Booking choice: The Bora Bora full day, from $143 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
Pao Pao Beach Club is sold by the group behind Bora Bora, and on Viator both are supplied by Bora Bora Cartagena Beach Club. Pao Pao sits on its own small island in the Rosario archipelago; Bora Bora is on Isla Grande, the largest island.
The short version: Bora Bora is the bigger, livelier, better-rated club; Pao Pao is smaller, has a pool, takes younger guests and has more mixed reviews.
The quick answer
Pick Bora Bora for the livelier club and the stronger reviews (4.1 from 700). Pick Pao Pao if someone in your group is 12 to 17, since Bora Bora is 18+, and accept a lower rating (3.4 from 74). Both cost about the same, both add about COP 40,300 at the pier, and the three-island tour visits both.
How do Bora Bora and Pao Pao compare?
Similar price and logistics; different island, age limit, menu and reviews.
| Bora Bora | Pao Pao | |
|---|---|---|
| Island | Isla Grande | Isla Pao Pao |
| From (Viator) | $143 | $138 |
| Rating | 4.1 (700) | 3.4 (74) |
| Length | 8.5 hours | 6 hours |
| Minimum age | 18 | 12 (per Civitatis) |
| Lunch | 3 choices: fish, chicken, vegetarian | Paella, seafood pasta, fish, grilled chicken or vegetarian pasta |
| VIP | Separate area, 5 lunch choices | Beach bed, poolside and jacuzzi lounges, extra |
| Pier charge | About COP 40,300, cash | About COP 40,300, cash |
Leaning towards the livelier club? Check your date for the Bora Bora day.
Check dates for the Bora Bora full dayAre Bora Bora and Pao Pao the same company?
They are sister clubs: Pao Pao is sold by Grupo Bora Bora, and Viator lists Bora Bora Cartagena Beach Club as the supplier of both.
Both meet at Muelle La Bodeguita at 7:30 AM, cross in about 45 minutes and head back mid-afternoon. Pao Pao also has a small hotel with six units, on an island that is a bird sanctuary where guests mention frigate birds.
Which club has better reviews?
Bora Bora, clearly: 4.1 from 700 reviews against 3.4 from 74 for Pao Pao.
Pao Pao's reviews are split: 31 five-star and 18 one-star. Happy guests mention the staff, food, music and a massage; one unhappy guest complained about flies and birds and said she preferred Bora Bora. Bora Bora has complaints too, mostly the pier charge, the rough ride home and rocky water, but far more guests leave happy: 407 of its 700 reviews are five stars.
Which is better with teenagers?
Pao Pao: Civitatis sets its minimum age at 12, while Bora Bora is strictly 18 and over.
Viator's Pao Pao listing calls it adults only, so confirm the age rule with the operator before booking for anyone under 18. With younger children, neither works: look at Tierra Bomba in Rosario Islands beach clubs compared.
Travelling with a teenager? Pao Pao's day pass includes the boat, a sunbed and lunch.
Explore the Pao Pao day passWhich has the better beach and setting?
Bora Bora is a bigger club facing a protected swimming area; Pao Pao is a small island with a pool and a sun deck.
Isla Grande's shore is coral and pebbles, so water shoes help at Bora Bora. At Pao Pao, one guest's only wish was that the beach were not so close to the dock. If a pool matters more than the sea, Pao Pao has the edge.
How do the days compare in time?
Both meet at 7:30 AM at La Bodeguita; Bora Bora is listed at 8.5 hours and Pao Pao at 6 hours on Viator.
Bora Bora's boat leaves the island around 3 PM, and Pao Pao's return is also around 3 PM on other resellers. Check the gate on your voucher: see the La Bodeguita pier guide.
Want the stronger reviews and the bigger club? The Bora Bora day cancels free up to 24 hours before.
Check dates for the Bora Bora full dayCan you visit both in one day?
Yes: the three-island tour spends about two hours each at Pao Pao, Isla Bela and Bora Bora.
It is 18+, has a bilingual guide, a welcome cocktail on each island and lunch, and rates 4.6 from 139 reviews. Dock taxes and insurance (COP 34,500), towels (COP 15,000) and VIP access (COP 100,000) are extra.
Can't choose? See both clubs and Isla Bela in one day, with a guide and lunch.
Explore the three-island tourWhich should you choose?
Match the club to your group.
- Adults who want music and a party: Bora Bora, regular area.
- Adults who want quiet: Bora Bora VIP, or the overnight stay.
- A group with 12 to 17 year olds: Pao Pao, after confirming the age rule.
- Restless on a sunbed: the three-island tour.
- Families with young children: San Fernando on Tierra Bomba.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pao Pao part of Bora Bora?
It is a sister club: Pao Pao is sold by Grupo Bora Bora, and Viator lists the same supplier for both.
Is Pao Pao better than Bora Bora?
On reviews, no: Pao Pao rates 3.4 from 74 against Bora Bora's 4.1 from 700. Pao Pao's advantage is the lower age limit and the pool.
Do you pay the pier charge at Pao Pao too?
Yes: about COP 40,300 per person in cash at the pier, the same as Bora Bora.
Can kids go to Pao Pao?
Not young children: the minimum age is 12 per Civitatis, and Viator calls it adults only, so confirm before booking.
Ready to book
Choose your island day
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Bora Bora Beach Club Full-Day Experience
- Round-trip speedboat from Muelle La Bodeguita (Gate 4), meet 7:30 AM
- A sunbed or beach bed, depending on the size of your group
- Typical Colombian lunch: fish, chicken or vegetarian
Three Islands: Bora Bora, Pao Pao & Isla Bela
- Speedboat for the whole tour with a bilingual guide on board
- Stops of about 2 hours at Pao Pao, Isla Bela and Bora Bora
- A welcome cocktail on each island and lunch (3 options)
