Cartagena, Colombia

Cartagena, Colombia, is a fun and easy trip, with direct flights of approximately three hours from Miami, Florida. It's a coastal city with a warm Caribbean climate, and much of the local cuisine reflects the region's Caribbean influences.

The city offers plenty of history, culture, and delicious food. It's also right on the water, so you can enjoy an evening sunset cruise or visit nearby beaches in addition to exploring the historic neighborhoods.

We didn't find Cartagena's city beaches particularly impressive, but nearby islands offer more of the beautiful Caribbean beach experience many travelers are looking for.

In addition to the historic walled city, we really enjoyed the Getsemaní neighborhood just beyond the city walls. It had a more local atmosphere, lower prices, and was popular with backpackers because of its many hostels.

Since we've visited many incredible beaches over the years and were heading to Aruba right after Cartagena, we decided to skip the beaches and spend most of our time exploring the historic walled city and surrounding neighborhoods.

We found prices in Cartagena very reasonable. If you stick with street food and beers, you can have an extremely budget-friendly trip. Even sit-down restaurants were generally more affordable than comparable venues in the United States.

Some of our favorite local foods included arepas con queso (grilled or fried corn cakes with cheese), cocadas (sweet coconut treats), and fresh seafood.

All prices listed below are in U.S. dollars and reflect what we paid during our visit. Prices may have changed since then. Our restaurant bills generally included an 8% tax and a 10% gratuity.

Where to Stay and Transportation

Alfiz Hotel

Although hotels are generally a bit less expensive outside the walled city, we appreciated the convenience of staying inside the historic center. Most of the action was right outside our door, with plenty of restaurants and shops just steps away.

We stayed at Alfiz Hotel and would definitely recommend it.

This small boutique hotel was located inside the walled city, approximately a 20-minute drive from the airport. It was quiet and charming, with a small sitting area, a garden, and two floors of loft-style rooms.

Each morning, the hotel served a full breakfast in the garden courtyard, including fruit, eggs, arepas, and other options.

The location was excellent, and we were able to walk everywhere we wanted to go. The staff was professional and courteous, and the hotel was very clean.

Our room included airport pickup, and the taxi back to the airport cost approximately $7.

Our hotel cost: Four nights for $923, including breakfast and taxes, or approximately $230 per night.

Top Experiences

Free Walking Tour with Beyond Colombia

We took a three-hour walking tour with Beyond Colombia that covered both the historic walled city and the adjacent Getsemaní neighborhood.

It was a great introduction to Cartagena's culture, history, food, and streets.

These tours are free to book, but guides rely on tips. We found comparable paid walking tours that cost more than what we tipped.

Our cost: $23 total in tips for two people.

Sunset Catamaran Cruise with Bona Vida Catamaranes

Cartagena's weather can be unpredictable, so we weren't sure which evening would have clear skies for a sunset cruise. We decided to wait and booked our cruise on the day we wanted to go, once we felt confident there wouldn't be clouds or rain.

We had a wonderful time on this two-hour cruise aboard a large, clean catamaran. There was music, a fun atmosphere, plenty of seating, and affordable drinks.

• Two-hour catamaran cruise: $45 for two people.
• Two beers: $3.63.
• Two glasses of wine: $6.87.

Gold Museum (Museo del Oro Zenú)

The Museo del Oro Zenú is a small museum located near Plaza de Bolívar.

It doesn't take long to explore, but it's worth a quick visit to learn about the region's Indigenous history, goldworking traditions, and cultural heritage.

Admission during our visit: Free.

Emerald Museum at Caribe Jewelry

You'll notice plenty of places throughout Cartagena's walled city advertising themselves as emerald museums. Many are primarily jewelry stores hoping to attract customers.

The Emerald Museum associated with Caribe Jewelry was similar, but it also had an interesting exhibit about how emeralds were discovered, mined, and traded in Colombia.

It's located near the Gold Museum, is relatively small, and makes for a quick visit.

Admission during our visit: Free.

Coffee at Café San Alberto

Café San Alberto was one of our favorite coffee stops in Cartagena.

Located right on Plaza de Santo Domingo, it's a wonderful spot for people watching or taking a break between shopping and exploring the walled city.

We appreciated the excellent service and how knowledgeable the staff and baristas were about the different coffees and brewing methods.

San Alberto is a Colombian coffee producer with its own plantation, which made it especially interesting to learn about the brand and its coffee.

Some cold coffee options were prepared using filters right at the table. They also sold coffee beans and ground coffee, making it a great place to pick up a souvenir.

Our cost: One iced coffee and one latte for $6.50 total, including tip.

Relax at Sofitel Santa Clara

If you're looking for a break from the hot sun, walking, or shopping, the garden at Sofitel Santa Clara is a beautiful and quiet place to relax.

We stopped for drinks and enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere. Prices were reasonable for such a lovely setting.

Our cost: Two local beers for $8, including tip.

Rooftop Dining at Mar y Zielo

Our favorite rooftop dining experience was at Mar y Zielo, located inside the historic walled city.

The restaurant had a fantastic view of the Catedral de Santa Catalina, and we loved the atmosphere and the view of the cathedral tower.

It was a higher-end restaurant compared with many of the other places we visited, but we thought it was worth the extra cost.

Our cost: Fish of the day, duck entrée, and enyucado dessert for $53 total.

Should You Take an Island-Hopping Tour?

There are many island-hopping tours available through tour operators and online booking platforms in Cartagena.

We decided to skip these because we were heading to Aruba immediately afterward and knew we'd have plenty of beach time there.

Based on the reviews we read while planning our trip, some island tours seemed to have a party atmosphere and included stops at resorts that didn't particularly appeal to us.

That said, we also found positive reviews, and these tours might be exactly what you're looking for. We recommend researching the specific islands, operators, and itineraries before booking.

Best Foods to Try in Cartagena

Cartagena has excellent food for almost every budget, from inexpensive street snacks to upscale restaurants with beautiful views.

Fresh Sliced Mango from Street Vendors

You'll see street carts throughout Cartagena selling fresh fruit and juices.

Our favorite was the juicy, sweet, freshly sliced mango. It was the perfect snack while exploring the city in the heat.

Our cost: $2.30 for a large cup.

Cocadas at Portal de los Dulces

Our favorite local dessert was cocadas, sweet coconut treats available in several flavors.

Portal de los Dulces, located just inside the walled city, is lined with vendors selling a wide variety of traditional Colombian sweets.

We especially enjoyed the cocadas and went back for more.

Our cost: $1.15 for two large pieces.

Ceviche at La Cevichería

La Cevichería became especially well known after Anthony Bourdain visited, and it didn't disappoint.

We ordered fish and shrimp ceviche along with a fish fillet. The ceviche portion was large and delicious, and we also really enjoyed the fish fillet, which came with pesto rice.

Our cost: $47 total.

Traditional Colombian Food at Orígenes Restaurante

For some of the most unique traditional local dishes we tried, we visited Orígenes Restaurante.

We ordered Posta Negra, a traditional Colombian beef dish, and Pescado Frito Colombiano, a whole fried fish.

Posta Negra has a wonderful combination of sweet and savory flavors. Some recipes include Coca-Cola in the marinade or cooking sauce.

The whole fried fish was full of flavor, although you'll want to be careful removing the bones.

Both dishes were traditionally served with crispy plantains and coconut rice.

Our cost: $23.36 for both dishes.

Shrimp and Coconut Rice at Stefano's Bistro

Although Orígenes had more unusual traditional dishes, we thought the overall quality of the food at Stefano's Bistro was even better.

We ordered shrimp with coconut rice and filet mignon, and both were excellent.

Stefano's was conveniently located between the walled city and Getsemaní.

Our cost: $32 total.

Arepas con Queso from Street Vendors

Our favorite street food was arepas con queso, grilled corn cakes filled or topped with cheese.

They're often served with a generous amount of butter, making them surprisingly filling.

One evening, we each had an arepa and a cocada for dinner and thought it was plenty of food.

You'll find vendors selling arepas throughout the city. The stand we visited was at the corner of Calle del Colegio and Calle 34 and opened around 4:30pm during our visit.

Our cost: $1.37 per arepa.

Our Cartagena Travel Costs

Here's a quick reference of what we spent on accommodations, experiences, food, and drinks. These are our historical trip prices in U.S. dollars, not current quotes.

Accommodation and Transportation

• Alfiz Hotel: Four nights, breakfast, taxes, and airport pickup for $923.
• Taxi from hotel to airport: Approximately $7.

Tours and Attractions

• Beyond Colombia Walking Tour: $23 tip for two people.
• Bona Vida Sunset Catamaran Cruise: $45 for two people.
• Gold Museum: Free admission.
• Emerald Museum: Free admission.

Food and Drinks

• Café San Alberto: Two coffees for $6.50 including tip.
• Sofitel Santa Clara: Two local beers for $8 including tip.
• Mar y Zielo: Dinner for $53.
• Street Vendor Mango: Large cup for $2.30.
• Portal de los Dulces: Two cocadas for $1.15.
• La Cevichería: Ceviche and fish fillet for $47.
• Orígenes Restaurante: Posta Negra and whole fried fish for $23.36.
• Stefano's Bistro: Shrimp with coconut rice and filet mignon for $32.
• Street Vendor Arepas con Queso: $1.37 each.
• Catamaran Drinks: Two beers for $3.63 and two wines for $6.87.

Planning Your Own Adventure?

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