It is hot in Cartagena! Each day was about 90 degrees. We had been traveling for nearly 2 months in Central America before arriving in Cartagena, Colombia and thought we knew what hot and steamy was. We were wrong! It is next level hot and humid in this town. Good thing that it’s also beautiful! Armed with plenty of water and sunscreen, we ventured out to explore. We enjoyed walking up and down the colorful streets, especially in the late afternoon when it cooled down outside. One of our favorite activities was trying the delicious street food offered throughout the old town. The empanadas and papas rellenas from the lady near the Parque Fernandez de Madrid were our absolute favorite! If you have never had papas rellenas before, they are deep fried balls of mashed potatoes filled with chicken, beef, or egg. Amazing!! We kept trying them throughout Colombia, but the ones in Cartagena were the best. Please look for this lady if find yourself in Cartagena. We didn’t get her name, but her stand was just south of the park on Carrera 8.
We did manage to do a couple other activities that didn’t revolve around eating. We explored the neighborhood just south of the walled city, Getsemani. This is a beautiful, old neighborhood with far fewer tourists than the walled city. There is amazing street art on many of the buildings and some cool bars and cafes. We wished we would have stayed here. We also did a booze/sunset cruise in the bay. It was 43,000 COP for a 2 hour cruise with unlimited cocktails and a beautiful sunset. This is a really good deal in a town where drinks are not cheap.
How We Got Here
We flew into Cartagena from Costa Rica. We took a taxi into town from the airport for 14,000 COP.
Where We Stayed
We stayed inside the walled city in an AirBnb for 116,000 COP a night. After we booked, we realized this was WAY over our budget equating to about $40 USD/night. We would recommend you stay in the Getsemani district, just south of here. There is a cute little square called Plaza de la Santísima Trinidad which the locals turn into a little market.
You can’t miss the square, look for this statue right in front of La Iglesia de la Santísima Trinidad.
Cartagena was hot and humid, but definitely a city in Colombia that should be on your radar. You can purchase your mochila bag woven by the women of the Wayuu tribe. When you are there, you see EVERYONE has one. They can be purchased for about 40,000 COP, but I opted for a canvas one for 10,000 COP, which I felt was a score.
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