Melody's Guide to Cartagena de Indias

Ahh... Cartagena. I never properly posted about it after our first trip, and I definitely owe it a better post since our last trip. Cartagena is by far my favorite city in Colombia. I even love it more than Medellin, and I LOVE Medellin. In my opinion, Cartagena is the very best of what Colombia offers in one package. Good (but hot) weather all year, the Caribbean Sea, a beautiful setting, great restaurants, fun things to do, easy access to other places in both the States and South America, tourist activities, and easy reach to other destinations in Colombia. Unlike other places in this country, it also has really great hotels and decent hostels. (Medellin has decent hotels, too, but still not Cartagena quality.)



Here are some important tips:
1. Cartagena is hot. Bring and wear sunscreen, because the sun is bright! Even with SPF 30 you'll get a tan.
2. Try to stay somewhere with a pool and air conditioning so you have a cool place to retreat to in the afternoons.
3. If possible, stay in one of the gorgeous boutique hotels in the Old City or Getsemani.
4. Plan to spend your evenings wandering around the Old City.
5. Know that if you are on a super tight budget, it just isn't as enjoyable.
6. Avoid street hawkers with a simple, "No, gracias."
7. If you are a Colombian or someone living in Colombia, the Hard Rock Cafe is fun. Go during lunch and try to find one of the many 20% off coupons floating around the city. It's super cheap that way.
8. Splurge on a carriage ride through the Old City at night.
9. Take taxis at night if you are staying in Getsemani.
10. Drink a coco-limonada.

First things first... getting to Cartagena. There are three options for tourists: by plane, by bus, and by boat. You can take a boat from Panama (and many cruise ships stop in Cartagena), you can take buses from virtually any major city in Colombia, and you can fly from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and many other cities within Colombia and the world. I recommend flying when possible. Cartagena's airport is probably the nicest one in Colombia.

When to go? NOT in December, the beginning of January, Easter Week, or the summer. Those are prime tourists times, and the streets will either be crawling with thousands of Colombians (December, January, and Easter) or thousands of Americans (summer). We loved being there in October--it was quiet and even though there were other tourists, we only saw fellow Americans a few times. There was more of a European/South American crowd, and therefore fewer hawkers on the streets. (Hawkers love Americans.)

Once in Cartagena, get ready to take some expensive taxis. Taxi fare starts at 5,000 pesos (roughly $2.50), while in Pereira taxis start at 3,700. It's quite a leap, but not awful because Cartagena isn't that big. Taxi drivers don't know the names of all the hotels or restaurants in the city, and many of the streets in the Old City don't allow taxis. Whenever you are going somewhere, use a map to find a nearby landmark (like a plaza) and just tell the taxi driver to head there. Obvious exceptions would be the entrance to the Old City, most hotels in Bocagrande, the Sofitel or Hotel Charleston in the Old City, the airport, and the Hard Rock Cafe.

Where you should stay in Cartagena really depends on your budget and company. There are many hostels, especially in the Getsemani neighborhood. They tend to be in the seedier section of Getsemani, and they definitely attract a certain type of backpacker (think dreadlocks). If possible, I definitely recommend hotels. There are hundreds of hotels to choose from. The Old City and Getsemani offer a lot of boutique hotels which are very nice, Bocagrande offers more modern and large-scale hotels, and then there are shady hotels in Getsemani and super fancy over-priced hotels in the Old City. I recommended Casa Santa Ana, a boutique hotel in Getsemani, but just do some searching online to find something that fits your needs and budget. (Check out TripAdvisor, and make sure you look at the specialty lodging and B&Bs.) An absolute must is to find a place with air conditioning, because Cartagena is hot and humid. If at all possible, stay somewhere with a rooftop pool, and if it matters to you, try to find a place with hot water. A rooftop pool in the Old City is great because you are close to everything, but still can cool off during the afternoon. Bocagrande offers hotels on the beach, but Cartagena's beaches really aren't that wonderful, so I personally wouldn't stay there. It's better to be within walking distance of the Old City.

What to do...
1. Relax. The first time we went to Cartagena, we made the mistake of being tourists. Cartagena is hot, humid, and dusty in the afternoon. It's not a great place to walk around seeing the sights. Instead, spend your days relaxing, and spend your early mornings and nights/evenings sightseeing. Don't be hard on yourself for taking an afternoon nap in your air-conditioned room or lounging by the pool drinking beer. That's one of the best things you can do in Cartagena.

2. Go to the Castillo de San Felipe. It's an old fort where the Spanish stored their gold, and there's a lot of history behind it. It's a good morning activity, and shouldn't be skipped. (Although we did skip it on our second trip... no need!)


3. Walk the walls around the old city. This is one of the most enjoyable and quintessential experiences in Cartagena. I like walking them at sunset. It's cooler and the walls make a great place to watch the sun set over the Caribbean.


4. Wander through the Old City. It's not that big, but comfortable footwear does make it more enjoyable. The streets are beautiful, and the flower-covered balconies and twisting ivy make great photos. Be sure to see the old cathedrals and Plaza de Bolivar.
5. Eat. I recommend eating at least one meal in Plaza de Santo Domingo, even just for the atmosphere. Torre Luna was also great for a vegetarian meal. San Pedro had veg pad thai, but bad service.
6. Try to visit India Catalina, she's cool.
7. Relax again. For real.

Get out: One of the coolest things about Cartagena is how close it is to the Rosario Islands and Baru Island. If you have time, do your best to go to the Rosarios, which are gorgeous, and definitely to go to Playa Blanca on Baru. I didn't actually go to Playa Blanca, but our boat went past it, and it looked absolutely gorgeous.
(above, Playa Blanca) Apparently it gets packed on the weekends, so I'd recommend paying a taxi driver a lot of money (or taking a bus/renting a car) and going there during the week. We went by it on a Friday and there was literally NO ONE on the beach. Other places you can go are Santa Marta and Baranquilla, which are a few hours away by bus.

I personally wouldn't recommend SportBaru unless you do it as a day trip and everything is included. I think it would be better to pay someone that money to take you to Playa Blanca or the Rosarios.

*side-note* Many of these pictures are from last summer, and two of the pictures (night photo of Cartagena & Playa Blaca are from the interwebs.

***For those of you waiting oh so patiently for the vegan posts, I promise they are coming! This is my last vacation post.***