I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, attempting to get comfortable with the stillness of the remote La Rocca Island. I shifted my body over an oversized bean bag perched in the sand, careful not to spill the freshly brewed cacao I held in one hand, journal in the other.
After a few days of multi-sensory adventure in Cartagena’s El Centro—where the vibrant hues match the pulsating local energy, from the palenqueras balancing mixed fruit baskets over their lemon and scarlet-hued gowns to the hustling club promoters popping out of bass-pumping doorways—I was learning what silence sounded like again.
Earlier that day, I left the colorful Colombian city skyline behind and cruised about 30 minutes toward a seemingly remote island, overgrown with a covering of sea grape leaves and a tangle of aerial mangrove roots. After ascending a zagging flight of sandy stairs, however, an unlikely scene revealed itself: a series of palapalas surrounded a sweeping infinity pool and an open kitchen lined with platters of freshly cubed pineapple, papaya, and dragonfruit.
Here, I’d spend the day with OMM Wellness founder, Ana Muñoz, on a day-long retreat that comprised journaling, dancing, yoga, and self-reflection. Muñoz, a transpersonal psychologist and certified health coach, established OMM in 2022. It was a natural extension from her current role as co-founder of TwoTravel, a Cartagena-based luxury concierge specializing in custom-tailored group itineraries where she had witnessed an uptick in wellness-focused bookings, especially following the pandemic.
“I always thought Cartagena was a great destination for wellness tourism, but I was initially focused on sun and beach tourism,” shared Muñoz. Since its founding in 2018, TwoTravel has offered a variety of customized wellness activities for clients, including yoga classes, dance lessons, and personalized trainers, however, in addition to lifestyle and leisure travel, now TwoTravel and OMM Wellness work together to curate immersive retreats from one-off experiences (like the day trip I was on) to 12-night experiences for their wellness-minded clientele.
“With its laidback way of life and coastal Caribbean location, Cartagena is an ideal destination for wellness tourism, shares TwoTravel cofounder Ray Kanevsky. “There’s a peaceful communion with nature,” he says, noting the juxtaposition of the UNESCO World Heritage colonial architecture of Old Town contrasting the beaches, mountains, and rivers all within day-trip proximity of Cartagena. Not to mention—private islands, only a 30-minute power boat ride from shore, which TwoTravel can rent out for what Kanevsky calls “the ultimate wellness escape, complete with 360-degree views of turquoise waters, total privacy, and all-access concierge service.”
Cartagena’s central locale and accessibility are bolstered by two other factors: the weather is suitable for year-round outdoor activities and the quality of experience offers impeccable value for money. This means that a retreat, even one that includes its own private island, isn’t going to break the bank. Founder and CEO of Ketanga Fitness Retreats, Stacy Schwartz, recognized these advantages on a scouting trip to Colombia before she hosted her first retreat in Cartagena in 2019. “I fell in love with the culture and community,” she shares, which led her to host two more wellness-focused itineraries there in 2022 and 2023.
“Colombia doesn t believe in work-life balance; there’s an obvious attitude of work-life boundaries, instead,” says Cristina Peerenboom, a writer and DJ, who moved to Bogotá five years ago for a change of pace. As the former co-founder at POUND, Peerenboom sought a place where “the life part came first,” she says: “a place where I could explore the non-LinkedIn parts of myself.” She found this “breath of fresh air” not only in Bogotá but throughout Colombia as she’s DJed at locally and internationally attended wellness retreats.
“In the last five years, some incredible spas and boutique hotels have brought visibility to the healthy, bohemian luxury side of Cartagena,” she shares, pointing to Las Islas Barú, a sustainable jungle retreat that opened in 2018. “It reframed Cartagena as more than just a great place to party, but a serene escape to rest the body and mind,” emphasizes Peerenboom.
There’s also Namasté Beach Club, both a hotel and holistic day trip destination that welcomes guests with a cucumber, pineapple, and ginger detox drink and a daily schedule that includes mid-morning yoga, a massage, downtime on a reserved pergola and another group wellness activity mid-day, which could include a meditation in the Maloka (ancestral medicine house).
The inherited wisdom and connection to the earth of indigenous populations is one of the factors that Kristy Ellis, founder of Cartagena Connections, credits for the region’s burgeoning wellness space. Ellis notes how a large number of wellness practitioners (both Colombian and international) are now choosing Cartagena as their home base, including massage therapists like Maria Alexandra at Uzima, energy mentor and holistic healer Tata Umana, and local yogi Sol Angel, owner of Soma Yoga.
Ellis, herself, is working to coordinate a Cartagena health-centric retreat for February 2025, led by plant-based food expert Lauren Lovatt, founder of Plant Academy London. After hosting a raw vegan workshop and retreat in Bali, Lovatt turned to Cartagena: “The retreat will include an opportunity to get up close and personal with Colombia’s huge variety of exotic fruits and vegetables and plants,” says Ellis, adding that ceremonial Colombian cacao and coffee culture will also be highlighted.
Also on the horizon for 2025 is the opening of the new Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Cartagena in Old Town’s cultural neighborhood of Getsemani. The 131-key property teases a fusion of modern wellness, ancestral rituals, and locally-inspired treatments, across a sprawling spa and fitness center with two rooftop pools, drawing even more attention to the city from wellness-minded travelers with a lure for luxury.
“I believe that after 2020, people truly began to realize the gravity of depression, anxiety, and the shared mental health struggles among the collective,” shares Muñoz about the pandemic’s influence in proliferating Cartagena’s wellness offerings. Now, “emotional and mental wellbeing is a top priority,” she says—and what better place to reconnect with one s inner self than under the South American sun and tranquil shores on a secluded island off Colombia’s Caribbean coast?