Be prepared to SWEAT. Cartagena is known to be hot and humid year round! I went to Colombia for my friend’s wedding and had a blast because so many people in our group were from Colombia and it made things easier to navigate especially if you don’t speak Spanish. Also wish we explored other cities and not just Cartegena – A few friends of mine went to Bogota and Medellin and loved it.
- STAY: in a hotel in the city walls. Some stayed at the Sofitel$$$, but a few opted for boutique hotels or airbnbs nearby. Everything is walkable
- FLIGHTS: Jetblue NYC – Cartegena and American ($400 RT)
- WHEN: Oct 2023
TIPS!!
– Keep track of the exchange rate for US dollar to Colombian Peso. Since it’s like a hundred thousands pesos it can be hard to track how much something should cost so you don’t get ripped off
– Brush up on your Spanish
– Wear light clothing
TOP THINGS TO EAT
- Coffee Shops:
- Cafe de Mural: In Getsemani- bought coffee beans from there
- Epoca Espresso Bar (also has breakfast)
- Cafe la Manchuria (has oat milk – leche de avena)
- Bars:
- Alquimico: one of the Top 50 bars
- Cafe Havana: Cuban vibes and great for live band and salsa (bring cash for entry)
- Mirador rooftop (order from the menu, not your own drink or they will charge more. Not sure why they do this)
- Sit down Restaurants:
- Restaurante Celele: Jamie suggested this and it’s one of the top restaurants but didn’t have time to go!! I would def check this one out! make a rez
- La Cevicheria: SO GOOD. Must go. I’m not even a huge seafood person but everything was so fresh
- Carmen: very good fish risotto here. slightly upscale but worth it
- Mar y Zielo: on the fancier side. Food was good but wouldn’t be my top choice
- Quick Food:
- La Esquina Del Pandebono: everything you eat will consist of bread and cheese in Cartagena (see below guide lol) and this is a great place to sample them. Some have a slightly sweet flavor to it. Try Pan de Bono, Almojabana
- Tipicas Empanadas: stall by the Exito grocery store: wish we found these earlier but they were fantastic and I still think about this!!
- Arepa con huevo – this is a big thing here and is traditionally stuffed with egg and beef. I got one from Epoca, but recommend trying a couple of spots. Ask for no meat and with just egg and con queso if you can find it!
- Try a Grandilla – fruit native to the region
- Try sweets at Portal de Los Dulces: the area is lined with vendors selling all different types of candies with dulce de leche, coconut and tamarind
- Popular Colombian chains: Crepes & Waffles & Andres de carne (more sit down with band)
- Quick guide to typical Colombian food lol
- Bunuelo – bread w/cheese (crispier exterior since it’s fried)
- Pan de bono – bread w/cheese (baked, chewy interior, made with cassava)
- Almojabana – bread w/cheese (soft and slightly sweet)
- Sanchocho – Soup
- Arepa – bread w/meat or cheese
- Empanada – bread w/meat or cheese
- Bandeja Paisa – Rice, beans, meat/sausage
- Patacones – fried plantain
- Trucha a la Plancha – grilled trout
- Arroz con coco – coconut rice
TOP ACTIVITIES
- Massage at Sofitel: the spa was nice if you want to pamper yourself. 90 min for about 100$ or whole spa day package $150 which includes body scrub, 60-90 min massage, beverage and access to the pool
- Beach day: I’d recommend the beach clubs further out. We went to Felix, but a few in the group went to Santa Maria/ Rosario islands
- See all the art just outside the walled city / Getsemani
- Chiva Bus: Party bus with great music serving Aquardiente, a popular liquor (anise flavored). Take some Bonfiest afterwards to recover from the drinking
- Shop: the jewelry and dresses are gorgeous but are on the expensive side. There are tons of boutiques on the street as well as a mall at the edge of the walled city. If you want some cheaper earrings then vendors will sell them on the street for about $6 each, but they won’t be as intricate as the usual Colombian style
- Boca Grande: fancier area and beach walk (didn’t do this but was recommend by a friend)
