Happy Travel: A Brief Cartagena Travel Guide

My mom and I spent our last few days in Colombia in Cartagena, but man, I wish I’d had more than two and a half days in this incredible city. Despite the face melting heat and humidity, I couldn't have been more infatuated with the colorful buildings and charm of Cartagena.

This post details my experience in Cartagena - where I stayed, what we ate, and some of the best thing we did while we were there - along with some happy travel tips to keep you smiling as you explore.

How To Pronounce “Cartagena”

First things first - you’re going to want to learn how to pronounce the name of the city that you’re visiting, and Cartagena is one of the tougher ones if you’re not a Spanish speaker. Phonetically, it sounds like cart-ah-hey-nah, with a slight roll of the “R” and a soft “G” that sounds more like an “H.” Listen below for the exact audio pronunciation:

Getting There: Santa Marta to Cartagena

We got to Cartagena by plane initially. We flew in from Medellin on LAN for $51 each. I would highly recommend flying around the country, rather than taking buses. The experience is so painless and cheap!

However, once we touched down at Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG), we actually got on a bus to Santa Marta/Tayrona (which you can read about here!). Three days later, we were back on our way into Cartagena again.

Taken within the walls of the Old City, running from shady patch to shady patch to avoid melting in the scorching sun. 

To get from Tayrona to Santa Marta, we took a shuttle bus with some other travelers who were also headed back to Santa Marta, which was $3.50. The owner of the ecohab was able to arrange this for us.

To go from Santa Marta to Cartagena, we took a larger, much nicer, air conditioned bus for about $17. I believe we were able to arrange this once we got into Santa Marta pretty easily.

Total cost from Santa Marta to Cartagena: $17

The romantic streets of Cartagena <3

To & From The Airport in Cartagena

If you’re headed straight into Cartagena from the airport, the best option is to take a taxi. Rates are fixed, but you can negotiate. The cost should be around $12-20,000 pesos or $4-7 USD and only takes about 15-30 minutes door to door.

Best Hostel in Cartagena

My mom and I stayed at El Viajero Hostel while in Cartagena and had a nice experience for what was a budget hostel. The word “el viajero” translates to “traveler,” which is exactly who this hostel is suited to. There’s a fun, young backpacker community coming through, with communal showers and hammocks lining the outdoor bar area for lots of laid back chillin.

Our only complaint was the fact that the AC in your room shuts off during the day. It makes perfect sense, as it’s about 90 degrees outside, and it would be a huge waste of power to leave it on. But for us wearied travelers, it was hard not to have the option to go hang out in our room for a few hours.

Inside El Viajero Hostel in Cartagena. Rooms line the corridor and culminate in communal bathrooms at the end. 

If you choose not to stay at El Viajero, I would highly suggest you stay in either Old Town or Getsemani. These are the areas you’ll want to be as a tourist. I wouldn't recommend you stay in downtown Cartagena, as it’s mostly businesses.

Total cost for a hostel in Cartagena: $116 for three nights; $39 per night

Best Food in Cartagena, Colombia

So although we didn't do a whole lot during our time in CTG, we made up for it by eating our way through the little city.

Enjoying a fresh fruit on the streets of Cartagena. I never did catch the name, but it was so yummy!

Places we went and loved:

• Breakfast: Street fruits
  • So this is obviously not a place, but it’s definitely some of the best food in Cartagena. And so cheap! I dared myself to be adventurous and try a new fruit every day.
• Lunch: Green House Coffee Bar
  • Cute little spot in Old Town. The inside is all green, and it’s delightfully kitschy.
• Lunch: Cevicheria
  • The revered Colombian spot for super fresh ceviche. We got their coconut lime milkshake...and then we got another because it was truly so incredible.
• Dinner: El Burlador De Sevilla
  • Not only did we have a delicious steak and salad dinner here, but we got a free flamenco show! Note: It's a little on the spendier side.
• Drinks: Cafe Havana
  • The famous Cuban-style salsa bar! Unfortunately, we went here on the last night of our trip so we were both pooped, but it was so fun to be surrounded by all the Colombian couples swinging and salsaing on the dance floor. There was a live Cuban band and a very robust cocktail bar.
  • Note: There is a cash cover and the line to get in starts early!

Epic steak & salad dinner at El Burlador. 

Famous fresh ceviche at La Cevicheria.

Traditional Colombian lunch at the Green House Cafe. 

The very well-stocked bar at Cafe Havana (note the drink recipe cards!). 

Places I didn’t go personally but were recommended to me by friends:

• Don Juan: Hailed as “the best value meal we had in all of South America” by a friend
• Alma: I walked past this spot and it looked very fancy/spendy.
• Demente: Can't comment but maybe one of you will and report back on how it is!?
• Cafe Abacoba: Just another cool cafe you should consider checking out on my behalf :)

Top Things To Do In Cartagena, Colombia

As previously noted, we didn't have a ton of time here, so we spent most of that time exploring within the walls of the Old City and briefly venturing into Getsemani (another soft “G” to pronounce).

Just one example of the charming colonial architecture that permeates the city. 

I’d highly recommend the Free Walking Tour to start. This will take you a couple of hours in the morning. Definitely stop by the ChocoMuseo to see chocolate being made and learn more about the craft. You’ll only need about 30 minutes here - it’s more of a shop than a museum. The live cuban music and salsa dancing at Cafe Havana is a great evening activity that should not be missed.

You can spend days here just wandering the streets and looking at the fun buildings.

Some things we heard others doing:

• Visit Castle San Felipe
• Visit Castle Federale
• Tour or stay a few nights at the nearby islands: Playa Blanca & Rosaria Beach
• Take a volcano mud bath

Happy Travel Tips For Cartagena, Colombia  

Weather in Cartagena

This is definitely something you’ll want to be prepared for. If you’re like me, heat and humidity has the potential to make you very grumpy. The sticky sweat and smothering temperature don't necessarily make for an enjoyable experience walking, so make your time a little happier by:

• Wearing loose fitting and breathable clothes. My dress was perfect for the weather.
• Get a water bottle that doubles as a mister. You’ll thank me when you’re on your walking tour and shade is not available. 
• Buy a hat. Even a cheap little straw one when you get there will be endlessly helpful as you walk around.
• Sunscreen. Slather it on 20 minutes before you leave AC, or it will just melt right off. 

Top happy travel tip? Go with someone you love! There's no better bonding experience than the ups and downs of travel. 

Although our stay here was brief, I just cant recommend Cartagena enough. It's a sleepy, romantic little place with enough exploration opportunity to last you a good couple of days. Definitely make sure it's part of your Colombian itinerary. 

Other Cartagena Travel Guides

• For more things to do in CTG, Cartagena: Travel to Colombia's Caribbean Old Town
• For the fashionista, Chic Street Cartagena Travel Guide
• For solo travelers, A Solo Traveler's Guide To Cartagena, Colombia

Traveling Around Colombia? 

For more on Colombia, check out some of my other posts:

• Colombia: Quick & Dirty
• Colombia: Packing List
• Colombia: Ultimate Guide to Medellin
• Colombia: 2 Days in Bogota
• Colombia: Three Blissful Days in Tayrona Park, Colombia

I cant tell you how joyous these colorful walls and huge plants made me !!

For more happy travel adventures & updates, subscribe to the site! I send monthly content roundups, including everything you might have missed here & some of my favorites articles from around the web. 

Two Weeks in Colombia: Quick & Dirty Itinerary

Flights

My mom and I flew roundtrip from San Francisco to Bogota for about $310 on United. No complaints. The trip was about 9 hours long. 

Itinerary 

Day 1: TRAVEL DAY

On day one, we arrived in Bogota near midnight and got a cab to our hostel.

Airport Cab Tip: In the terminal, search for the cab service counter. In this place you should give the address of where you are going, and the person at the counter will give you a paper with the information for the cab driver and the price you should pay for the trip. The price is $20,000 Colombian pesos (about USD$12). Dont pay more than the fare on the paper. Call your hostel if there is pushback. 

We stayed at Kozii Hostel D.C. It was a cute & cozy place, but a little out of the hustle and bustle. I'd recommend staying closer to Zona T or Zona Rosa. We paid $105 USD for three nights. 

A few notes about the city...Zona G, Zona Rosa, Chapinero, and Calle 70 are all considered safe. That was definitely our experience. You might not want to be around Calle 60, Carrera 7, or the Candalaria at night.

Day 2: BOGOTA

We used this day just to explore the city by foot. It was a Sunday, and museums are free in Colombia on Sundays, so we went to both The Gold Museum and The Botero Museum. Botero is a must, Gold you could skip.

We also explored the Candalaria, which was interesting and definitely safe enough in the daytime for two women, but probably the sketchiest part of Colombia we saw. 

Day 3: BOGOTA

Today was our day to visit the Monserrate, aka the mountain in the middle of Bogota. I cant recommend this experience enough, simply for the cable car ride experience and the views of the city. 

We followed this up with some exploring of the Zona T, a trendy area with shops, bars, and restaurants. This is Colombia trendy, not LA trendy. I think I would have liked to stay in this area. 

For our last hurray, we "went out" to the famous multi-level Andres. It's very Senor Frogs, but the Colombians are quite proud of it. Definitely check it out for the massive menu and fun drinks. I heard from friends that Theatron was a fun place to go out, too!

Day 4: MEDELLIN

We flew to Medellin around 4 pm. The one-way, one-hour flight was $50 each on Avianca. No complaints. 

Note that there are two airports in Medellin, one smaller inside the city and one larger one an hour outside. We flew into the farther, larger one and got a cab into the city. 

For housing, we stayed at the Poblado Park Hostel, which was about $100 for three nights. We loved the location, but disliked how young and noisy the crowd was. Hostels are a very different experience when you're traveling with your mom - shocker! 

Day 5: MEDELLIN

One of our favorite things we did in Colombia was the Real City Walking Tour in Medellin. You will see most of the biggest sites this way, it is free, and so informative and fun. 

Tour Tip: Allow about half a day and wear comfy shoes

After the tour, we rode the city's famous Metro Cable Cars up to Parque Arvi, which sits on top of the city. One hundred percent recommend the cable cars, but only halfway up. No need to go all the way to Parque Arvi, in my opinion. 

Other sites and activities recommended by friends. We only made it to the first two via our walking tour:

• Parque Lleras
• Plaza Botero
• Coffee Tours & Barista Workshop
• Toucan Cafe: http://bit.ly/245vhQg
• Biblioteca Espana
• Museo de Arte Moderno (MAMM)
• Café Pergamino
• Salsa dancing

And some restaurant recommendations from friends:

• Carmen: You can order ostrich here & apparently it's pretty good 
• Mondongos or Tres Tipicos: Traditional Colombian Food
• San Carbon: Good steak

Day 6: MEDELLIN

Escobar & The Rock Tour. Just do it. This was hands down our favorite day in Colombia. You will get:

• Transportation to & from
• Jeep 4x4 ride up to one of Pablo's "country homes"
• Lunch inside
• Tour of the property
• Boat ride to Guatape 
• Transportation to El Penon
• Sunset lookout 
• A bunch of foreign friends! 

We booked this tour through our hostel on the day we showed up, so no need to book in advance. I think it was about $40/person.

At night, we met our friends from the tour at the Happy Buddha Hostel for Ladies Night, then went out to a Colombian dance club. Latino pop is life. 

Day 7: SANTA MARTA

I had a raging hangover the next day and a 9 am flight to catch. WOULD NOT recommend. My mom literally just laughed at me.

We took a one-hour flight to Cartagena (CTG) on LAN for $51. From there, we took a tiny little Marsol bus from the outskirts of town to Santa Marta. The bus took four hours and cost $20 each. The bus system was really pretty archaic and a little sketchy-seeming, but we got to our destination in one piece with all of our luggage. 

We were only stopping over in Santa Marta on our way to Tayrona, but we had an amazing hostel called the Masaya. It was $47 for the night, but truly luxurious for a hostel. Totally recommend. 

Day 8: TAYRONA

In the morning, we took a public bus to Tayrona. It was a strange as it sounds. But $3.50 for a one hour trip is very economical, and again, we arrived intact. 

Getting to Tayrona Tip: The trick is to have your accommodations in Tayrona written down on a piece of paper, along with any instructions the owner can provide, in Spanish. Give this paper to the bus driver and preferably use what little Spanish you have to confirm he knows where to drop you. You can follow along on your iPhone GPS, because even without wifi, the satellites pick you up. Just make sure to pin your destination while in wifi! 

Our driver knew where we were going, since the Playa Pikua Ecolodge is right next to a very popular hostel. You recognize the stop by the motortaxi's waiting alongside the road. 

We loved our little ecolodge in Tayrona, after getting used to the open air nature of the place. It has very cool, minimalist, romantic vibes (hi mom). It's super private, with only three huts total, but located right between two hostels that have a vibrant traveler scene, so there are friends and food nearby. 

For three nights, we paid $252 total. 

Day 9: TAYRONA

Since it's a little tougher to stay inside the park, we opted for accomodations a few miles away. To actually get into Tayrona National Park, we grabbed a motortaxi to the entrance. 

Tayrona Tip: You MUST bring your passport to get in! Bonus points for your student ID, which will get you a discounted entrance fee. 

The park entrance fee in 2016 was $19 + $1 shuttle to where you begin walking. You can walk, motorcycle, or take a horse all the way through. 

It's about a 10-mile walk in and out, but in about 90 degree heat and 90% humidity. We wore super loose comfortable clothes & tennis shoes, stuffing food, water, money, swimsuits, & towels into our backpacks. Dont forget sunscreen! 

Day 10: TAYRONA

Finally, a day to rest. We had breakfast on our porch, then I did beach yoga at the hostel next door, fell asleep in a hammock reading my book, and tanned on the sand while meditating to a Tara Brach podcast.

A day of rest is essential for me when traveling for multiple weeks. This was truly my day to find the blue sky in Colombia. 

Day 11: CARTAGENA

Back to Cartagena! Playa Pikua booked us a shuttle back to Santa Marta for $3.50 each. From there, we got on a bus to Cartagena for $17 each.  We arrived in Cartagena after dark, so this was a full day of traveling. 

We stayed at El Viajero Hostel in Old Town Cartagena. We thought this was a great hostel for travelers. Note that the AC shuts off during the day, so you cant hang out in the rooms. Which is tough in Cartagena, where the humidity is always about 80-90%

For two nights, we paid $116 total. 

Some advice I recieved when picking a place to stay:

• Stay in Old Town or Getsemani
• Try for Baru
• Avoid Bocagrande

Day 12: CARTAGENA

We only had one full day in Cartagena regrettably. We started with a free walking tour through Old City, then wandered around on our own for the day. 

We ended the night at Cafe Havana, a famous Cuban music club with live salsa dancing. It was a blast, but neither of us could stay out very long. We were tired from our travels. 

I would have loved to have another day here to explore the nearby islands. I heard Playa Blanca and Rosaria Beach were lovely.

A couple other sites & activities to possibly check out: 

• Castillo de San Felipe
• Castle Federale
• Mud Volcano Bath

And a few restaurant recommendations I collected:

• Don Juan: Probably the best value meal we had in all of South America
• Alma: On the fancier side
• Cevicheria: If you like ceviche, this is the spot!
• Cafe Abacoba: Cool cafe
• Demente

Day 13: TRAVEL DAY

We flew home at 2 pm. We took a taxi from our hostel to the airport. Flights from Cartagena to San Francisco were about $421 per person, with a quick stop in Ft. Lauderdale. I slept the full six hours from Florida to California. 

Cost Breakdown:

• Transportation:
  • Estimate: $777
  • Actual: $833
• Housing:
  • Estimate: $240
  • Actual: $311
• Food:
  • Estimate: $180 (12 days x $15/day)
  • Actual: N/A
• Attractions:
  • Estimate: Idk, not that much!
  • Total: N/A
• Total:
  • Estimate: $1,197
  • Actual: ~$1,244

For the long & involved on each of the cities we visited, check out the full length post for each below: 

• Happy Travel: What To Do In Bogota, Colombia

• Happy Travel: The Ultimate Guide to Medellin, Colombia

• Happy Travel: Three Blissful Days in Tayrona Park, Colombia

• Happy Travel: A Brief Cartagena Travel Guide

• Bonus Extra: Happy Travel: Colombia Packing List 

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