FISHING GUIDE · CARIBBEAN COAST, COLOMBIA

Colombia's Caribbean Coast (with Los Roques, Venezuela) Fishing Guide

Charter boats out of Cartagena and Santa Marta run offshore for marlin, sailfish, wahoo, mahi and tuna, about an hour's run to the offshore grounds from Cartagena. The law on recreational fishing in Colombia changed after the 2022 court ruling, and the new 'pesca de turismo' system under Law 2501 of 2025 depends on AUNAP permits and rules, so book with an operator who can show its permit. Both nearby national parks, Corales del Rosario and Tayrona, are protected areas where fishing is banned unless specifically allowed.

📍 Colombia's Caribbean coast. Cartagena de Indias (Bolívar) is the main charter port; Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo National Park covers the islands and reefs southwest of the city. Santa Marta (Magdalena) and the fishing village of Taganga sit to the northeast, with Tayrona National Park about 34 km from Santa Marta. Venezuela's Los Roques archipelago lies about 128 km (80 miles) north of La Guaira and is covered here only as background.

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full Colombia & Venezuela map →

Quick facts

In ruling C-148 of 2022 (April 27, 2022), Colombia's Constitutional Court struck down the legal basis for 'pesca deportiva' (sport fishing), finding it was not a valid exception to the ban on animal cruelty; it delayed the effect by one year from notification.
Law 2501 of July 28, 2025 created a new legal category, 'pesca de turismo' (tourism fishing). People and operators doing it as a business must get a tourism-fishing permit from AUNAP, and AUNAP was given one year to write the detailed rules.
Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo was first set aside in 1977 and enlarged in 1996 to about 120,000 hectares; it holds the largest coral reef platform on Colombia's continental Caribbean coast.
Tayrona National Park was created in 1964 and has coral formations and seagrass beds along its coast; it was closed in February 2026 over threats and blockades and reopened March 5, 2026.
The U.S. State Department rates Colombia Level 3 'Reconsider travel' (March 31, 2026) and Venezuela Level 3 'Reconsider travel' (June 27, 2026).

What you can catch

Blue marlin
Offshore target out of Cartagena; charter reports point to the fall, especially October.
Sailfish
Offshore target for Cartagena and Santa Marta charters.
Wahoo
One of the most common charter catches; winter reports from Cartagena.
Mahi-mahi (dorado)
Common offshore catch off Cartagena.
Yellowfin tuna
Caught offshore; small tuna can be plentiful on half-day trips.
Kingfish and barracuda
Nearshore trolling catches out of Cartagena.
Tarpon and snook
Local inshore fish; Taganga's net fishermen catch them near Santa Marta.
Bonefish (Los Roques, Venezuela)
Background only: Los Roques has long been known for above-average bonefish on many small flats; check the travel advisory first.

Month by month

January	Tuna and wahoo reported off Cartagena. U.S. advisory warns seas between Cartagena and the islands can be dangerous for small boats in Dec-Jan.
February	Wahoo and kingfish reported. Tayrona's 'Respira Tayrona' rest closures happen in February (dates change each year).
March	Expect choppy water on some days; tuna, barracuda reported.
April	Tuna and mahi reported off Cartagena.
May	Kingfish, wahoo, mahi, snapper and tuna reported.
June	Tayrona closed June 1-15 in 2026 for its rest period. Tropical storm season starts (June-November).
July	Storm season; reports thin. Ask captains about current conditions.
August	Small tuna and wahoo on half-day trips; storm season.
September	Start of the fall billfish and tuna peak (Sep-Nov); bottom fishing for grouper and snapper.
October	Charter listings rate October as a top month for blue marlin off Cartagena, with mahi and wahoo. Tayrona rest closure window Oct-Nov.
November	End of the fall billfish peak and of storm season. Tayrona rest closure possible.
December	Seas between Cartagena and the islands can be rough for small boats; check weather before going out.

Tips

Ask the operator to show its AUNAP 'pesca de turismo' permit and explain current rules; the law requires a permit for tourism fishing as a business, and the detailed rules may still be changing.
Do not fish inside Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo or Tayrona national parks unless the park itself tells you a zone is open; national park rules ban fishing except for science or where the Ministry allows it.
Pay the park entry fee ('derechos de ingreso') before visiting Corales del Rosario or Tayrona, and check Parques Nacionales for closures; Tayrona closes several times a year.
On small boats from Cartagena to the islands, check for life jackets and safety gear; the U.S. State Department reports deaths in boating accidents there.
Release sharks and rays; Colombia's shark and ray protection decree says they are not to be taken for commercial or recreational purposes.

Rules and license

AUNAP (Autoridad Nacional de Acuicultura y Pesca); Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia (national parks); Corte Constitucional (C-148/22) · Official rules page ↗

Constitutional Court ruling C-148/22 struck down sport fishing ('pesca deportiva') in Decree-Law 2811 of 1974 (art. 273 num. 4) and Law 13 of 1990 (art. 8), effective one year after notification.
Law 2501 of 2025 adds 'pesca de turismo' as a fishing type; individuals, communities and tour operators doing it as an economic activity need an AUNAP tourism-fishing permit.
AUNAP rules on gear, catch amounts, minimum sizes, methods and seasons for 'pesca de turismo' were still to be issued at last check; check current rules with AUNAP.
Tourism fishing is not allowed in zones excluded by the authorities, and only species that are not threatened or endangered may be targeted.
National park areas: Decree 1076 of 2015 bans any fishing except scientific; sport and subsistence fishing only where the Ministry permits it and it does not harm the ecosystem.
Corales del Rosario: gillnets (trasmallos) are seized and destroyed by the park; reef crest and lagoon areas are nursery habitat.
Sharks, rays and chimeras are covered by Decree 281 of 2021's protection plan; violations can bring sanctions under Law 1333 of 2009.
Venezuela (Los Roques national park since 1972): fishing rules not confirmed from INSOPESCA; check current rules and the U.S. travel advisory before planning.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 1 boat ramps and 6 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Club Nautico
Club Náutico de Veleros
Club de Pesca
Marina Santa Cruz
Marina Santa Marta
Marina de Barú

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.