Playa Blanca from beyond shore appears a paradise.
 Its the most picturesque strip of rustic beach we've ever seen. There are hostel-like boarding houses w/ strung hammocks and small room coconut log/thatch huts...some a bit more established with small bars, tiki lights strung across "dining areas, and open-air grocery stores. 

The water is crystal clear, shallow and smooth calm lapping slowly on a talcum white beach.  Its sooo warm.   We see an area 100 yds from where we jump off the launcha with more palm trees and start walking.  There is a continuous line of Playa Baru canvas lean-tos. Some have Cellular company ads. The place is relatively deserted and we cannot tell who owns the sling-chairs and hodge-podge of seats along the strand.   We drop our stuff at an ideal set of slings/cabana and a dozen vendors jump on us claiming to own them.   I ask clearly...who do we pay to use ? and one big guy dressed neatly in a polo shirt and bermudas steps forward. He wants $10 for the day and we pay him.    

Soon we are pounced on. Every sort of carving, clothing, jewelry, food you may imagine peddled by countless locals with broken English.   Should have brought a looped tape saying "No Gracious" on the Ipod and set up a speaker.   We set up an array of reed mats and towels/chairs to create a maze so the peddlers have a hard time getting to us.    Its really annoying.

The water's clarity disturbs easily with the "powdered coral" bottom but we snorkel to find schools of fish, starfish, patches of sea grass and wreckage.   Not georgeous scenery, but shallow and easy for the girls. We tan , walk the beach, hire a guy ( in the polo) to cook us lunch.   A cute dog adopts us and decides to sit under our chairs for the day. We name him Chico and feed him.

The shrimp at $15 for 30 medium size + salad + plantaino is pretty good deal. They are sauteed over a parilla ( grill) in garlic butter w/ shells on.   Overcooked, but manageable.   Most of the food peddled in cast iron pots and trays of coconut desserts look fried & revolting w/ flies.  

We soon feel the burn. It is the hottest sun we've ever felt. The bathrooms are pay ( 5,000 COP) and there is a Ranger station. It looks like the stores and small shanty bars are deserted until two of the larger tour boats pull up and disembark with landing craft.   The peddlers are soon descending on this new set of tourists and our last 2 hours are relatively peaceful.  Amazed when an ice cream vendor walks up as there are no visible roads or buildings with electricity that could support an ice cream freezer.  
Shocking how burnt we get in 4 hours...even Lyn & Jenny who sit under the cabana most of the time.    We walk back down to the launch point and crowd aboard a new group of tourists...some overnighters / backpackers who had been staying in the island shacks.    We are a bit split on Baru...its charming , rustic, and potentially the most peaceful place on the planet if not for the Buy, Buy, Buy pestilence of the beach peddlers.