El Totumo Mud Bath with an In-Mud Massage and a Rinse in the Lake

El Totumo is one of the smallest volcanoes on earth. The drive out from Cartagena takes about 45 minutes, and the guide uses them for the city's history and for what to expect once you get there. Fifty steps up, then down into the crater. The mud is warm and dense, dense enough to hold a body up on its own: floating is the default position, not something you work at. A massage inside the mud is included here rather than sold at the top, which is the main thing separating this trip from the others that go to the same cone. Washing off happens in the lake next door. Local women are on hand to help with it for $2 if you want the help. A typical Caribbean snack and a drink come after. The morning departure puts you back at your hotel around 11:00 am, the afternoon one around 5:00 pm. The full day version carries on after the volcano with a transfer to a beach club at La Boquilla, lunch included and the club facilities for the rest of the day. La Boquilla is a neighbourhood with music of its own, rooted in Africa, and a kitchen of its own, and both are easier to reach from a table facing the beach. Wear old clothes. The mud is messy, and that part is not negotiable.