The northern Colombian city of Cartagena is perched on the edge of the Caribbean coast. Bursting at the seams with colour, culture, music and intoxicating energy, this city leaves a lasting impression.
We spent 4 nights in Cartagena in February, and share a few of our highlights below. While Cartagena can be somewhat difficult to reach from other cities or locations nearby, we felt the effort was worth it. Filled with friendly locals, incredible street art, tasty street food, excellent coffee.. our stay was relaxing but oh so enjoyable.
What we loved in Cartagena and think you should add to your itinerary:
Note: this isn’t a complete guide to Cartagena.. our visit for 4 days was meant as relaxing stop to get a taste of Colombia. We have included a few of the things we loved during our stay!
The atmosphere at Plaza de la Trinidad (Getsemani)
The main square in the bohemian neighbourhood of Getsemani is a vibe. During the day it is filled with locals and tourists alike, street vendors offering their wares. It’s extremely photogenic, and you will likely find yourself taking numerous photos. All of the roads and alleyways winding off the Plaza de la Trinidad are worth exploring, filled with street art, cafes, bars and more. As the sun begins to set, the plaza come to life with locals selling cheap drinks, street food vendors (try the arepas!!), and street performers. Even if you’re not wanting to engage in the local offerings, find a spot to sit and enjoy the vibe.
The incredible street art on Calle de los Cuadros (Getsemani)
The whole of Getsemani is filled with amazing street art.. and talented street artists painting. The alleyways feel like art galleries, none more so than the popular Calle de los Cuadros. This is a must visit street, one of the more unique laneways in all of South America.
Walking the streets of the Cartagena walled city
The Cartagena old town is historic and exceptionally well preserved. With indigenous, Spanish, African and European influences, this town is great to walk through. Book a walking tour or just get lost in the streets yourself. Bring a camera, there’s lots of great photo opportunities. Make sure you check out the cute plazas, especially Plaza de Santo Domingo (our favourite in the old town).
The streets are charming, and we particularly enjoyed the streets around Catedral de Santa Catalina de Alejandria.. the street Calle de Don Sancho offers the best views of the cathedral and is likely one of the views you’ve seen on postcards or social media.. a must! The walled parts of the town are also walkable and free, so don’t miss a chance to wander the historical city fortifications. There are numerous churches and cathedrals, street vendors, cute artisanal shops, markets and more. Enjoy the vibe as you wander the city!
Enjoy the tropical fruit cut fresh from the plethora of vendors and stalls
The tropical location of Cartagena means a plethora of availability for fresh fruit, in particular mango, pineapple and watermelon (among others). Fruit vendors line the streets and squares, offering you fresh cut fruit for bargain prices. Well worth it in our opinion, and something that is iconic to this region!
Soak up the atmosphere and street performers
Cartagena oozes culture, and part of this intoxicating appeal are the street performers that wander the streets and squares, especially in the afternoon and evening. In particular, dance troupes perform live music and samba shows in traditional attire, bringing a punch of sound and colour to the neighbourhoods when they perform. Try to catch these amazing shows if you can. If you miss the ‘free’ street shows, locations like Café Havana offer paid alternatives which are well rated.
Try the excellent Colombian coffee!
People talk up the Colombian coffee, and our limited experience in Cartagena says that it’s pretty good! We’d love to get back and sample the authentic coffee plantation experiences at some stage, but even the artisanal roasters and coffee shops in cities like Cartagena make an excellent cuppa! Our favourite coffee shop was Libertario Coffee Roasters, located on the main street in Getsemani!
Enjoy excellent food.. here’s a few places we loved in Cartagena!
The Colombian food was a fusion of Caribbean and South American styles, with lots of fresh produce, seafood and great street-food options. We sampled a range of places during our stay, and have listed our top picks below:
- El Bololo – Bowls del Caribe: Healthy bowls with Caribbean flavours.. sign us up! The meat (carne) and the chicken (pollo) were excellent. So much so that we went back day after day!
- Colombitalia Arepas: Offering great price for tasty arepas, this is an excellent stop for lunch, a snack, or a late night bite to eat!
- Café San Antonio: Offering excellent brunch food, we highly recommend the breakfast burrito!
- Street food from a vendor on Plaza de la Trinidad: There’s lots of great options to choose from! Find a popular vendor (means that it’s good/safe to eat generally) and try some local grub!
Stay in Getsemani!
Trust us on this one. The Getsemani neighbourhood is located 10-15minutes away from the walled part of the city. We researched this in advance, and we so pleased we decided to stay in Getsemani over the ‘centre’. Not only is this area the most colourful and vibrant, it’s home to some of the best streets, nightlife, restaurants and more. Plus, the entire Getsemani neighbourhood felt safe during the day and the night.
Want to look into staying in Getsemani.. see where we stayed and a few well researched options below..
- Casa Jaguar – Situated in the perfect location, this little 4 bedroom B&B had lovely staff, a little pool and excellent breakfast. Top pick!
- Casa Azul Cartagena – Alma hotels – Well priced, well located, boutique hotel.
- Hotel Casa Canabal by Faranda Boutique – Gorgeous, luxury boutique hotel at reasonable prices. A great pick!
See more options in Getsemani and Cartagena below..
A few things to know for your visit to Cartagena:
- The ‘rapper’ scams: you will likely encounter exuberant young rappers in the streets, freestyling in front of you. While you may have the temptation to engage them, or laugh along, unless you plan on paying them, we suggest you quickly and firmly tell them “no” and move on. It is a common “scam” in Cartagena, where rappers with perform for “free”, then quite aggressively demand a tip as payment. We saw many people get sucked into this and end up having to pay. You’ve been warned.
- The Rosario island tours: Take this with a grain of salt, as we didn’t end up visiting the Rosario Islands. Our initial research had us looking into these islands located off the coast of Cartagena. However, a few friends warned us that maybe they weren’t quite as picturesque and relaxing as the pictures make them out to be. Apparently they are very overcrowded, lots of locals hawking their goods, and all of the tours head to the same ‘touristic’ parts of the islands. We ended up opting against going, and when we arrived, we were glad at our decision. On every corner a local is flogging a Rosario Islands tour. On a morning run past the ferry terminal we saw 1000s of tourists waiting for boats out to the islands. In the evening the winds increased, and the water was choppy. While the islands may be picturesque, we strongly suspect that the amount of tourists and the nature of the tours may detract from the experience. If you have visited.. we are keen to hear your thoughts.
- Tipping: Cartagena has a tipping culture, with the expectation of somewhere between 10-20% tip. Many restaurants, café’s and bars will automatically add a 15% tip to the bill. While not uncommon in parts of South America, this American style trend is important to be aware of. Factor this into your prices.
- Safety: As a city, Cartagena felt very safe. The old town, and Getsemani, were both touristic, and full of people. During the day we had no concerns in these areas about safety, happily using the camera (with appropriate caution). In the evening, the old town, and Getsemani itself, both felt safe, however walking between the two (around 5-10 minute walk) felt a little “sketchier”. Additionally, we ventured beyond the fringe of Getsemani into a more local neighbourhood to go to the gym.. let’s just say this area wasn’t as safe. We avoided the alleyways and stayed on the busy roads. While we were okay in the day, we would have felt quite unsafe at night. So, our recommendation would be that during the day, the touristy neighbourhoods feel very safe. Exercise normal safety precautions. At night, we recommend using an Uber if you are moving between neighbourhoods or out late. If you are staying within the neighbourhood, e.g. walking around Getsemani at night, then you will likely be more than fine. However as always in South America, have higher than normal safety precautions.
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