Cartagena
Cartagena de Indias is one of the prettiest and most visited cities of the Caribbean coast. Its amazingly well preserved Old Town is Unesco World Heritage and is known for its colourful buildings, active nightlife and beaches. In front of Cartagena lies Islas del Rosario with an enormous coral reef, perfect for scuba diving and snorkeling.
The city houses many excellent restaurants and bars. Drink cocktails during the sun set at one of the many rooftop bars. You can perfectly get around by foot, the city is not too big. Just wander around, you will love Cartagena!
The city is one of my personal highlights in Colombia, I stayed here for a month, volunteering at Zion Beach Hostel.
The city is a little bit more expensive than the rest of Colombia, but everything you do and get is with an amazing charmant setting.
What to do
The Old Town is located between the walls of Cartagena. Here, you can wander around between beautifully coloured colonial buildings. The city has an amazing vibe with street artists, amazing street food and Palenqueras. Although the old town is very small, there is a lot to see!
The main entrance of the city is called the Clock Tower Monument. The tower was built in the second half of 18th century and used to be the only entrance to the city.
Hotel Movich Cartagena De Indias
This beautiful hotel is too expensive for many, but has an open rooftop bar with amazing views over Cartagena. Perfect place to take some pictures and enjoy the sunset with a cocktail! Just enter the hotel and take the elevator to the rooftop.
Also very popular but crowded is the Café del Mar, closer to the ocean.
My personal favorite place in Cartagena is Getsemani, Placa Trinidad.
Getsemani is located 10 min walking from the old city center. This neighbourhood is known for its lively streets and Plaza Trinidad, the main square of Getsemani. During the day it is relatively calm because of the heat, but when the sun goes down, people come to hang out and have a drink.
At Plaza Trinidad, you will find a lot of locals and tourists drinking and hanging out together, even during the week. The plaza is very popular with street artists, like a fake Michael Jackson, a male Rihana or sometimes traditional dancers. There is always something to see here, it is so much fun! You can buy cold beers in a small shop, located on the plaza itself or get a cocktail at one of the many stands.
All the streets around the Plaza are filled with amazing bars, restaurants or places to party! Getsemani and especially Plaza Trinidad never disappoints.
When walking around in the old town of Cartagena, you will notice a lot of women wearing colourful clothing and balancing bowls with fruit on their heads. These women are called Palenqueras and were African slaves who were brought to Colombia by Europeans.
Please don’t sneak around and take a picture from them. Just ask if you can take one, buy some fruit or give them some money. It is their way to make some money to survive. The pictures I made were all paid for.
The Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas is the biggest fortress the Spaniards ever built in one of their colonies. It was built on top of a mountain in 1657 and located at a strategic location, overlooking the city and the bay or ocean.
On top of the fortress you have an amazing view over the city and the port of Cartagena!
Everywhere in Cartagena you will see tourist information about Playa Blanca, a beautiful white beach close to Cartagena. I have to say, it doesn’t look like they show it in the pictures.
This beautiful beach is not really the perfect place to relax. It has many small restaurants and bars right on the beach, playing loud music, vendors are walking by non stop and it is mostly overcrowded.
But, if you like to get drunk on the beach and do some jet skiing, this is the place to be!
Where to stay
Cartagena has a lot of amazing hotels and hostels. I tried the following places:
Viajero Hostel Cartagena is in the old town and has a relaxed vibe. Good location and prices!
I also can recommend Selina Cartagena, it is located in Getsemani and has a pool on the roof and a lot of sunset parties!
I volunteered at Zion Beach Hostel for one month. This hostel is located 20 min south by taxi from Cartagena. The hostel is small and has a ‘we are a family’ vibe. Lunch and dinner are served to eat all together at the main table, a perfect place to meet new people. The beach is super, super calm, it hasn’t been discovered yet by many tourists. The hostel houses a kite surf school for who likes to learn how to do it.
Amazing vibe, amazing food, great staff and a lovely place to stay!
Zion has the best spot in Colombia for a sunset swim with a cold beer!
