Cartagena, Colombia
Colombia has clearly been on many travelers’ radar for a while, and I almost missed the boat to take a vacation there. Spring 2019, I was craving a beach vacay so I headed to Google Flights to see what was available to me. I had no definitive dates in mind, so I let Google Flights do the magic. I found a flight on Spirit Airlines for $248 round trip for 4 days to Cartagena, Colombia. This was my first time using Spirit, and to travel internationally at that. I personally love Spirit, and I’ve written a review post about them, here.
Uber has a rocky relationship in Colombia where the rideshare app was illegal for several years in the country and was removed. As of 2022, Uber is operating in Colombia and partners with taxi drivers. Luckily, both cabs and Ubers are quite cheap. Arriving at Rafael Núñez (CTG) airport in Cartagena, cab fare to the Walled City or Bocagrande costs on average $5 USD. I think during my entire time in Colombia, I spent at most $50 in cab fare over 4 days. There are a few ATMs near the transportation pickup area in the airport that offered pretty fair exchange rates. Me exchanging USD to pesos was super confusing because $1 USD is equivalent to $3,000 pesos, and I was hung up on the language barrier of converting thousands to hundreds. Most restaurants within Cartagena accept credit/debit cards as well as cash, but cash is king, so I recommend exchanging your currency once you arrive at local ATMs.
Colombia has a notorious history, but I felt completely safe and welcomed in the country. I had so much fun interacting with locals, venturing to hidden gems, and learning the history of the country through Cartagena.
Ask anyone, and they’ll recommend staying in the Walled City where most of the action is. Since I booked my trip roughly 2 weeks in advance, most hotels within my price range and amenity level were fully booked. Luckily, I found the Estelar Cartagena de Indias Hotel in Bocagrande and was able to book 3 nights for $239.95. With this price, breakfast was included, and it was delicious every day with an assortment of fresh fruits, and the buffet menu changed daily. I also love the way Estelar is designed! All of the rooms at Estelar have a waterfront view. You are welcomed on the ground floor with an escalator taking you to the ballroom floors on floors 2 and 3, with a parking garage of floors 4-6. The 7th floor is the lobby with a full bar and lounge area.
My room was on the 24th floor and the views were amazing!
The Caribbean Sea borders Cartagena, and properties in the Bocagrande neighborhood and along Calle 12 are beachfront with unobstructed views of the Sea. Bocagrande is a very short drive from the Walled City, (roughly 10 minutes) and there is very little traffic that would increase that drive time. If you have things to do outside of the Walled City, it’s a great alternative because the Convention Center and indoor shopping mall is located in Bocagrande.
The Caribbean Sea stretches as far as the eyes can see. Now, while The Caribbean is known for it’s crystal blue waters and white sand beaches, that’s not what Cartagena has. The water is a little murky, which is off-putting to relax in front of. Nonetheless, locals and some tourists alike still make their way to the beach, so by all means, check it out for yourself and enjoy. There wasn’t an ATM inside the hotel, but luckily, at Supermercado Olimpica grocery store around the corner, there was a no-fee ATM inside. I felt safe going to use the ATM since it was close to my hotel and it was a fully functioning grocery store. It was also perfect to pick up unique Colombian snacks and drinks.
After getting settled in to my hotel room, I took a $3 taxi to the Walled City. As soon as I was dropped off, I was greeted by a group of eager locals with signs.
I was super skeptical when I first saw them, but I asked what they wanted, and they simply said, “We’re just here to give free hugs and smiles!” We had a quick chat and I told them that this was my first time in Colombia, and they were basically the first group of people I met there.
After getting my welcome from the locals, I immediately headed to La Paletteria for popsicles — perfect to cool off on a hot Colombian day. The popsicles are made with all local Colombian ingredients, but the process in how they’re made has Italian origin. I had one every day that I was in Colombia! They’re also very affordable, I think $1 USD and change, so it’s a necessity to have every day. They have traditional fruit flavors like strawberry, orange, melon, and coconut as well as delicacies like chocolate, caramel, and coffee.
I walked aimlessly around the Walled City exploring the beautiful architecture which reminded me so much of other Caribbean cities and New Orleans.
Old City, or The Walled City of Cartagena is surrounded by a stone wall that was used to protect the city from pirates and invasion back in the 1600s. The stone barrier still stands centuries later and people now come to gather. As sunset approaches in Cartagena, one of the best places for the view is at the top the walls of the old city. Cafe Del Mar is located along the wall and is accessible only by stairs, so not handicapped-friendly. The Cafe has a full bar and serves food. This spot I would say is more touristy, but you can find some locals here. The prices here are on par for a tourist destination.
For dinner my first night in Cartagena, I headed to La Picua. La Picua serves Caribbean influenced seafood dishes, but they are also vegetarian and vegan friendly. Fried plantains with sour cream was brought to my table then I ordered the fish with coconut rice and a shrimp sauce. It was so delicious, I still think about that meal!
After dinner, I continued exploring the Walled City and headed back to my hotel to finally sleep.
On my second day in Cartagena, I wanted to know more about the history and culture from an actual native and local, so I scheduled a walking tour with Alex Rocha. Alex is the owner and operator of Experience Real Cartagena which runs daily walking and driving tours, as well as excursions around Cartagena. If you’re looking for a walking tour throughout the Walled City, Old City, including tours of street art, or day trips to Baru Island, Mud Volcano, and the historic Palenque his company comes highly recommended.
On our walking tour with Alex, we saw many street vendors. Colombia’s national dish, arepas being made on a cart in the street, we tasted a sweet orange drink, had fresh fruit, saw beautiful street art, and of course, we had to see Colombia’s prized possession, the Emerald District.
We walked along Calle de la Sierpe to Calle del Carretero and many of the side streets to find some of these amazing street murals and statues.
There was a delicious bakery, El Pan De Queso on Calle 34 that we passed on the walking tour. The smell was so fragrant I smelled baked goods a block away so I had to go back after the tour was over. They sell sweet rolls, loaves of bread, ham and cheese rolls, danishes, cookies and so much more. Everyday I went into the Walled City, I made a trip over to El Pan De Queso to pick up a few baked goods, and even brought some home back to the U.S.
Our last stop on the walking tour was to the Caribe Jewelry Museum & Factory. There are hundreds of emerald and gold jewelry stores throughout Cartagena and Colombia, especially in the Walled City. Before the tour, I had no idea that Colombia basically supplies the world’s emerald market with at least 70% of diamonds mined from the country. Caribe starts off with the museum portion showing pieces of the mine and emerald deposits throughout along with the history of the process, as well as some loose gems. There is also a feature wall showing pictures of some of the rarest gems, as well as celebrities such as Sofia Vegara wearing Colombian emeralds. There was a Caribe guide with us the entire time to answer all of our questions, and at the end, we were able to shop from the factory. The factory portion sells loose emeralds as well as the finished product of rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets of any price point and style. After your purchase, you’re given a certificate of authentication and, if you’re a foreigner, a rebate form to complete and return at the airport for VAT to get a tax refund.
What was most interesting for me to learn was that Colombians still use typewriters and Colombians who need official forms typed or notarized, head to a little hub in the Old City to get their documents typed by people proficient on the typewriter. Many electronic shops and manufacturers in the U.S. will send excess or damaged parts to Colombia because there is a growing demand for typewriters and their parts for repair.
After my tour with Alex, I headed to the famed La Cevicheria for dinner. I got there maybe 15 minutes before they were opening for the day and there was already a line to the end of the street. They do not take reservations, so you just have to walk up and wait for a table. The restaurant is pretty small, and great for a few people in a party, but definitely not a large group of more than 5 people — I was able to snag a spot at the bar. Now, I’d never had ceviche before, so I figured this would be the best place to try it, after all, Anthony Bourdain featured it on No Reservations. I had to order their namesake as well as a shrimp ceviche in case I didn’t like the fish, and they were served with crackers and the restaurant’s signature hot sauce. The seafood is fresh and flavorful, made with simple ingredients, and you can see the chefs prepare the fish for the day at the prep station and the kitchen. I absolutely loved the shrimp ceviche. It was perfectly “cooked”, super fresh, flavorful, and just delicious. On the other hand, I did not care for the fish. I would have preferred for the fish to be thrown on the grill instead of having the lime juice “cook” it — it still had the tough raw fish feel. So, next time, I would order the shrimp ceviche again as well as a grilled fish option.
If you’re looking for blue water and white sand beaches of the Caribbean, you’d have to visit Playa Blanca and Isla Baru, southwest of Cartagena. I booked roundtrip transportation through Viator for $55 USD with lunch included with Guianza Express. We rode in a shared van to Isla Baru, then a speed boat over to Playa Blanca. The beach was absolutely gorgeous and the water was pretty mild, enough for water excursions. There are many vendors on the beach, offering massages, hair braiding, boat, and jet ski rentals — the occasional vendor would walk up selling handmade goods. The vendors aren’t super aggressive and will leave you alone once you tell them you don’t want to buy anything. The restaurants along the beach are pretty much all the same serving Caribbean food (whole fried snapper with fried plantains, rice and peas, and salad.
I must say, I found the best street vendor shopping in Colombia. I was approached on the beach by vendors and was able to buy turbans as well as pearl necklaces and bracelets. Back in Cartagena, I purchased a few woven purses that I still use back in the U.S. and when traveling.
Overall, my time in Cartagena was amazing and I would definitely go back to visit the chocolate and coffee shops, learn more about the women wearing la pollera colora, eat real arepas, and of course more tours, and restaurants.
Have you been to Colombia before? If so, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
