Puerto Velero - Docking
- Marina photo courtesy of Puerto Velero Marina
Approach
There is a green buoy at the entrance to the marina. Call on VHF channel 08 prior to arrival.
Marina
There are power and water on the pontoons, some fingers (most of which are Med style mooring) and the marina can get fuel. The showers and washroom are clean, and laundry is possible via the marina office (not self-service).
Anchorage
The very large bay here provides a sheltered anchorage with a sandy bottom, 3-10m deep. The water here is reported to be very clean so you can swim off the boat and on many days see the bottom.
Other Services
The marina has an adjacent boatyard with haulout facilities. A wide range of repair and maintenance services are now available.
You will need to take a taxi out of the marina to the main road, however once here a bus can be taken to Puerto Colombia, Barranquilla or Cartagena.
Last updated: January 2019
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Related to following destinations: Caribbean Coast (Colombia), Colombia, Puerto Velero
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Jean-Baptiste
We arrived in September 2019 from Cartagena with insurmountable problems with customs, due to an incompetent agent. The staff of Puerto Velero helped us like parents! Thanks to their kindness and competence, we left our boat in peace until December. Then we took out the boat for work (a 52 ft sailboat that weighs 23 tons) and everything went well with the friendly workers, polishing the hull, painting, polyester repairs … I recommend this best step in Colombia to all!
Carole
We had the pleasure of staying at Puerto Velero marina for 6 months while we land traveled and returned home for awhile . Marvelous choice. They made us feel more like family than customers.
We were very satisfied with all the staff. The pool was fabulous as was the workers lunch. The chef was creative and seasoned food so well. Most cost effective! She was willing to pick up small items for us when we needed them. They have regular meals all and on weekends the lake side cafes were good and within walking distance. It I bit out of the way….. but there is a van that goes into Barranquilla daily and returns…. that does make a long day. They are seriously thinking of doing a weekly grocery, hardware store, ATM run like Granada! They really listened to our ideas. Also maybe a weekly BBQ by the marina.
We met some good cruisers there also , nice when there were more of us there.
One yacht had difficulty with Officials in Barranquilla and the staff and marina owner really went to bat for them! Good feeling for us to know “ they have our back” . Cristina and Alex were very easy to work with ! They helped us with ordering parts, etc.
if we were going that direction we would certainly intrust our “ home” with them again. again. We have lived aboard for 20 years and I must say this was a very good place to be.
Carole
We arrived in Marina Puerto Velero because of weather problems and we were surprised with this incredible place. For starters, we had an engine problem and the marina members helped us since the first instant. We were worried because we had heard before that in Colombia the tramits where difficult but in this marina was great! Really fast and the fees were actually really good. Then we made a walk around the area and we found a place surrounded with so much calm and with so many friendly people. The showers are excepcional and the best we have seen in the caribbean. Water and electricity are charged by consuming and they are actually really cheap.
After some weeks on the marina we decided to haul out our cat because we were leaving for some time and everything went great. The guy that manages the travel lift is really trustfull and good. The marina has also a bus services that only cost USD3 if you want to go and spend the day in Barranquilla, and its also a perfect spot if you want to leave your boat and go and visit Colombia.
We think this marina has so much potential and we really think is the best option to stop if you are going to panama or other places of the caribbean. This marina is highly recommended by us.
Marina Puerto Velero is great! Everyone in the marina is really kind and they are always there to help you whenever you have a problem. The entrance in the country is so much easier than other places in Colombia and also is much more cheaper. The prices are great and its a perfect marina for big families. You have a nice pool that you can enjoy whenever you want and they also have special menu for sailors. If you want a place where you can enjoy calm and tranquility just come to Marina Puerto Velero.
It is not worth it to spend time in this marina if you are not going to use the shipyard. The place is overexposed to south winds and you sleep better if you are at anchor than inside the marina.
Mosquitoes are the unquestionable owners of the sourrandings and when it rains the mud can get to your ankles.
This could be compensate from the prices they have, very cheap instead, but the rest for us doesn’t worth the effort at all.
The owner of the marina Mrs S. and her daughter made us feel very uncomfortable more than once because of a lack of communication, from their part, that the services as the restaurant and the laundry (that we were paying, they were certainly not for free), could not be used from whom who decides to spend a few days at the anchor.
All of that after 3 months that we have spent inbetween the shipyard and the marina, investing our time and money. We just couldn’t believe what we were hearing.
The owner called us into her office to warn us that we couldn’t set foot on the marina private soil and that if we wanted to catch the van to get to the city, the one and only working transport, we couldn’t cross through her territory but instead we shuold go all around outside of the marina. She also said that we couldn’t live the zodiac inside tied up near the docks.
We have also been asked (by mobile), if we were using the bathrooms that particular day, not knowing that we were already back inside at the docks and so, as their ridiculous and non sense rules said, we were in full right to use them. There are no doubts that the incompetence and lack of communication between the managers and their employees create a lot of confusion and misunderstandings.
The docks are almost empty and they obviousely need to work but even so they allow themselves to treat you like a sort of foreign unwelcomed invader.
On the other hand all the employees, from the kitchen to the shipyard and the reception are really simple, pleasant and nice people.
We can’t say the same for their bosses.
In fact we left the place earlier than we originally planned in order not to have to lead with them anymore.
We still don’t understand why they had this kind of attitude towards us but we are for sure not coming back there again and we also cannot recommend it to anyone of our sailors friends or casual knowledge.
We also were informed later that a German guy with his wife and 2 little kids were kicked out by the owner for the same reason explained below.
We have no words for that.
In general, both Santa Marta and here don’t look like very confident with custom, harbour and immigration procedures
Latest entry of 22 Feb refers to a grounded boat. Read about it on FB at: https://www.facebook.com/frank.schliewinsky/posts/10157263582457033 – Frank Schliewinsky
2 weeks stays, February 2019, I’m quite disappointed about Marina Puerto Velero. No Wi-Fi at the pontoons, the marina says technical problem, which will be fixed next month but it’s like this since one year. 2 weeks without laundry, it’s finally fixed today but costs 27.000 COP for 10 lbs, cold wash (the new machine doesn’t heat the water, and there is no warm water in the bathroom), and there is no dryer. Is it a joke? No…
Barranquilla is not close, you have to take an epic bus ride, or pay a taxi who will come from Barranquilla so he will charge you twice, about $80 US dollars. You have nothing on-site, nothing nothing nothing like no grocery. The boat yard is a joke, no concrete ground, no electricity or water facility, no way to buy nothing like a simple silicon tube, only two catamaran out actually. You will pay for everything, water (when it’s working), electricity, zarpe, permanancia, TIP… interesting, I said I wouldn’t pay for zarpe for Cartagena (100.000 COP for 50 nautical miles), they told me if you have AIS and VHF you can proceed without and just give a VHF call to Barranquilla traffic control. WTF? Are they thinking we just want pay and wait for a zarpe for fun? In general, both Santa Marta and here look like very confident with custom, harbour and immigration procedures. Colombia is really an unpleasant experience by boat at the moment for me. If you have to cross Colombia waters to get to Panama, make a stop on Cabo de la Vela because it’s a nice place with nice people (except the two fisherman and a kid who stole my dinghy last month) and after choice one stop between Santa Marta or Cartagena to enjoy the city and maybe the land, but avoid Puerto Velero, it’s time wasting. If you do both, you will waste time and money with stupid Colombia paperwork. The country said they will do his best to welcome boat, but they do nothing!
Beware of wind and waves between Santa Marta and Puerto Velero, could be very rough… one Canadian sailing vessel hit the beach along Punta Hermosa couple of day ago, middle of night, they lose everything and come back by walk from the boat. Stay far of the coast!!! For come on puerto Velero, go to the safe water mark (AIS beacon) before to turn, don’t trust your chart.
I forgot to add that the marina fee is half the price of Santa Marta. Cartegena is only 1.5 hours from the marina.
We have stayed at this Marina for two weeks. The facilities are exceptional. Showers warm and luxurious. Bathrooms are clean and the laundry a short stroll from the dock. The staff are all very friendly. Security is top notch, with the Amarda set up at the end of the dock. There is a great restaurant with an everyday set lunch all for $5.00. Water and electricity are cheap. On the weekend’s several beach restaurants open. Motor Taxi to the main road is cheap and takes two minutes.
Buses to Barranquilla and Cartagena run every half hour. The nearest town is a ten-minute taxi ride away. There is a huge supermarket there and a lovely beach. The pool at the marina is huge, warm, new and clean. A covered area next to the pool has excellent wifi. Great to do homeschool with the kids. It is cool and breezy. The bay is clean, we could swim off the dock. Kitesurfing is a two-minute dinghy ride away. A great place to come and enjoy, and leave your boat for inland travel. Awesome marina. Highly recommended. Cindy
We visited the marina in December 2016 for 3 days. The “marina” is well sheltered but does not offer any advantages, other than leaving the boat for travelling ashore. The marina office is far away from the docks and no Marinero attended us on arrival. The docks were poorly maintained and partially damaged. Beginning December the place was deserted and the marina almost empty.
Due to its remote location, the only way to leave the place is by taxi or moto taxi. Once at the main road, a bus can be taken to Puerto Colombia, Barranquilla or Cartagena. The docking fee (short-term) was rather expensive (approx. US$ 40,00 a day for 39 feet).
Michael
SV FantaSea
We are currently berthed at the Marina. The pontoons are good with power and water. It has good showers and toilets and a pool. if you have not already checked into Colombia then whilst Alex at the Marina office will deal with most of the paperwork you must get a cab to Barranquilla to check in with immigration. This costs $80US. Transport is the biggest issue in order to get provisions you can get a Motorbike taxi into Puerto Colombia for 10,000 pesos one way but as you are on the back of a motorbike this limits coming back laden with too many provisions! A taxi will cost 20,000 pesos one way(about£5).
If you need a big shop then you must catch a taxi into Barranquilla where there are supermarkets. Along the beach, there are several water sports outlets and windsurfing is particularly popular. This is not surprising as the wind does blow most of the time! At the weekend there are several bars and places to eat open. At present, there are not many yachts here and if you wanted to leave your yacht here to go travelling then it seems a good place to do so.
There is a permanent coastguard station at the end of the pontoons and security seems good. There is also wi-fi available on the pontoons. The management is keen for more boats to arrive and so there are certainly deals to be done for longer stays.
SV Orion1
while approaching the bay: please be aware, that the sandbank extends at least 1 mile further south than on most maps. the green buoy at the entrance to the marina is far inside the bay, at the northern end of the bay. the marina personal is friendly and helpful, this is a good place to leave your boat and go abroad or explore Colombia.