Cartagena - TAT (The Away Today) Score
| Cartagena, Colombia | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average Cost Per Day (including transportation, lodging, food, activities, etc.) | $67.00 | ||||
| Architecture | 5 | ||||
| Food | 3 | ||||
| Walkability | 5 | ||||
| Public Transportation | 3 | ||||
| Activities | 5 | ||||
| Vibe | 4 | ||||
| All Around | 4 | ||||
A Quick Guide to Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena is a beach town in Northern Colombia, basically in the Caribbean. It’s a short 2 and a half hour flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, making it pretty accessible from the United States, especially just for a long weekend. The walled city is stunningly beautiful, with picturesque houses, streets, balconies, churches, just to name a few. Surrounding the walled city is the “New City”, full of skyscrapers, shops, boutique hotels, and beaches.
The locals are very friendly, however there are a lot of bold street vendors. You will constantly be asked to purchase hats, selfie sticks, bracelets, water, etc. when walking along the streets, especially in the plazas. I found that a simple smile and “No, gracias” is enough to politely decline.
I ate most of my meals from arepa, empanada, and fruit vendors on the street, and was not disappointed! Supporting locals and also getting a meal for $1-2?! Can’t beat it. Although I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get tired of arepas after 3x a day for a week.
Where to Stay
The walled city seemed to be where most people were, there is a hostel or hotel on every block of the city. I never felt unsafe while walking around in the walled city, especially during the day. There are supermarkets, banks, shops, and street vendors around every corner. Colorful houses, stunning balconies covered in greenery, and gorgeous doors line the streets. Everywhere you turn in the walled city is picturesque!
Getsemani is a hip neighborhood just outside the walled city to the south. There are a ton of bars and discos in this neighborhood, it seemed to be a good mix of tourists and locals.
Bocagrande is a ritzy neighborhood to the west of the walled city, not really within walking distance of Getsemani & the walled city, but worth a visit. There are a lot of hotel chains here, along with restaurants and shops. The city beaches are in this neighborhood as well, they’re not as good as the islands, but still beautiful.
At night, I would suggest walking with a friend or new buddy from the hostel or hotel, no matter where you’re staying. As I said, I never felt unsafe, but I didn’t feel super at ease all the time either.
Airport & Transportation
The airport is pretty small and located only ten minutes away from the walled city. You can easily hail a cab, my cab was a set price at 13,400 Colombian Pesos (roughly $4.25). Ask an airport employee for directions to the ATM before you get in the cab, they mostly only take cash. Be sure to ask before you get in the cab since there are no meters. My taxi driver was super nice and knew exactly where to go to get to my hostel, even through his limited English and my nonexistent Spanish.
You can walk everywhere within the walled city & Getsemani. There are public buses you can take to Bocagrande and Castillogrande. I did the Hop On Hop Off Bus which was 45,000 pesos (~$15.00) and valid for 48 hours. It took us around to Bocagranda, Castillogrande, Manga, & Getsemani.
Things to Do
Free Walking Tour
There are a few options for free walking tours in Cartagena, I went on one with Travel City Tours. Most tours you go on will congregate at the Clock Tower (Torre del Reloj) between the walled city and Getsemani. After we met up, we walked around for about two hours, getting history about the city and recommendations on what to do. We each tipped 20,000 pesos (~$8.00) at the end.
Hop On Hop Off Bus
Get a Hop On Hop Off bus pass to explore Manga & Bocagrande. You can get off at any point, and the bus comes every 45 minutes. You can relax at the beaches in Bocagrande, hop back on the bus, get dinner in Manga, dance in Getsemani, or whatever else tickles your fancy.
Lounge on a Beach
I went on a day trip to Playa Blanca, about an hour south of Cartagena. I booked the tour the day prior with my hostel, it was only 50,000 pesos for transportation to and from the beach, and also lunch. The beach was gorgeous, with warm teal waters and plenty of tents and beach chairs to rent. Similar to Cartagena, there are tons of vendors trying to get you to buy something. Other popular beaches are Islas del Rosario & most others in Barú.
Eat
Street arepas were my general go to for meals here, along with juices and fresh fruit. I had a delicious sit-down meal at Peru Fushion Sushi, I’d recommend the sushi and poke bowls there. Totopo was good and relatively cheap as well. I would steer clear of any restaurant on a plaza, as those are always overpriced.
Visit Castillo San Felipe de Barajas
I only saw this fortress from the bus, but it’s impressive. You can pay a small fee to explore the inside, but either way, you should go get a glimpse of this structure built in the mid 1500s.
Drink & Go Out
Enjoy beautiful views and energetic ambiance at the rooftop of Alquimico, a restaurant by the Torre del Reloj with delicious cocktails. Dance your heart out at Bazurto, a “social club” in Getsemani. Relax at the hotel or hostels bars and meet some new friends. There’s also somewhere to go and people to meet here!
Want to know more about Colombia? Check out what to do in Medellin! Also just a quick plane ride away is Peru & Rio de Janeiro.