Resort Details

OnSite Dining
  • Barefoot Grill
    Delicious burgers and hot dogs served poolside.
    Romantic Dining Experience – “not applicable to group bookings”
  • Coco Café
    •Premium coffee, snacks and ice cream booth in a casual and relaxed atmosphere.
    •Late night bites.

    Romantic Dining Experience – “not applicable to group bookings”
  • Oceana
    •À la carte seafood specialties  
    •Outdoor restaurant at the beach area. 
    •Approximate seating capacity: TBD 
    •Dress code: Casual
    Romantic Dining Experience – “not applicable to group bookings”
  • Portofino
    •À la carte gourmet Italian cuisine  
    •Air-conditioned with outdoor seating available.
    •Approximate seating capacity: TBD 
    Romantic Dining Experience – “not applicable to group bookings”
  • Seaside Grill
    •À la carte grilled meats, fish and hamburgers with show cooking.  
    •Approximate seating capacity: TBD 
    •Dress code: Casua
    Romantic Dining Experience – “not applicable to group bookings”
  • Various Bars & Lounges
    Barracuda (Hours : 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
    •Beach bar 

    Desires Sports bar 
    •Sports bar and night club  
    •Adults-only  

    Rendezvous (Hours : 10 a.m. – 1 a.m.)
    •Lobby Bar  

    Preferred Club Lounge Bar ( Hours: 7 a.m. – 11 p.m. ) 
    •Located at the Preferred Club Lounge Bar and for Preferred Club guests only

    Sugar Reef (Hours :  9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)

    Romantic Dining Experience – “not applicable to group bookings”
  • World Café
    •A buffet-style restaurant serving a variety of international and local specialties.  
    •Air-conditioned with outdoor seating available. 
    •Approximate seating capacity: TBD 
    •Dress code: Casual
    Romantic Dining Experience – “not applicable to group bookings”

    Hours : 6 p.m. – 11 p.m.
On-Site Amenities
  • Beauty shop/salon†
  • Exercise gym†
  • Laundry/Valet service†
  • Locker room†
  • Pool†
  • Room service†
  • Shopping mall†
  • Shuttle to local attractions†
  • Spa†

† Fees may apply

On-Site Recreation
  • Dancing †
  • Fitness center on-site †
  • Pool †
  • Spa †
  • Tennis court †
  • Volleyball †
  • Water activities †
Off-Site Recreation
  • Golf †
    Karibana Golf Course is the only certified TPC course in South America.
  • Scuba diving †

† Fees may apply

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_4.5 2993 reviews
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 5.0 star tripadvisor rating
    Superb

    Great experience at the Explorer Club ! The team is wonderful, dedicated and help my girls to have an amazing time during our family trip ! 5 stars !!!

    Dec 26, 2025
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 5.0 star tripadvisor rating
    Excellent relax hotel

    Great hotel, specially if you are looking for a more relaxed and chill vibe. Also, the main hall dj is great and knows how to turn up the place on silent disco nights.

    Dec 25, 2025
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 1.0 star tripadvisor rating
    Not worth 5 star price tag.

    I don't believe this is a 5 star venue. It's more like a 3 star. The food was mediocre and the entertainment was not in English. The spa experience is the only thing I would recommend but even that was upsetting when they tell you you have a $200 spa credit but didn't say it was broken down it's coupons that could be used for specific services at the spa.

    Dec 22, 2025
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 1.0 star tripadvisor rating
    False Advertising and Breach of Contract - Stay Away

    I am sharing this advisory to warn travelers about my recent experience at Dreams Karibana Golf & Resort, which was extremely disappointing and misleading. Despite paying for a Preferred Club upgrade, none of the advertised benefits were delivered. There was no upgraded drink package, no exclusive pool access (the “Preferred Pool” was open to all guests), and no meaningful premium amenities. Major Issues: False Advertising: Preferred Club perks such as private lounge, premium liquors, and personalized check-in were nonexistent. Service Failures: Nov 18: Buffet closed without notice; guests forced to eat outside in the blazing sun while management (wearing pink shirts) sat comfortably in the shade with fans. Nov 21: Beach closed all day for a private wedding hosted by the hotel owner’s family. Paying guests were denied access to the beach and Oceanside Grill. Policy Violations: The resort claims to be smoke-free, yet the hotel owners VIP guests smoked cigars and vapes in the lobby. Complaints were ignored. This experience borders on false advertising and breach of contract. I paid for services that were not delivered and was treated as secondary to the owner’s acquaintances. Worst Part: I submitted a formal complaint to hotel management and never received any follow-up or acknowledgment. I was also happy and willing to show photos on the smoking guests. Recommendation: I strongly advise against booking this resort unless you are prepared for broken promises and poor service. If you value transparency, fairness, and basic hospitality standards, look elsewhere.

    Dec 22, 2025
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 5.0 star tripadvisor rating
    Best hotel in Cartagena

    We really enjoyed the family environment provided by the staff, the great food and lots of activities and entertainment by the pool area and all day such as silent, disco karaoke and dancing live music also. Jonathan entertainment was great thank you.

    Dec 22, 2025
General Policy
  • Check In: 3:00 PM
  • Check Out: 12:00 PM
  • Minimum Check-In Age: 18
  • General Policies:

    Check-in Policy - Hotel requires a credit/debit card authorization or cash deposit upon check-in for incidentals; this will place a hold on your funds.  

    Convention Policy - Individuals attending a convention cannot book this property for their stay. If found attending a convention, guests may be subject to higher room rates upon arrival. 

    Hotel Spring Break Policy - This hotel cannot guarantee a spring-break-free environment. 

    Transfer Policy - A price may display when children stay free, if your vacation includes transfer to your hotel. 

    General Information - Room taxes and service fees are included in vacation price.  Minimum night stay restrictions may apply.  Reservation changes may not be permitted unless authorized by the hotel.

  • Pet Policy : Pets Allowed:
    • Resort allows small dogs under 22 lbs. Please contact the resort prior to booking to confirm all requirements are met and they can provide you the current cost per night. This fee will be payable to the hotel. Proper paperwork must be provided to the hotel prior to check-in.

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Prices per person based on double occupancy including round-trip airfare via U.S. certified air carriers and round-trip airport/hotel transfers when arriving at airport closest to destination (for exceptions see Frequently Asked Questions), hotel taxes and baggage handling, fuel surcharges, and all pre-collected U.S. and foreign taxes. In some instances, pricing may specifically apply to one of multiple flights on select departure days. All packages are based on the lowest hotel/air classes available at time of publication, capacity controlled, subject to availability and change without notice. Promotional pricing may only be available for a limited time. Fees may apply for carry-on and checked baggage-view Baggage Policies. Some resort fees, environmental levies and departure taxes are not included and may be payable in resort. View Frequently Asked Questions for more information. Apple Vacations is not responsible for errors or omissions. Cancellation policies apply. Bookings are subject to the Fair Trade Contract. All public charter flights are operated by ALG Vacations Corp: Allegiant Air: PC 18-231, A319-156 seats or A320-186 seats /PC 18-234, A319-156 seats or A320-186 seats; Miami Air operated by TUI Airlines Belgium N.V. : PC 19-085 & PC 19-117, B737-800, 180 seats/PC 19-091, B737-800-183 seats; Swift Air: PC 19-092, B737-400-150 seats; Viva Aerobus: PC 18-228, A320-180 seats/ PC 19-079, A320-180-185 seats/PC 19-094, A320-185 seats. CST2139014-20 120319