Cartagena
Cartagena is located on the northern coast of Colombia and divided into two parts- the Old City, which is on the inside of the stone wall and the Modern City, which is on the outside of the stone wall and booming with skyscrapers. We opted to only explore the Old City and skip the modern part of the city, I did not read much about the modern part of Cartagena to entice me to explore it. I absolutely loved strolling through the vibrant streets of the Old City. The historic architecture, century-old churches, bright flowers, cobblestone streets, and striking colorful buildings will leave you swooning over this city. Cartagena offers more than just the Old Historic City- take a boat to some of the gorgeous islands, wander through the bustling streets of Getsemani or eat all of the seafood and ceviche you can handle.
Accommodation: It’s been a hot minute since I have found myself staying in a hostel but in all honesty, you get the best bang for your buck. Our hostel had a pool in the courtyard, which came in clutch with the scorching temperatures in Cartagena, you’ll be wanting a dip after sweating through the city all day. I always try to find a hostel that includes breakfast to save myself money on at least one meal for the day. I found our hostel on HostelWorld.com and loved the location, it was in the middle of Getsemani- a V hip neighborhood in Cartagena and where you can find most backpackers. When booking hostels, I always read through the reviews and look at their ratings to help me choose the best place. We, unfortunately, did not have the best experience with this hostel, but the location was bomb– ya win some ya lose some. I read there are many cute boutique hotels in Cartagena to consider as well if it fits your budget then definitely check them out. Whatever you decide just be sure to stay in the walled city or in Getsemani to be in the midst of the most gorgeous streets in Cartagena. When you need a break to escape the city, head to the Rosario Islands for a night or two.
Drinks
Cafe del Mar- awesome location for sunset, get there early enough before the sun starts to set to grab a table. We ordered a bottle of wine- talk about a romantic sunset!
Movich Hotel- such a fabulous rooftop bar (although I’ve never met a rooftop bar I didn’t like) The rooftop had a pool as well, while up there we grabbed a daiquiri to cool down and enjoy the view of Cartagena
Cafe Havana- this is the place to get your salsa on and listen to some live music while sippin’ on mojitos. Go a little bit earlier in the night around 8/9ish to actually enjoy it here, when we arrived on a Friday night it was rammed and we could barely move. *There is also a small cover fee to get in.
Movida- a fun place to dance, the inside of the building had Colombian music and the outside courtyard had house music. *You will also have to pay a small cover to get in here but definitely worth it.
Craft Beer Cartagena- craft beer is the way to my heart, so as you can imagine it was a slice of heaven and the owner was so friendly.
Alquimico- a cute rooftop bar with specialty cocktails.
Plaza de la Trinidad in Getsemani- grab a couple beers from a shop and watch a huge group of people participate in Zumba or watch the street performers, an awesome vibe and full of life
Bazurto Social Club- my heart is still broken that we were idiots and couldn’t find this place…it has Champeta music, an incredible vibe and lots of dancing.
Quiebracanto- didn’t make it to
La Guera Milagrosa- didn’t make it to
Food
We spoiled ourselves this trip- I usually look for the cheapest options (whether I am traveling or not) but this time I may or may not have splurged. I have added a link to the restaurants that I recommend!
La Cevicheria– any blog you read about Cartagena will have this place in their recommendations. Anthony Bourdain features them in one of his travel videos which has brought attention to what used to be a little hole in the wall. Get there when they open to avoid waiting in a long line and snag a table outside. Ceviche and a drink was about $15-$20.
Maria– a nicer restaurant and more modern. My mouth is watering just thinking back to our meal- lobster roll to start, shrimp and chorizo risotto and red snapper with marinated risotto and two Moscow Mules (if you don’t go halfsies on your meals, then you are not doing life right). We got extremely lucky to get a table without a reservation, so book before hand. We each paid about $45 for our meals but every now and again you have to splurge.
El Bistro– we popped in here for happy hour drinks and snacks from 4-7, we enjoyed the chill atmosphere and friendly staff who worked with us even though we struggled to speak Spanish
Demente- delicious tapas with a cool/hip vibe, along with our tapas we enjoyed a few cocktails here. We each paid about $20 for tapas and three vodka sodas.
Stepping Stone– do you ever find a place when you travel and find yourself going back there every day? Well, this was Stepping Stone for us, they had such a yummy breakfast (avocado toast and bacon sandwich). They also support the people of Cartagena by, “Increasing education and employment, upskilling disadvantaged youth and giving them the skills, confidence and the “stepping stone’ needed to progress their future.” Our breakfast with coffees/ smoothies and a meal was about $8 a person.
Abaco Libros & Cafe– quaint little cafe with coffee, beer, and books (win win)
Other recommendations but didn’t make it to:
Juan Del Mar- seafood
Carmen- fancier and tasting menu
Don Juan- seafood
La Vera- Italian
Patagonia- Argentinian
El Boliche Ceviche- ceviche in old city
La Vitrola- need a reservation, fine dining
La Mulata- great local lunch spot
Cafe Lunatico- cafe in Getsemani
Epoca Espresson Bar- coffee and craft cocktails
Zauitun- in old city
La Case del Buen Marisco- local place with fish and seafood
Mistura Restaurant
Local food to try:
Mojarra frita con arroz con coco y patacon- fried fish with rice, coconut and fried plantain
Mote de queso- Colombian cheese soup
Arepa de huevo- fried corn-meal bun w/ a fried egg
Raspado de kola con leche- some type of shaved ice
Empanadas- pastry filled with savory ingredients and baked or fried.
Pandebono- cheese bread, usually a snack or breakfast food
Things to do: Castillo San Felipe Cartagena- go in the morning to avoid the brutal heat in the middle of the day. Get lost in the streets of the Old City- you’ll be in awe every street you turn down with more vibrant colors and flowers than the last. Walk around Getsemani- my favorite part of Cartagena, you’ll stumble upon amazing street art and most colorful buildings in the city. San Pedro Claver and Santa Domingo- churches to check out. Head up to La Popa convent- best view of the city. Day trip to the mud volcano, we did not have time for this but if you have an extra day, it may be worth to check out. Take a Chiva- it is essentially a party bus.
Boat Day: If you are lucky enough to be in Cartagena on the weekend then you have to head to Cholon- the party island. We setup our boat day through HiCartagena and we were not disappointed. We met them at the dock (about a 10 minute walk away from Getsemani). Their staff made us feel welcomed from the moment we arrived. When we got on the boat, the tone was set right away- the music started playing and that meant it was time to party. We were offered an open bar with beer and Colombian rum oh yeah and water (stay hydrated kids). We made one stop before arriving to Cholon. The water here was absolutely breathtaking, we had the chance to get into the water and drain our very full bladders. After about 45 minutes we were then off to Cholon (wahoo). We got to Cholon at the perfect time- we pulled up to loads of boats already docked and everyone dancing the day away. There were Colombians on shore who were selling knick knacks and we were offered banana boat rides (which I have to say was 100 P worth our $3). HiCartagena had our lunch (full fish, coconut rice and tostanes) setup at the tables in the water. Our lunch was nice and fresh and came at the perfect time to soak up a tad of the booze we had been consuming since 9:30 in the morning. Our day consisted of many shotguns and rum shots, if you are looking for a good time then HiCartagen’s boat day is definitely for you.
Boat Day Option 2
We got a little too sun burned on our Cholon boat day (oops) and therefore only partook in one boat day. Some suggestions for another boat day are:
Rosario Islands- you can do a day trip or stay the night here, whatever you decide to do, be sure to head back before 4 p.m.- the sea starts to get rough
Majagua- private island, can stay a boutique hotel or spend the day there
Island of Baru
Isla grande
The beaches along Cartagena are not the nicest, hence the reason why everyone says to take a boat trip to the islands.
Tips
Bring sunblock and don’t forget to reapply (learn from my mistakes). My favorite app to use offline is citymaps2go- there is a free version or a $10 one, I obvz use the free one. If I am in wifi then I pull up my google maps and use that, but offline I use citymaps. Throw in some bug spray, some of us may have gotten eaten alive by mosquitos. Make sure to set a price with the taxi driver before getting in. Knowing basic Spanish is extremely useful, many places will have an English menu but the servers may not be able to communicate in English. When walking the old streets you will come across women who are dressed in beautiful traditional dresses with a fruit basket balanced so perfectly on their heads. It is tempting to take a photograph of them and you are allowed to but if you do then be sure to give them a tip. If you opt into taking a boat tour (@HiCartagena) bring some Dramamine, coming back in the afternoon can be a bit rocky and nauseating. Pack Imodium or charcoal pills, not everyone’s tummy may be happy with the delicious food. Drink lots of water ( literally what I live by) it’s hot, hot, hot so keep yourself hydrated.
