Sarah & Hector
Things To Do
A Brief History of this Amazing City
Cartagena is a colonial city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. The historic walled city remains alongside the ultramodern skyscraper-filled Bocagrande. Cartagena is famous for its culture, history, and colorful buildings. The city was founded in 1533, by Spanish Commander Pedro de Heredia. The Spanish poured huge amounts of money into the city’s defenses, including the famed wall. At that time, the port was the largest in the Americas. In 1741 the Queen of England ordered invasions of every Spanish port in the Caribbean. After the invasion, the city fortified further, and rebuilt its defenses to become the most protected port in South America. Cartagena played a significant role in Colombia gaining its independence - in 1811 it was the first city to declare independence from Spain. Today, Cartagena has rapidly expanded and is now home to over 1 million people. Despite all these changes the Walled City remains unchanged, with its colonial architecture and historic buildings preserved.
Explore the Old Walled City by horse-drawn carriage.
There’s really no better way to see the Walled City of Cartagena than seated in a horse drawn carriage. It’s the perfect way to experience this historic city as you would have two or three hundred years ago. Carriages are available almost anywhere throughout the city and can accommodate groups of four.
Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas
It is a fortification located in the city of Cartagena de Indias in Colombia. It is located on a hill called San Lázaro and was built in 1657 during the Spanish colonial era.
Palace of the Inquisition Cartagena Historical Museum
It is a building located in Cartagena de Indias, former seat of the Inquisition Court of the Catholic Church, the building was built in 1770 in colonial and baroque style
Casa de Gabriel Garcia Marquez
It is a must for the literary geek! The house of the nobel price winning novelist is not identified, but you can reach it. Those who are attracted to the legacy of the writer and want to understand the city better, it is absolutely necessary to go through here. Garcia Marquez had a love-hate relationship with Cartagena; the city appears in several of his novels often depicted as a decadent place full of conflict with a class-ridden and racist society.
Plaza Santo Domingo
The bustling plaza is the home to good food, alfresco dining, street entertainment, stunning historic architecture, a famous Botero sculpture nd people everywhere. It is located opposite the Santo Domingo Church in one of the oldest neighborhoods in the Walled City.
Las Bóvedas Market
Las Bóvedas is a great place to go if you're looking to pick up some Colombian souvenirs. Explore Las Bóvedas, which means "The Vaults" in Spanish. They were used as a dungeon during the civil wars of the independence era period, and it's said that at high tide, the prisoners would be up to their knees in sea water. Las Bóvedas has 47 arches and 23 domes and was constructed by engineer Antonio de Arevalo between 1792 and 1798.
Café del Mar Ltda.
Incredible sunsets, cocktails, food, music and an amazing breeze within the historic murals of Cartagena
Barrio Getsemani
For our Miami friends, this is the "Wynwood of Cartagena". This area of the city is filled with arts, murals, crumbling buildings, local homes, kids playing soccer, and an absolute ton of amazing street art here. Take a graffiti tour to learn all about the meaning behind the murals, the artists, and the political and social movements they represent.
Movich Hotel Rooftop Bar
One of the best rooftop pool views in Cartagena. Rooftop terrace is the perfect place to grab a drink and watch the sunset.
La Cevichería
This is where Anthony Bourdain ate when he visited Cartagena for "No Reservations". Enough said. Directly across the street from the Sofitel.
Café Havana
Very popular bar in Getsemani. Great for music and dancing.
El Mirador GastroBar
Rooftop bar with an great view of Cartagena. Cocktails gastronomy, live music and videos t while you watch the clock tower.
Bazurto Social Club
At the historic neighborhood of Getsemani, in the heart of Cartagena de Indias , we present Bazurto Social Club as a Bar- restaurant, where exalts the richness of Cartagena popular culture ,extolling the charism, joy and spontaneity of its people. Also, some nights they even have Champeta classes!
The Most Photo-Worthy Spots in Cartagena, Colombia
If you love photography and would like to take beautiful memories of your trip home, here is a list of the most photo worthy spots in the city.
7-Day Cartagena Itinerary
A 7-Day Travel Guide Summary as provided by an American Travel Blogger.
Cartagena
Aside from the recommendations provided, here is another great website and resource for things to do in Cartagena.
Isla Tierra Bomba (Tierra Bomba Island)
This is one of Sarah's personal favoite spots!!! With the best view of the city, Restaurant and Beach Club just 10 minutes by boat from Cartagena, white sand beaches and delicious, freshly caught seafood. Once you arrive there’s a nice kiosk with hammoks and tanning chairs, those are for your personal use the whole day. As soon as you are comfortable and ready you can order a bite of the best fresh-caught fish available with arroz con coco, for a delicious lunch. From the beginning you can try natural juices, margaritas, cocoloco, caipirinha, mojitos, beers and more. Also, many water activities are available to rent from banana boats to Snorkeling, parasailing and jet skiing. Access to the island is only possible by boat, but the trip takes only 10 minutes. The boat leaves from Castillogrande beach behind Bocagrande hospital. There are usually many boats there. Just don't let them rip you off. It shouldn't cost more than $10 ( MAX) USD per person to get across.
Take a Boat to Playa Blanca
Playa Blanca is undoubtedly one of Colombia’s most beautiful beaches. Located on Baru island, it is 45 minutes by boat from Cartagena port, or around a two-hour car journey from the main city. Crystal-clear waters lap the perfectly white sand and visitors have the option to spend a day relaxing on this incredible beach or, should that not be enough, you can also stay over the night. Go for the day and make the most of some delicious fresh fish served alongside coconut rice. Or even stay the night and appreciate the beach in complete stillness and silence once all the day trippers leave. Either way, a visit to this beach is a must for anyone spending more than a day in Cartagena.
El Totumo
About 45 minute northeast of Cartagena, Colombia bubbles an active volcano in which you can take a swim—that is, in a bath of naturally-heated mud. El Totumo Mud Volcano is an active mud volcano located near sea level in northern Colombia in the municipality of Santa Catalina. A local tourist destination, popular for its alleged healing mud bath, it receives most of its visitors from nearby Cartagena. Know before you go: Most visits require a tour guide or, at least, a knowledgeable taxi driver. A round trip with a local guide costs $50 at most which includes price of entry. I would nonetheless, check prices with your hotel as it may change on the season and demand.
The Pink Sea of Colombia (El Salar de Galerazamba)
Specifically it is located in the Galerazamba district, Santa Catalina Bolívar; from Cartagena it takes 1 hour. Other information that may interest you is that Salinas de Galerazamba is only 15 minutes from El Totumo Volcano, so you can visit other tourist destinations in Colombia during that tour. The pink sea is given by a natural phenomenon derived from the great concentration of saline in the waters. When the rain falls, the drops of water break the salt granules and create this phenomenon. The sea also has halophilic microalgae that produce beta carotene, creating environments of high salinity and luminosity.
Rosario Islands Trip
Find your own white sandy beach on one of the nearby Caribbean islands and enjoy the clear turquoise water. Have your concierge organize a boat or yacht and sail around the islands and spend the day on the idyllic island retreat on Isla Grande, the largest of the islands that form the Rosario Islands national park.
Cholon Island Party
If you haven’t heard of the Island Cholon Party then you will when you get to Cartagena! Just a 45 minute boat ride from the city it’s of the biggest events in that area that happens every weekend. Reggaeton and electronic music blasts over the sound of beautiful tourists and Colombians alike as they dance waist deep in the crystal clear Caribbean waters.
Mompox
The town of 'Mompox' is both an UNESCO World Heritage Site and, even more tellingly, for those who have read '100 Years of Solitude' by Gabriel García Marquez, the inspiration for 'Macondo' - the book's fictional setting. It's not the quickest place to get to from Cartagena, but its isolation is part of the magic. As is its positioning on the shores of the Magdalena River. There's no other place like this in Colombia.