Travel

Hotel

Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena

The wedding venue will be held at Sofitel Legend Santa Clara. The price per night is about $235 for a standard room when booking thru TripAdvisor.com *** Call and book your room rather then booking online, they'll give you better rooms as well as free cancellations and breakfasts. Ask to book with Melissa Rodgers she's handling our hotel reservations, I listed her direct number above. ***

Flight

(CTG) Rafael Núñez International airport

It's about a 10 min drive to the walled city, contact the hotel you are staying at and they will arrange for a shuttle to pick you up. Or if you are taking a taxi be sure to obtain a voucher from the official taxi stand in the terminal and the fair to the walled city is 20,000 pesos ($6.00 US).

Hotel

Hotel Eurostar

This place was nice and a little cheaper then the Sofitel, it's also about a four minute walk to where the wedding will be held.

Travel Note

Currency Exchange

The currency exchange rate for the Colombian peso is currently at about 3,000 pesos for one US dollar ($1.00) at the airport in Cartagena. I checked with Wells Fargo and they also offer 3,000 pesos per dollar but they require a minimum of $200 to complete the exchange. The best option is to pay with a credit card when dining or shopping as you will receive the best currency exchange rate that way, currently about 3,400 pesos per dollar. But I would suggest you have some pesos handy to buy from street vendors, to tip street performers or the fruit ladies.

Travel Note

Transportation

After booking your hotel stay reach out to the hotel and request shuttle service to and from the airport. The airport is only about a 10 minute drive to the walled city and the transportation fee should be no more than 20,000 pesos ($6.00 US) each way. This will eliminate having to deal with the cab drivers at the airport which will try and charge you $20+ US dollars for transportation. As of last month Uber no longer services Colombia so if you do need to take a cab for whatever reason always agree the price with the driver before the journey starts and ensure you have small bills. It is a small travel scam in Colombia for drivers to switch out your big bills for little ones or for them to charge a higher price if you did not agree before getting in.

Travel Note

non Spanish speaking guest

Reception staff at hotels and many tourist restaurants and attractions will of course speak English, but anywhere that isn’t tourist facing will be exclusively in Spanish. You will get by okay without it, but knowing a little bit goes a long way. Also, given the large number of tourists now visiting the city, there are a lot of street sellers and vendors in Cartagena and on its beaches. Usually polite and usually just trying to make some cash by selling tours or souvenirs, a polite ‘no gracias’ will steer them away.

Travel Note

Beaches to visit

The beaches in Cartagena are just ok, but there are surrounding islands with beautiful beaches nearby. Islas del Rosario, Playa Blanca, and Islas del Encanto are all easy to reach from Cartagena independently or with a tour. We are planning a trip to Islas del Rosario on one of the days of our stay, we will provide more information later.

Hotel

Bastión Luxury Hotel

Hotel

Hotel Charleston Santa Teresa

Hotel

Casa Del Arzobispado Hotel

Hotel

hotel casa san agustin

Hotel

GHL Hotel Armería Real

Free airport shuttle

Hotel

Hotel Casa Don Sancho By Mustique

Hotel

Bóvedas de Santa Clara Boutique hotel

House Or Rental

Airbnb

There are also many beautiful houses available for rent in the walled city that usually cost less than hotel expenses. Most provide maids and chefs, check the website if your're interested in this option.

Travel Note

Travel Video

Click on the link to watch this informational video about your visit to Cartagena.