Caribbean Coast
Cartagena
La Heroica: four centuries of walls, color, and Caribbean heat.
Cartagena is the postcard, and for once the postcard undersells it. A walled colonial city on the Caribbean, all bougainvillea and balconies and four-hundred-year-old stone, with a salsa bar around every corner and a sunset that turns the whole place gold. It is the easiest place in Colombia to fall in love with the country.
Stay inside the Ciudad Amurallada or in Getsemaní, the old working-class barrio that has become the most charming neighborhood for travelers anywhere in Colombia. Days are for the old city before the heat and the beaches of the Rosario Islands; nights are for the plazas, the rooftops, and the champeta playing somewhere down the street.
Qué hacer
- Sunset walk along the city walls, ending at Café del Mar or a rooftop
- Getsemaní street art, plazas, and the best nightlife in the city
- Rosario Islands boat day for that impossible Caribbean blue
- Palenque day trip to meet the first free town in the Americas
- A cooking class or food walk through the old city
Antes de ir
- Fly into Rafael Núñez (CTG); it is ten minutes from the old city
- The heat is real. Plan outdoor time for mornings and evenings
- Agree on taxi fares before getting in, or use a ride app
- Beaches in town are mediocre; the Rosario Islands are the move
El resumen
- Mejor época
- December to April is the dry, breezy sweet spot (and peak season, so book early). It is warm and humid all year; September and October bring the most rain.
- Días ideales
- 3 to 4 days
- Costo estimado
- $780 por persona
- Rough per-person for 3 to 4 days, mid-range hotel and the main experiences, double occupancy. International flights not included.
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Cartagena, hecho a tu medida
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