JessAbout an hour away from Cartagena you’ll find El Volcan del Totumo– an active mud volcano tucked away in a village. If dipping into a mud volcano filled with minerals is on your bucket list I recommend visiting El Volcan del Totumo.
The mud volcano essentially is hot spring water combined with volcanic ash – creating thick warm mud. The volcanic mud is filled with plenty of health benefits. It has minerals including Zinc and Magnesium, as well as being a great exfoliator for the skin. Zinc helps heal inflammation and Magnesium salts alleviate inflammatory disorders of the skin and joints. Another thing to note – the Volcano is more than 2,000 meters deep! But, don’t worry, because of the mud’s density you will float and not sink.
I booked a day tour with Cartagena Travel, who I found on Instagram, and offered several tours with a meal. The tour company picked me up from my hotel early in the morning and off we went. We drove for about an hour when we arrived at our destination. Our tour guide advised us to keep all of our belongings on the bus- including any sort of cover-ups and shoes. Keep in mind shoes are not allowed in the volcano, not even water shoes. The tour guide also advised to be aware that there will be locals who will offer to hold your phones, bags, and shoes for a tip. We did bring down one phone for pictures and a local offered to take pictures and videos of us in the volcano. 
Walking up the wooden steps to the volcano was fairly easy. When you make it to the top you have to wait in line until it’s your turn to get in. I do want to add that depending on the day and time it can be busy or you can get lucky and there won’t be a lot of people. In my case, it was a pretty busy day and there were several people inside the volcano when I went in. Think of a large jacuzzi filled with mud, that’s what to expect. There is a person who will guide you in, lay you on your back, and will spread the mud over you. Since you’re floating the person will then push you to the other person who will massage you. After a few minutes, the massage is done and you make your way to any space you can find in the volcano. This is where the local who had our phone took some pictures and videos of us.
After relaxing in the volcanic mud it’s now time to get out. Getting out of the volcano is a whole other story. Not only are you slippery because of the mud, but if you have mud on your face it may be difficult to see. One thing is the locals working there make sure to remove excess mud from you and help you in any way possible so you won’t slip. Going down the wooden stairs I would suggest having great stability and not rush as you can slip down and fall.
Now that you’re covered in volcanic mud it’s time to wash off. Right next to the volcano, there is a lake where you can wash off on your own or pay a local that washes off all of the mud. It’s critical to make sure you wear an old bathing suit or a dark-colored one. You will have mud everywhere! And for a couple of days after you’ll find some mud tucked away in some part of your body whether it’s your ears or hair.
If you’re hungry, no need to worry there’s a stand that offers Colombian food and drinks. Another vendor you’ll likely run into will be selling the volcanic mud packaged so that you can take it home and exfoliate.
What to Pack when visiting El Volcan del Totumo
Old Bathing Suit or Dark Colored One – There will be mud everywhere! You might stain the bathing suit or swim trunks if it’s a light color, so to prevent this from happening I suggest being safe and going with a darker colored swimsuit. To be honest, at the end, you’ll be covered in mud so you won’t even see the bathing suit.
Sunscreen– Protect yourself! There is no shade when walking up the stairs to the volcano or when you’re inside of it. The only shade you’ll be able to find is at the food stand once you’re done dipping inside the volcano.
Phone Case Protector– Once again, there will be mud everywhere, so to protect your phone from getting mud or water inside.
Towel– After you wash off all the mud you’ll want to dry yourself before getting into the bus.
Flip Flops or water shoes– You can wear them while on the bus or if you take them with you, you’ll only be able to wear them in the lake when you wash off.
Cash– Whether you buy food, or drinks, or need to tip a local, carry some cash.
I hope this has helped you with what to expect when visiting El Volcan del Totumo in Cartagena. I know when I went I had no idea what to expect other than it was a mud volcano! If you get the chance to visit Cartagena, I suggest visiting El Volcan del Totumo, It is a unique experience to try!