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Tolú is a beach town on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. It’s a hopping off point for the San Bernardo Islands.
Introduction to Tolú
I really don’t understand why my Colombian friends talk so highly of Tolú. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It’s an eyesore. A popular beach destination for Colombians, especially from Medellín and Bogotá, Tolú is blessed with a long coastline on the Gulf of Morrosquillo, running south towards Coveñas and further north along the gulf. Unfortunately, the beaches near town are nothing special and many are littered with trash. If you’re not there to catch a boat to the San Bernardo Islands, there’s no reason to linger.
Tolú is one of the oldest towns in Colombia. It was founded on July 25, 1535, by the Spanish conquistadors Alonso de Heredia and Captain Pedro de Velasco y Martínez de Revilla (c. 1510-1571). It’s named for an indigenous person from the area. The major industries are fishing and tourism.
Getting to Tolú
The town connects to the rest of the country by air and bus. The Golf of Morrosquillo Airport (Aeropuerto Golfo de Morrosquillo) receives flights from Medellín and Bogotá (as of August 2024). By bus, it’s about 2 ½ hours from either Montería or Cartagena. Coveñas is 30 minutes away.
Main Plaza
We stopped to see Tolú on our way out of the area. We started at the main plaza, which is fairly pleasant. It’s filled with tall trees and benches and there’s a gazebo in the middle.
A couple interesting buildings surround the plaza. One is the city hall (Alcaldía) and the other is the Church of Santiago (Iglesia de Santiago el Mayor), which was completed in 1900.
Seaside
A dirty, dusty road leads one block to the Caribbean Sea. A few shops selling souvenirs, including local crafts and beach toys, line the road.
When we reached the seaside, it was quite a disappointment. We walked to a lookout point where visitors can enjoy views of the sea, but the beach next to it was full of plastic and other trash. It was heartbreaking to see the children playing barefoot in such a mess. Otherwise, there are decent views of the shoreline in either direction.
Next, we walked along the road following the shoreline. Locals had set up stands selling souvenirs, crafts made out of seashells, and street food. That’s the extent of our brief stop in Tolú.
