Cartagena is arguably the most popular tourist destination in Colombia. The city is undoubtedly beautiful and the costeño culture is vibrant. I’ve been to Cartagena three times now and to be honest, I have a mixed bag of emotions, ranging from severe dislike to borderline not wanting to leave. As I’ve found with a few places that I’ve revisited throughout my travels, experiences are by definition situational and the enemy of a good time is high expectations. So come to Cartagena with an open mind, yet prepared, and acknowledge that as with many popular tourist destinations, comes highs and lows.
Highs:
– Bars and clubs: Nightlife is most definitely a highlight in Cartagena. You can find anything from local hole in the wall bars to fancy hotel rooftops and proper clubs
– Restaurants: If you like seafood, Cartagena is the place for you. There’s also just great food in general as well as cafes to work from
– Islands: There are islands off the coast. Even a few hostels that are entire islands themselves
– History: the walled city and fort are impressive and definitely worth a wander around
– Art and Architecture: It is objectively a beautiful city with it’s street art and colorful Spanish colonial architecture. The walled city is in fact a UNESCO world heritage site
– Empanada man in Plaza Trididad: Possibly the best in all of Colombia. I’m honestly pretty certain that they are the best. More about him below
Lows:
– Tourists: Cartagena attracts a unique type of tourist, some who arrive solely to take advantage of the sex tourism and drug scene and other’s coming off of a cruise ship. I’ve found coming during week days and and avoiding holidays to be much nicer with less crowds
– Weather: During my first trip, it was insanely humid. The type of humidity where you feel dirty the second you step out of the shower. The second two visits were still hot and humid during the day but bearable
– Venders: Street rappers, drug dealers, party promoters, and souvenir scam artists, the hustle can get a bit exhausting. This escalates with more tourists/crowds during weekends and holidays. They can at times be relentless so it’s best not to entertain them
– Crime: This isn’t the only city in Colombia with a high crime rate, but I have heard of the most instances of theft in Cartagena. The prevalence of drugs, alcohol, sex workers, and tourists is bound to yield some trouble
Where to stay:
I recommend staying either within the walled city or Getsmaní. Getsmaní is where I’ve ended up all three times as it’s a nice area, has restaurants/cafes/nightlife, and is easily walkable to the walled city. Uber exists in Cartagena but driving around the walled city and even Getsmaní could be slow and difficult. Keep in mind, these areas are not far from, but also not exactly beachside. And the beach in Cartagena isn’t very noteworthy. Stay a few days in the city and save the beach for the islands.
Hostels:
- Casa Zahri: Free Breakfast, decent rooms with A/C, good location
- Casa Mama Waldy: Great location, private rooms for a reasonable 0rice, terrible A/C, meh vibe, nice-ish rooftop
- Selina Cartagena: Great location very close to Casa Zahri, expensive, poor reviews on Hostelworld, I would recommend staying in Casa Zahri and go to the Selina’s rooftop bar/pool
- See other well rated options on Hostel World
- Casa San Agustín – 5 star luxury hotel
- Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena – Luxury meets trendy hotel
- Sophia Hotel – Decent hotel for midrange price
- Movich Hotel – Great location and rooftop
- Las Americas Casa de Playa – beach side resort in Bocagrande where many of the highrise hotels are located. This is closer to the airport than downtown
Where to eat:
Cartagena has many options when it comes to restaurants, with a big emphasis on seafood unsurprisingly, but they also have an international food scene ranging from street food to fine dining:
- Época Espresso Bar: This is my favorite cafe in Cartagena. Good music, an expansive menu, drinks ranging from coffee to cocktails, fairly priced especially for it’s location, and friendly service
- La Cevichería: Anthony Bourdain made this place famous, or at least helped
- Cafe del Mar: This is a hotspot to have a cocktail at sunset or take to go and eat your food on the wall of the city. A line does form so make sure you give yourself time or make a reservation.
- For those on a budget or not into crowds, sitting on the wall next to cafe del mar is the way to go. Bring your own snacks and watch the sunset. A guy selling beer is also never too far away
- Demente: Pizza and tapas
- Di Silvio: charming pizza/pasta spot with reasonable prices. The seating area is beautiful and the location is right off of Plaza de la Trinidad
- Alma: Upscale seafood focused
- Carmen: Highly recommended fine dining. I have yet to try it
- Mar y Zielo: Modern gastro-pub
- Cafe Lunetico: They have a vegan ceviche that I’m eager to try
- Plaza de la Trinidad – At night, plaza Trinidad is filled with food and bar carts. There is a man that sells a wide array of baked empanadas. He even has two veggie options but he runs out FAST. He’s out early in the morning and it’s hit or miss if he’s still around by the afternoon. The empanada man is one stop I will always make when returning to Cartagena
Where to drink:
- Movich Hotel Rooftop Bar
- Alquimico: Rated in the ‘Top 50 Bars’, this converted shoe store has great cocktails and surprisingly good food with a nice rooftop
- Cafe Havana: Famous Salsa Bar
- Donde Fidel: Salsa Bar
- Members Only: Jazz bar
- Eivissa: Club
- Mr Babilla: Club
What to do:
Islands: Isla Grande, Isla del Rosario, Isla Barú, and Playa Blanca
- If you’re looking for a beach, you need to get out of the city and likely onto an island. You can take day trips or stay the night as there are numerous hotels and hostels
Street Art: Wander the streets to admire the impressive murals and graffiti which is embraced by the city. Areas such as getsmani are particularly famous for this
The Chiva Party Bus: A school bus, turned chicken bus (used for public transportation), turned party bus. These colorful vehicles are a unique way to go out in many cities in Colombia
Free Walking Tour: Multiple tip based tours are offered daily. Ask your hostel or hotel for more information
Shopping: There is no lack of shopping in Cartagena. The walled city is filled with stores and boutiques. There are some great malls such as the Serrezuela Mall which has both international but primarily Colombian brands. There is also a floor dedicated to restaurants, food stands, and bars
Tips:
There’s a fixed rate for taxis to and from the airport. When I was there I believe it was about 13,500 Colombian pesos (update: in April 2023 this rate has increased to about 20,000 COP, check with an attendant at the airport). Make sure to count your change. This is the only time I got ripped off (that I know of) on my trip. The taxi driver gave me the wrong change, when I corrected him, he gave me back the wrong change … again! The hustle in Cartagena is real
In regards to the hustle, if you’re not interested in tipping or buying something from the street vendors or rappers, don’t be afraid to say any combination of “no” and “gracias”. This will save a lot of time and energy on both your and their part
Uber is typically a safer bet and works well in Cartagena. As with the rest of Colombia, it’s technically illegal so they may have you sit in the front seat and you’ll want to stand away from the taxis
Make reservations when you can, especially on weekends and holidays. This goes for accommodation and restaurants
