A tranquil yet vibrant island lays off the coast of Cartagena de Indias. A day trip to Tierra Bomba barely seemed like enough time to get to know the island dwellers and the unabashedly tropical island vibes. A Caribbean beach, island cocktails, grilled fish and plantain rice bowls, and a brilliant DJ, time slowed, and it was lovely.

From the mainland, we took a boat out to the island. Away from shore and around a point, Amare Beach Club came into view. There we would spend the day in the hot sun, warm water, and the shade and breeze to keep us cool.

Colorful, lively, hot, I came for the wedding of my two friends Liz and Chris but stayed for the photography… and food. The vibrancy of this place is only eclipsed by that of its people.

Some parts look like a movie set, some look like a Latin American Miami Beach, and some a not as pleasant. However, one with a camera might find all of it beautiful and would also hope to share it with others. Should you find yourself in this part of the world, keep your iPhone or camera ready… and bring extra storage. This would be the first time I nearly ran out of memory for my photographs—only room for thirty-four shots by the time I boarded my flight home.

At times I felt like I was in an episode of White Lotus, with friends traipsing around this magnificent place on the verge of some drama and excitement—which we found occasionally. Other times I was fending off street vendors with trinkets, cigars, and bottles of aqua, sin gas… if that’s all they were trying to sell me.

Many times words serve not the justice a place deserves and I find little sense in an attempt for this place. The days are hot, the evening more kind, but the people of Cartagena are always easy on the photographer.