernardo Islands (Múcura, Tintipán, Santa Cruz del Islote), go diving and snorkeling, and enjoy the fresh-fish cuisine and the nightlife.
An archipelago in the Gulf of Morrosquillo, ideal for spending the day on calm beaches and doing water sports; Tolú is its main gateway.
The weather is warm all year; the dry season (December to April) is the most pleasant. Weekends, long weekends and holidays are the busiest periods.