Volare Mare: The ‘Dubai of Cartagena’ That Sank Before It Floated
Volare Mare was a real estate project in Cartagena that promised an artificial island, private beaches, navigable lakes and a golf course, but more than a decade after its launch, developers have delivered only a fraction of the vision they sold to buyers. Colombia’s leading newspaper, El Tiempo, reported this week that hundreds of families […]
Volare Mare, a real estate project in Cartagena, Colombia, aimed to build an artificial island with luxury amenities, but the venture collapsed before it could float. Originally proposed in 2015, the project promised private beaches, navigable lakes, and a golf course, attracting hundreds of buyers with elaborate promotional materials and computer-generated images.
However, construction stalled for over three years and the new developer struggled to complete stages one through five. By 2026, only about 10 of the 176 hectares of land held any built structures and only 113 out of 576 apartments had been delivered, with 19.6% of buyers having signed deeds. The project's failure highlights the risks of committing large sums to property developments before construction begins, as buyers were left with empty promises and no amenities.
Written by urgent.news from Colombia One's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
