If you would like practical tips on visiting Cartagena – please see my post on this part of Colombia here.
The old town of Cartagena, despite being the most visited and only truly touristy part of Colombia – remains one of the most beautiful, romantic and fascinating cities in the world. Give me Cartagena over Paris any day.
Magical right?
Erika xx
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Cartagena is a city of contrasts between old and new, wealth and poverty, old-fashioned and edgy. But most of all its beautiful, romantic and fascinating.
GENERAL INFO
Getting there and away: Cartagena has flights and trains connecting it with all the main centres in Colombia. We arrived in Cartagena via overnight bus from Santa Marta (approx. 6 hours, 40,000 COP – the last bus is at 10pm).
We left Cartagena on a flight to Medellin (I have also taken the bus between Cartagena and Medellin and that is a loooong journey but perfectly manageable if you have the time).
Accommodation: We stayed at Hotel Leyendas del Mar which was located in the Getsemani area and nice enough but note that it does not have a 24 hour reception (not great when arriving in Cartagena in the early hours of the morning). I always recommend checking current deals on booking.com as the best value hotels change constantly particularly in places like Cartagena and its a great site for specifying preferences for a specific stay ie. breakfast included or luggage storage.
Food: I don’t really need to recommend any specific food locations here – Cartagena has plenty of decent food spots. Don’t expect amazing local food – but there are some really nice restaurants if you have the cash to splash and the standard of food everywhere is good. Lots of international options.
The only MUST TRY I have for Cartagena is the coffee. I don’t mean any special brewed luxury coffee in a cafe. I mean the street coffee. In Cartagena I live off the street coffee. You will locate it as soon as you get there. There are men wandering around all the streets of the old city with coffee in these big thermoses they carry around with them. Its served black and very sweet in a little plastic cup and its so cheap. The stuff is addictive. I have tried to re-create it. I can’t.
Top Tip: Don’t underestimate how fulfilling it is just wandering around in Cartagena and don’t forget to allow time for this. All of the charm of this city is found in exploring haphazardly with no idea where you are going.
DAY 1
On your first day in Cartagena, head down to the port and take a boat to Playa Blanca. It is exactly what it sounds like – an island slightly off the coast of Colombia that it is possible to visit in a day trip with a white sand beach and lots of facilities for tourists such as cocktails, beach massage, deck chairs for rent and places to eat.
Its a nice place to while away the day and enjoy Colombia’s Caribbean coastline as the beaches in Cartagena itself aren’t worth going to. Eat some fresh fried seafood and sip a cocktail on the beach for a day.
DAY 2
Take a tour to Cartagena’s Mud Volcano – this is quite far out of town and you will find tours available online – half and full day tours. The full day tours include another excursion and most tours include lunch. Mud is meant to have healing properties and the mud volcano is set up as a crude ‘spa’ – you can get a massage in the volcano covered in mud and then wash off in the nearby river.
If you have time after arriving back from the Mud Volcano I suggest checking out the Getsemani neighbourhood and the street art on Calle de la Sierpe – this is an edgy, artsy neighbourhood just outside the walls of the old city.
DAY 3
Bright and early on Day 3, head down to the port again and take a pre-arranged boat to La Casa en el Agua. Check out my full post on La Casa en el Agua here.
DAY 4
The boat back from La Casa en el Agua arrives back 2pm. Spend the rest of your 4th day in Cartagena wandering in the walled city.
If you prefer to have a destination or you have extra time, you can visit the Castillo San Felipe or the Inquisition museum. Make sure to head up onto the walls of the old city for sunset and watch from Cafe del Mar which has a view over the water (get there early for seats by the edge of the wall).
Erika xx
La Casa en el Agua is a boutique hostel that is situated on a rock in the middle of the ocean (well not quite but it does feel that way) with a cult following. Some travellers even get La Casa en el Agua tattoos after staying here. Its a destination in itself and I highly recommend spending a night here if you are in the area. I would recommend La Casa en el Agua over visiting Playa Blanca or any of the other islands near Cartagena (They are a bit over-touristed – this is gimmicky but still a unique experience!)
Top Tip for La Casa en el Agua:
Book early! Their calendar opens 3 months in advance and you will need to book at this time to get a spot – particularly if you want one of their very limited private rooms. Hammocks are a little easier to come by.
Getting there and away:
Transport to Casa en el Agua is via a sister company that transports those staying at La Casa en el Agua directly to the hostel from the port of Cartagena. The boat travels daily at 9am to the hostel and leaves at 12pm (arrives back in Cartagena at 2pm) so you need to make your travel plans within these timeframes.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You can only take 8kg of luggage on the boat so you will need to store your luggage somewhere in Cartagena. The majority of hotels will be happy to look after this for you for free even if they don’t have a designated luggage storage area. I have never had an issue storing my luggage.
Food:
As the hostel is in the middle of nowhere – they do have a monopoly on food options. Breakfast is included in your stay, and they have amazing fresh seafood available for lunch and dinner (plus a vegetarian option). They also have snacks available but I suggest bringing some of your own (note there is no fridge or kitchen facilities available to guests).
One of their key rules is you cannot bring booze into the hostel. The hostel has a bartender and sells relatively affordable cocktails but costs soon rack up if you lie around drinking all day. Allow for this in your budget.
Activities:
There are definitely enough activities to last you a day or two here. The place is small but there are outdoor hammocks and couches for you to read or chill out on, some floaties and balancing games in the water, a ladder to climb up and jump off the side of the house; snorkels and kayaks to go exploring, and plenty of clear blue water around the hostel for swimming.
There are also a few organised tours and activities that are worth doing – the hostel runs a plankton tour at night to see the phosphorescent plankton in the area and also takes a small group over to the nearby island of Santa Cruz del Islote which is a tiny man made island and one of the worlds most densely populated places. It’s a great example of traditional Colombian life.
Have you been to La Casa en el Agua? Let me know what you thought!
Erika xx
THE ONLY ERIKA IN THE VILLAGE 