Captivating Cartagena

This city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast is often experienced merely as a cruise port or a quick weekend destination. This is why it deserves a longer visit.

I recently spent a week in and around Cartagena, Colombia. Those who’ve heard about my trip have replied pretty similarly: “A week?” they say. “I spent two days there, once, and that was enough.”

But my weeklong trip turned out to be the perfect amount of time to experience the city.

“There’s nothing to do!” is the common refrain.

The people who claim that aren’t wrong. And that’s kind of the point.

This isn’t the sort of place that’s best experienced by dropping in for a couple of days, spending an action-packed time hitting museums and other sites, and then flying back home, or elsewhere in the country, exhausted.

The city’s extreme heat and humidity force you to melt into a daytime languidity. And over the course of several days there, you fall into a rhythm: Explore a neighborhood early in the morning, appreciating the vividly colored homes with their intricate doorways and flower-bedecked balconies, before other tourists are out and about and before the sun boils the air, then chill by (and in) your hotel’s pool until it’s time to venture out to catch a spectacular sunset. Do some shopping, perhaps, after that, then head to dinner (Colombians typically eat late, around 9pm) and take a post-dinner stroll to see how the city comes alive in the nighttime. Kind of an extreme siesta-based schedule, if you will.

It makes for the perfect compulsory-relaxation vacation.

Why Go?

Until recent years, this historic port city was largely a backpacker haven, but with the addition of high-end restaurants, cocktail bars, and luxurious boutique hotels, Cartagena has come into its own as a sophisticated travel destination.

But don’t worry: It has retained the intimately scaled historic architecture, the vibrant colors, the omnipresent ever-blooming flowers, the lively nightlife, and the laid-back vibe that drew travelers in the first place. Cartagena’s Old City, surrounded by stone walls installed by Spanish colonial forces in the 16th century, is a UNESCO Heritage Site.

It's a stylish city full of beautiful, well-dressed people. Pack your best linens and breezy vacation frocks, or plan on picking some up while there. Stores with offerings from local designers abound.

Perhaps most relevant to the people likely reading this, the city is home to Alquímico, the cocktail bar that was recently named the best bar in the world at the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards.

What to Know?

I had read various sources calling the city one big tourist trap and about an equal number claiming it’s dangerous (“You’ll definitely be kidnapped,” my partner’s boss warned him). I can see where both sides might get their viewpoints, but I agree with neither.

I never felt unsafe, but I had brushed up on basic safety tips before my trip (see below) and stuck to them as much as it’s practical to do.

And, sure, there are maybe about three streets that are packed full of American fast-food chains and touts looking to sell various tours and whatnot. But you don’t have to spend any time there. And everywhere else in the walled Old City and Getsemani is the charming, real Cartagena, with Spanish colonial architecture and vibrant colors and year-round flower blossoms.

This is what to know before planning your trip.

• Cartagena is a year-round destination. The temperature doesn’t vary much during the year: It will always be hotter than you expect, and much more humid—think New Orleans at the height of summer, and then add a few degrees and a bit more humidity. The dry season stretches from December until April or so. I went during the rainy season and didn’t encounter much rain at all, just a couple of brief, pleasant sprinkles, which I deemed a more-than-fair tradeoff for being able to escape the crowds that descend upon the city during the winter.

• The two main tourist areas are within a few minutes’ walk of each other: the walled Old City and Getsemani, an artsy, hip neighborhood now gentrifying that I’d liken to Bushwick, Brooklyn, in the late aughts. Remain within those areas (you won’t really have a reason to go elsewhere, anyway) and the biggest problem you’re likely to encounter is pickpocketing.

• It’s a very walkable city. You can get nearly anywhere you want to go within the Old City and/or Getsemani by foot. You just won’t want to walk anywhere during the hottest hours of the day. Save your explorations for early in the morning (say, 7-9) or the evening, after sunset.

• That said, if you do need a ride, hire an Uber or have your hotel/restaurant call a taxi for you. Don’t hail one yourself on the street.

• Pickpocketing is a concern in the main tourist areas, despite their large police presence, and I’ve heard of people having their phones ripped straight from their hands on the street, or even being robbed at knifepoint. Keep your phone (and your money) tucked away (and not in your back pocket or other easily accessible areas) while on the street; if you need to look at a map app, duck into a café or store to do so.

• Read up on other basic safety tips (plenty of online blogs have useful lists), and keep your big-city wits about you (don’t go ducking down deserted alleyways, or do anything else you wouldn’t do in New York City). That said, you’re likely to have a much better experience in the city than many online sources warn.

• Cartagena isn’t really a beach destination. Which is surprising for a city located right on the Caribbean coast. Beaches exist on either side of the Old City, in the neighborhoods of Bocagrande (basically Cartagena’s answer to Miami’s South Beach) and Marbella (which you’ll drive past on your way from the airport), but they aren’t particularly beautiful, and you’re likely to be pestered by touts. If you’re looking to spend some time on a beach, go instead to the Rosario Islands or Barú (see below); ask your hotel to arrange for a boat tour, either shared or (as a splurge) private.

• You’ll want to brush up on your Spanish before you go. At the city’s higher-end hotels, restaurants, and bars, many people will speak enough English for essential communication, but not as much as you’d hope, and you shouldn’t expect to find English speakers at stores, sights, or any less-touristed places. Your best bet, and the most polite way to go, is to practice essential Spanish phrases and keep a translation app at the ready.

How to Go

If you have a week to spend in the city, this is how I would suggest structuring your trip. It’s essentially how I did mine, and I found it ideal.

If you’re coming from NYC, JetBlue has a direct flight that gets in at 2pm if all goes well. Plan to spend the next couple of hours in the customs queue.

Spend your first night in the Getsemani neighborhood, ideally at Hotel Capellan de Getsemani. After checking in, take some time to explore the neighborhood, including the Parque Centenario across the street, home to sloths and monkeys. Have dinner at Celele, just two blocks from the hotel (you’ll need to reserve far in advance), then take to the vibrant streets around Plaza de la Trinidad to enjoy the neighborhood’s nightlife.

Rise early the next morning to wander the same streets in the quiet dawn, admiring the graffiti murals and the wooden doorways with their intricate, fanciful knockers. You could take an Uber to the nearby Castillo San Felipe de Barajas to explore the 16th century fortress and its tunnels, or simply relax and enjoy a massage at the hotel’s rooftop spa.

And then it’s time for the speedboat ride to Hotel Las Islas, on Barú. I’d suggest spending two nights there, with your days as activity-packed or relaxed as you like; the tropical-jungle setting makes for fascinating surroundings no matter what you opt to do. You might take a tour to Colombia’s National Aviary, located a bit up the peninsula, though no one would blame you for instead lounging on your cabin’s deck and letting the local birds come to you. At night, stargaze through the resort’s telescope if it’s clear, or take a boat to a bioluminescent bay.

Return to Cartagena via speedboat, and check into Casa San Agustín for four nights. This is where you’ll fall into the relaxed rhythm I described above: Exploring the walled city in the early morning hours, then having a leisurely breakfast feast before relaxing by the hotel’s exquisite pool until it’s time for sunset, dinner, and drinks. Repeat daily.

This will allow time not only to decompress from your usual real-world routine, but also to sample several of the city’s excellent restaurants, to explore each of its flower-strewn streets, and to truly relax into its rhythms.

The Details

To Stay:

Accommodation prices tend to be surprisingly high in the city. That said, you should book yourself into the nicest hotel you can afford, since you’re likely to spend your daytimes in and around the pool to escape the midday heat.

Hotel Casa San Agustín: Generally considered the city’s finest boutique hotel, this magnificently elegant and well-run property in the center of the walled Old City was made from combining three former mansions, with an L-shaped pool set around a centuries-old aqueduct. Rooms retain many details (beamed ceilings, decorative wooden accents) combined with vast modern marble bathrooms. Don’t miss the breakfasts, named best in the world by Conde Nast Traveler editors a few years back. Bonus: It’s a quick two-block walk from Alquímico.

Casa Pestagua: The sister property to San Agustín received a complete renovation last year and is now a haven of chic serenity. It’s half the size of its sibling (at 16 rooms to San Agustín’s 31) and, while just a few blocks away, has a much quieter location and vibe.

Sofitel Legend Santa Clara: Regarded as the city’s top luxury property, this 125-room hotel in the Old City is set in a former 17th century convent (with a couple of more modern 19th century wings), somehow simultaneously grand and intimate. Some rooms have sea views. (Note: There’s also a brand-new Sofitel property on Barú that gets excellent reviews, but it’s merely a built-up resort on the beach, no different from any large resort on any beach anywhere in the world. For a better Barú experience, see below.)

Hotel Capellan de Getsemani: In the hip neighborhood of Getsemani and kitty-corner to a park that’s home to sloths, monkeys, and various interesting birds, this 30-room property has two small ground-level courtyards and a huge bi-level rooftop with a plunge pool, spa, bar, and an array of seating areas in the sun and shade. It’s not nearly as glam as the San Agustín, but it’s a good deal cheaper, and its rooms are still lovely and filled with period details.

Hotel Las Islas: Far out on Barú and best reached by a 50-minute speedboat ride, the 53 well-spaced casitas of this eco-resort are set either waterfront (many with private plunge pools) or high up in the treetops and reached via several flights of stairs, where you’ll still find marble floors and working air-conditioning. To get around the sprawling property, you can stroll the paths through the tropical jungle, be ferried about by cheerful employees driving golf carts, or make use of the pair of bicycles assigned to each casita. Excursions include boat rides through the mangroves and nighttime tours to a quiet bioluminescent bay. Wildlife abounds, whether you want it to (birds, mammals) or not (insects of all sorts, the occasional large snake).

To Eat:

Seafood and bright flavors predominate, and reservations are recommended everywhere, even in the low season. Enjoy your hotel’s breakfast (most hotels include it in the nightly rates, and at the better hotels it’s truly a feast). Grab some gelato, a popular treat, for an afternoon snack, and wash it down with a refreshing coco limonada. You’ll probably encounter a spherical, smooth orange fruit with a stem: that’s a granadilla, a variety of passionfruit that has all of the flavor yet none of the acidity. I found them to be as ubiquitous as apples. Eat as many of them as you possibly can.

Celele: Currently holding the number-16 spot on the 50 Best Latin America list, this chic yet casual restaurant highlights its country’s unique ingredients in dishes meant to share. Don’t miss the salad of edible flowers nestled among cashews and cashew-nut butter. Reservations essential.

Carmen: Seven- or nine-course tasting menus are options here, while going a la carte offers items like langoustines from the nearby Rosario Islands and an interesting variation on seafood cazuela, the town’s unofficial dish. The wine list is long, but don’t skip the cocktails, which I found to be among the best in town besides Alquímico.  

Mar y Zielo: The intimate rooftop patio (zielo) is the way to go here. The constantly changing menu focuses on local ingredients with, as its name implies, a seafood bent.

Alma: You’ll want to dress up a touch for this elegant restaurant in the Casa San Agustín hotel that has a slightly more internationally inspired menu than the others and often has live music in the evenings.

To Drink:

For cocktails at a high level, Alquímico (recently awarded the title of World’s Best Bar) is really the only game in town. (I tried other bars and was infuriatingly disappointed with them.) That said, it’s a place you won’t mind returning to again and again: It has three floors, each with an entirely different drink menu, so even after multiple visits you won’t feel bored with repetition.

But you can also expect to find decent cocktails at many of the restaurants above. I loved the Onésimo Andino (viche, pisco, aguardiente, pineapple, gooseberry oleo, ginger) at Carmen—brilliantly bright and tart—and the Paz (mezcal, coca leaf amaro, lulo, orange soda) at Mar y Zielo, recognized by the Tales folks in recent years for excellence as a restaurant bar.

To Do:

As little as possible, ideally.

Book yourself into the nicest hotel you can afford, definitely one with a pool. And then go out early in the morning (think, like, 7am) to wander around Getsemani or the Old City and admire the neighborhoods’ beauty. And then have breakfast and spend the rest of the day in or near the pool, emerging only for dinner and drinks.

That said, if you skip the National Aviary you’ve done yourself a disservice. It’ll require booking a car and driver through your hotel or joining a tour; I suggest you don’t try to drive on your own. You might also wish to check out the 16th century San Felipe de Barajas fortress if you’re a history buff.

Oh, and shopping. If you’re a fan of linen, you’re in luck: The city’s local designers do magical things with the fabric. I loved Vicky Tscherassi and Biancamar; Vicky’s cousin Silvia’s designs are carried at Bergdorf and Saks as well as her own Colombian boutiques. For men, Martin Pescador and Soloio Arzobispado have fun and whimsical designs. La Serrezuela is essentially an old bullfighting ring-turned-shopping mall in the eastern end of the Old Town, with shops from upscale local designers and international brands. For non-wearable souvenirs, check out Evok, which carries chocolates made in Colombia incorporating local fruits and other flavorings.

Bonus:

Work a couple of extra days into your trip to travel to Barú—putatively an island, but in reality a peninsula—to experience its beaches, much nicer than those around Cartagena’s Old City, and its lush tropical environment. It’s ideal if you can stay at Hotel Las Islas (see above), which has a small private beach at the edge of its tropical setting, but at the very least, take a daytrip. Skip the famous-but-sometimes-packed Playa Blanca; Casa San Agustín and Casa Pestagua have a small private beach on Barú that you can arrange to visit for the day.