Cartagena – quick travel guide

Vibrant touristy colonial beach city of northern Colombia.

Cartagena reminds me an awful lot of Salvador, Brazil. Big northern beach city with colorful touristy old town, and then “ok” beaches full of really aggressive vendors. Most people spend a day in the touristy old town part (enjoying the busy life and restaurants/bars), and then another day at the beach and then hop off to other northern coastal towns and islands. But despite everybody saying the other towns are better, the same people will still insist on you stopping by Cartagena.

Usually just a 2 day stop, as people come for the tourist stuff and quickly move onto elsewhere for better (more peaceful) beach vibes.

Where to stay:

• Getsemani – this makes the most sense if you’re a first-timer, here for tourist part of Cartagena. Crowded and full of bars, restaurants, shops, lots of outdoor hangout areas and street performances by the Plaza de la Trinidad (church).
• Centro Historico (Old Town) – this is where the experienced people stay. Much calmer, quieter, and nicer…with arguably even nicer restaurants and bars, rooftop places. It’s still touristy and has lots of people around, so you won’t get bored but has a classier feel than in the crowded Getsemani area. Don’t worry if Getsemani places are booked out, you can stay in old town and walk over in just 5 minutes. I will say though that crossing the little park between Old Town and Getsemani at night can feel super sketch. You should be fine, though. But yeah…try not walking alone if you can help it.
• By the beach – I personally wouldn’t do this considering what I heard about the beach vibes.
• Nearby (Rosario) islands – this is a great option to relax but it’s also kinda not Cartagena anymore. The 2 things I’ve been scheming about are EcoHotel Playa Libre and Isla Grande Ecohostal….seems like same establishment?

Hostels:

• Casa Del Pozo (Getsemani) – nice, small, charmy, friendly folks all around, nice balanced social vibe. Feels like a tiny beach hostel close to the action. Has a pool.
• Casa Movida (old town) – super nice comfy big hostel with lots of space. The dorm beds are like container pods where you feel like you have your own bedroom. Big pool, nice rooftop, delicious downstairs restaurant and rooftop bar. It’s a great vibe. And even though the place is big, it’s still very social and friendly.
• Clock Hostel & Suites (old town) – another big container-pods type of place. Don’t worry about the big dorms with many people. Your room feels like a little town with hallway “streets” and your pod will be super spacious and comfy with lots of privacy. I liked it here a lot, too. Very fancy decor.
• Media Luna Hostel – a friend of mine stayed here and I don’t know if she liked it. The reviews weren’t as nice as the other 3 listed above.

All of these are central location. Cartagena is definitely a fun vibe and so there are many great vibey hostels. Some are more party than others but overall, you’ll have fun. The town is small enough that you’ll eventually run into everyone, probably even several times a day.

Neighborhoods & Walking areas:

• Getsemani – for the old colonial buildings and crowded touristy vibe with people everywhere on the streets.
• Centro Historico (Old Town) – for a classier, more upscale vibe, nice bars, nicer-dressed people and nicer restaurants. Although you can’t see them from the ground, there are many nice terrace bars/clubs here. Go up and check them out.

Activities to do:

• Old Town – walk around the touristy old town and hang out by the Plaza de la Trinidad. Shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, people all over.
• Buildings & architecture –
• Parks, gardens, green spaces –
• Beaches – I hear bad reviews of all of them. Dirty, oil smell in the air, aggressive sellers, scams and tourist traps/ripoffs everywhere, boats and jetskis going dangerously close to people, lots of traffic on the way there. Not a peaceful or relaxing time. Having experienced this before, I decided to just skip.
• Arts & museums –
• Sunset views – probably any of the rooftop terraces.

Restaurants & Cafes:

Bars & Clubs:

• Casa Palenque – nice bar with nice decor and great people-watching from their balcony. Go early in the night for outdoor seats.
• Eivissa – I loved this bar. We came at 10 or 11pm just in time to get one of the last tables. Then stayed past midnight and saw some awesome shows (girls fire-dancing to live drumming with DJ). We found it totally by accident and so glad we did.

There are many awesome spots. Keep exploring.

Miscellaneous tips:

• General travel tips for Colombia.

Nearby towns:

• Santa Marta – really not a fan. I would recommend to skip.
• Minca** – loved it. You’re staying right in nature. And if you do walk into town, it’s cute and interesting with many nice cafes and restaurants. Some bars too but you’d probably prefer spending your nights in nature at your hostel/hotel IMO.

Unfiltered notes: