Exploring The Colorful Cartagena, Colombia

There's So Much To See & Do In Cartagena!

Where To Stay

We flew into Rafael Núñez International Airport after a quick layover in Panama City, Panama.  We arrived late, nearly midnight, and took a taxi straight to our condo. 

Something fun to note, when we flew in (and out) we walked off the plane onto the tarmac and then into the airport.  Our kids loved that part of the trip.  Walking right next to the airplanes was a highlight for them.

1 - Morros City (and other hotels near Bocagrande Beach)

We stayed in Morros City, a condominium located right on Bocagrande Beach, one of the best beach areas in Cartagena.  It's also right next to great shopping and amazing restaurants and cafes.  I actually can't recommend this place enough.  They have incredibly tight security, which is a plus if you're traveling with small children. The condo is right in the heart of the city, and only a quick taxi-ride from The Walled City.  Our place was barely over $100/night on Airbnb - we stayed 7 nights for just over $800! 

Search on Airbnb's website for "Morros City, Cartagena Province, Bolivar, Colombia" to find a 1, 2, or 3 bedroom condo for your Cartagena trip!

But if you're looking for a hotel, Madisson Boutique Hotel, Hotel Capilla del Mar, Hotel Cartagena Plaza, Hotel Cartagena Dubai, and Decameron Cartagena are all along the same waterfront beach as Morros City.  A little further down is ESTELAR Cartagena de Indias Hotel & Centro de Convenciones - which is a beautiful 4-star hotel with a fabulous pool.

2 - Staying Inside The Walled City

I outlined our visit to The Walled City below, and if you're looking to stay inside the historic walls here are a few great options!

Charleston Santa Teresa Cartagena is a stunning 4-star hotel decorated in a Colonial style with a beautiful republican patio restaurant.  There's a spa and wellness center within the hotel, and a rooftop pool. 

If you're looking for a 5-star hotel then look no further than the Sophia Hotel, a boutique hotel with luxury accommodations.  There's a rooftop lounge and it's located in the historical center of The Walled City. 

Alfiz Hotel, Hotel Boutique las Carretas, Hotel Quadrifolio, Hotel Boutique Bóvedas de Santa Clara by Accor and Tcherassi Hotel + Spa all have wonderful rooms and stunning architecture.  If we were to return to Cartagena in the future, I think we would choose to stay inside The Walled City. 

While I loved being where we were, right on the beach, it would be cool to stay in a hotel in the heart of Cartagena's bustling cultural center! 

Staying inside the walls you are close to the best bars and restaurants - and within walking distance of everything you could want to do or see.  But if you're looking for a true beach vacation, then stick to my recommendations in #1!

What To See When You Visit

1 - The Walled City

Cartagena is a former Spanish colony and major port city for Colombia.  In the Colonial Era, Cartagena was a key port for the export of Bolivian silver to Spain, and because of this was a target for pirates. 

Construction of the Walled City began in 1614 and wasn't completed until 1796 - taking nearly two centuries to complete.  The walls were built in several stages, and the ultimate design was to protect the inhabitants from the constant pirate attacks. 

Today, the Walled City is home to flourishing businesses, restaurants and incredible culture.  There are several restaurants that sit on the top of the wall, giving their guests an unbelievable view of the setting sun over the Caribbean while they dine. 

Emerald museums and jewelry stores with authentic Colombian emeralds are sprinkled within the walls.  Artists selling their hand painted canvases, majestic churches and cathedrals, fresh squeezed fruit juices, and the aroma of Colombian coffee wafting from the nearby Starbucks are all part of the experience you will have when you walk through the city. 

We spent 2 days exploring the Walled City, and I truly felt as though I had seen everything there was to see by the end of the second day.  Walking the city limits isn't very difficult, however it would be pretty tough with a stroller.  We didn't bring ours with us when went, and our 3 year-old twins surprised us.  They managed to walk several miles for nearly 5 hours.  We did take breaks and had lunch, and by the end they were definitely done, but they did it!  We planned to spend 3-4 hours, but they just kept going!  They were as in awe of the colors as we were, and the ice cream and shopping for fun toys might have contributed to the energy bursts.

We stopped in the Caribe Emerald Museum and Factory and had an excellent tour of the facility.  We learned where the emeralds are mined, the cut, clarity and color of the emeralds, and how to spot a good gem.  Learning the history was fascinating, and we enjoyed our tour.  I highly recommend seeing this place if you're in the Walled City!

We took a self-guided tour of the Gold Museum (right next door to the Caribe Emerald Museum).  The museum is filled with gold artifacts and pottery of the Zenu people who once inhabited the land.  Many items are intricately made and quite old.  It's a fascinating tour and worth stopping in to see everything!  Not to mention the building is absolutely adorable, with a stunning courtyard. 

Just down the street from the Gold Museum is the Cathedral de Santa Catalina de Alejandría.  A traditional mass service was in progress while we walked by and we joined in to listen to the sermon and hear the music for a bit.  Personally, I love historic church buildings.  I could spend hours in them admiring the architecture, windows, and how the sound carries throughout the entire space.  Across the street from the cathedral there is an entire streetside filled with artwork from local artists.  We walked over and bought a piece to hang in our home. 

Directly in-between the Cathedral de Santa Catalina de Alejandría and the Gold Museum is the Plaza de la Proclamación.  There were naval officers in the Plaza square when we walked through with our family, and pigeons.  So many pigeons.  I'm not sure who was more terrorized, our kids from the pigeons or the birds from our kids.

Another church we visited is Santuario de San Pedro Claver which was built in the 16th century and has a museum attached to it.  We took photos at Baluarte de San Ignacio, which has the original cannon's pointed out toward the water.  A pirate ship sits in the harbor with the cannon's staring directly at it.  (The pirate ship is available for private tours or regular boat cruises!  We enjoyed a cruise toward the end of our trip.)

My family enjoyed dinner one evening on the wall at El Baluarte San Francisco Javier and it was fantastic.  The food was great, the ambiance couldn't have been better.  Watching the sun set while we ate, magical. 

And no trip to the Wall is complete without taking a picture of the Monumento Torre del Reloj, the clock tower.  It's easy to spot, located at Calle 24 and Avenida Venezuela.  Just outside the Walled City across the street from the clock tower is a park named Parque Del Centenario.  Inside the clock tower bridge is a large courtyard with vendors selling jewelry, clothing, gifts and souvenirs, fruit and other food.  Both places are worth spending time at!

2 - The Food

My husband reviewed restaurants and food choices before we even booked our flights.  He couldn't wait to eat the local fare.

I prefer to order seafood when we're near the ocean, because I love fish. Cartagena has, hands down, the best fish I've had, ever.  Ever!

If you love seafood, eat the fish.  My sister-in-law suggested I try the Mojarra, which ended up being my favorite dish.  Mojarra is a light fish, full of flavor.  The second night in town I ordered it, and then ordered it 2 more times and had it at the wedding.  I tried the salmon, (had to!) and it was good too, but not quite as well prepared as the Mojarra.  I tried the shrimp, amazing; and mussels, also good.  But the Mojarra was *chef's kiss* delicious. 

I mentioned we had dinner at El Baluarte San Francisco Javier and watched the sunset.  We had lunch one day at the Collage Charladero Restaurante and the server was so sweet to our kids.  The placemats at the Collage are chalkboards, and our kids had a fun lunch drawing with chalk and we relaxed for a few minutes out of the heat.

Several times we had breakfast at Ely Cafe, which is a few blocks from where we stayed.  Their latte's are fantastic and their juices are fresh squeezed.  We ordered Evie a croissant the first morning we were in town and she looked at us like she had never experienced breakfast before that day. 

Skylar and Erik split the pancakes and ate every bite and wanted more, and I ordered the granola bowl because I couldn't wait to have fresh fruit.  Every time Mikael and I travel somewhere tropical I have to eat their fresh fruit - there's nothing like having mangos and papaya and pineapple picked straight off the vine and served up fresh!

A few honorable mentions, we had breakfast at The Great Pan de Bono, dinner at San Martin Restaurante Bar (they even put a picture of our group on their google page!), and stopped for coffee a few times at Juan Valdez Café La Mansión which is a neat location with a water fountain out front. 

Our final evening in town we dined at Restaurante Candé which was incredible.  I had the fish, again.  The kids ate chicken strips, which are tastier than any chicken strip or nugget you can find in United States.  My brother and his wife made the reservations and we had a private room which was nice.  The restaurant is large.  The first floor has many dining areas with plants everywhere to create privacy for diners.  Restaurante Candé had live music playing, the kids loved it!  Upstairs they have several private dining rooms and it's much quieter. 

Near the famous Clock Tower in the Walled City is The Clock Pub Cartagena.  We had a drink here one afternoon to break up the walk for our kids.

I know I'm missing places we dined at in town, but the ones I mentioned are all worth experiencing.  If you can, don't miss El Baluarte San Francisco Javier or Restaurante Candé.  Both are fantastic.

3 - The Neighborhood Of Getsemani

My brother and his fiancé set us up with a driver during our stay in Cartagena.  His recommendation was to explore Getsemani and the surrounding neighborhood.  We spent a morning there, walking up and down the colorful streets and shopping. 

Our driver was right, it was probably our favorite part of all of Cartagena.  He said many people miss it and opt for the Walled City, which isn't far from Getsemani .  In fact, we were able to walk from Getsemani to the Walled City fairly easily.  If you have time, don't miss this one!

Our favorite street was umbrella street, Calle de Las Sombrillas.  Umbrella's lined the 'ceiling' of the entire street.  We turned the corner and walked down another street filled with flags, and yet another filled with lights and hanging plants. 

**To get to the Umbrella Street, search Calle de Las Sombrillas Cartagena and the exact street in Getsemani will pop up on Google maps.  Then simply enjoy the surrounding streets as well!

Several of the streets had incredible murals that made for great pictures.  Paintings of angel wings, butterfly wings, and similar artwork filled the walls of the streets.  Along Carrera 10b is a "I *heart* Getsemani" mural by Artes Palencia on the wall near Calle de Las Sombrillas.  Walk down Carrera 10b and you'll run straight into it, just a few blocks down from Plaza de la Trinidad. 

Before leaving Getsemani, take a minute to stop at Plaza de la Trinidad, a small urban square surrounded by colorful buildings and marked with a beautiful church called Iglesia de la Trinidad.  Iglesia de la Trinidad was completed in 1643 and was originally built because the bishop of Cartagena requested it from the Spanish monarchy.  The bishop during this time argued that the neighborhood of Getsemani had a strong population of people that lived too far from the Catholic church inside the Walled City.  The king of Spain granted permission for the church to be built after requesting a censes to be completed in 1642.  The result of the censes and the distance of Getsemani from the Catholic church in the Walled City was enough to move the king to give permission for the church to built, and the Church of the Holy Trinity still stands today.

The day we went to Getsemani, we left early in the morning and spent a few hours in the neighborhood.  Our goal was to avoid the heat of the day, but it was already over 100° by the time we arrived (9am!).  The kids began to wilt and needed a break, so we stopped to get ice cream at Gelateria Ceiba and sat in the air conditioned cafe.  Mikael and I ordered iced coffees and we took a minute to let our body temperature return to normal. 

After getting ice cream, we walked down several more streets and shopped local artwork.  We found an artist we liked and he brought us into his home and showed us painting after painting of his art.  He took us into his art studio and showed us where he paints - that was probably the highlight of the day.  Our kids had a chance to meet a local artist and see where he creates his art, and I loved having him show us unique pieces and allowing us time to pick something out. 

When you're buying a painting on the street it's easy to feel rushed to make a decision.  It was nice having time to think through what I wanted and where I would put it.

4 - Parque Del Centenario

After exploring Getsemani, we walked over to Parque Del Centenario, or Centennial Park.  Centennial Park is decently sized, filled with historic statues, fruit carts, walking trails and stunning foliage.  And just in case you might need it, there is a bathroom located in the park grounds.

The park also contains sloths (which we saw high up in the trees!), parrots, monkeys and iguanas.  We didn't end up seeing the other animals, but capturing the kids' enthusiasm when they saw the sloth was fun.

We walked down sidewalks, stopped at the bathrooms, and enjoyed the statues.  When our kids showed interest in climbing them was about the time we decided to head out... There's no need to get kicked out.

5 - The Beaches

There are a few famous beaches to enjoy in Cartagena. 

Bocagrande Beach sits on the outside edge of the peninsula toward the Caribbean.  This side of peninsula has beaches up and down the entire length of it.  Near our condo was Playas del capilla del mar, Playa De Bocagrande, Playa Hollywood, Playa Las Velas, and there is also a public beach on this side as well (a quick google search will give you the exact location of these beaches!)

We visited Bocagrande and walked along several others.  Morros City has its own private beach.

One of the best beaches in Cartagena is Playa Castillo Grande, located near the end of the peninsula.  On the other side of Cartagena, past the Walled City near the airport, is Playa Marbella.  It's on this beach that you will find Letras de Cartagena.

The Rosario Islands near Cartagena boasts turquoise waters and white sand.  We considered taking a ferry to one of the islands for the day and then decided against it.  Between the heat and the ages of our kids, we weren't sure how long they would last.

6 - Local Forts & Castles

This first one feels a little bit like cheating - because it's nearly impossible to see it without an invitation.  The Fuerte Santa Cruz de Castillogrande sits on the very edge of the Cartagena peninsula inside the heavily guarded Club Naval.  Club Naval is Cartagena's Naval Club, and most people don't have access to the fortress ruins without knowing someone in the Colombian navy.  It just so happens that my brother's fiancé has a family member in the navy, and they used Club Naval as their wedding location.

Known mainly as Fort Castillogrande, it was ordered to be constructed by royal decree in 1608 - and built by Cristóbal de Roda and Francisco de Murga between 1626 and 1636.  It was considered an integral key to the defense of the port, but in 1697 it was attacked by the French and destroyed.  Part of it was rebuilt in the 1700 and 1800's.  Now it's a private location for the Officers’ Club of the National Navy.

If you're missing out on seeing cool forts, head across town to San Felipe de Barajas Fort located in the heart of Cartagena.  This castle was built in 1536 and is located on top of the Hill of San Lázaro, which is a perfect place for a fort.  From here any enemy approaching by sea or land would be spotted.

On the Isla de Tierra Bomba sits another fort, Fuerte de San Fernando de Bocachica.  The Spanish built this fort in the 17th century to defend Colombia from incoming attacks, and it suffered heavy damage in the 18th century.  This fort requires a short boat ride in order to see it.

7 - Enjoy A Boat Cruise

There are several cruises in Cartagena that will allow you to experience the surrounding areas. 

One of the main cruise options is to sail to the Rosario Islands and spend the day.  There are many options to choose from.  Whether you are searching for an all-inclusive experience for the day, or simply wanting a ferry to bring you to the islands, Get Your Guide has it all.  Descriptions of each one, how much they cost, and the time commitment is on the website.

I said we experienced a private boat tour of Cartagena's waters aboard a pirate ship.  There are a few options to consider!  Taken straight from the website, "La Fantastica  Cartagena is the only replica pirate ship that has daily boat tours in Cartagena. We have day trips, sunset cruises, private parties, and after dark boat tours to fit every itinerary." 

We enjoyed a pirate ship tour on the Galeon Phantom, which is a sailboat in pirate ship style.  This was an unforgettable night.  It rained the evening of our private cruise, but we didn't let that stop us from hanging out on deck and watching the city lights go by. 

There is a covered dining area and private bar which we took advantage of when it down-poured.  Oh, and the dress code?  All white.

Have you been to Colombia?  Or another country in South America?  Drop a comment and let me know your favorite destination and what you loved about it!  We're always scoping out new places to visit and things to see with our family.

Happy traveling!

Jessica