There is no containing Cartagena’s vibrancy and exuberance.
If you watched the Netflix series “Narcos,” which tells a tale of Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, you might be wary of traveling to Colombia. Don’t be—I found no overt trace of past decades’ dark underbelly during my travels to Cartagena with family. In its stead, a bright and colorful port city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast embraced us with incredible energy and cultural and culinary experiences. Cartagena is the fifth-largest city in Colombia with around 900,000 residents and is broken up into two main areas for travelers. Boca Grande is mini-Miami with its beaches and skyrises; Old Town is an area decorated with charming colonial buildings, 16th-century plazas, churches and cobblestone streets, surrounded by Las Murallas, thick walls built in the 1600s to protect against invading enemies. The following is a sampling of my recommended pursuits within the latter.
Stay:
The Airbnb choices in Cartagena are too good to pass up, especially when traveling in a group. We stayed at Casa El Carretero, a unique three-story Spanish-colonial townhome with a rooftop lounge and plunge pool, open-air center, air-conditioned bedrooms and a 24/7 staff who cooked a mean breakfast and provided security (even if we didn’t need it, it felt good to know someone was looking out). Located within the Getsemani neighborhood, it was within walking distance from the tourist hub of Old Town called El Centro with lots of shops, restaurants and bars, yet it provided glimpses of local life, such as Cartagenians hanging out every night in the squares and boom boxes bellowing Latin music out of neighbors’ open front doors.
Casa El Carretero; airbnb.com Starting at $412 per night
See:
Hire a tour guide with transportation for a half- or full-day tour early on in your trip to get the lay of the land and learn about the city’s rich history. Make sure to go through your house manager as I did, a tour company or hotel concierge to ensure a legit experience. A must-visit: Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, a monstrous fort overlooking the whole city with a complex tunnel system (traversing this is not for the claustrophobic!) that the Spanish settlers used to defeat British invaders.
Eat:
After a walk along the wall in the San Diego neighborhood, drop into La Cevicheria for an icy cold glass of white wine and a heaping bowl of fresh ceviche. The popular spot might have a wait, but it’s worth it. For dinner, don’t miss the reservation-only La Vitrola in El Centro, a white-tablecloth, oldschool Cuban restaurant known for its celebrity and political clientele. The live Cuban band sets the mood and might have you shaking your shoulders while you eat your grilled langostinos (similar to a lobster).
Tip:
The locals get gussied up at night, so reserve the flip-flops and shorts for daytime exploits only. La Cevicheria lacevicheriacartagena.com La Vitrola (+57) 5 660 07 11
Dance:
Salsa is just as hot as the air here. Even if you don’t know the steps, it’s fun to give it a try or watch the locals move and groove at places such as the gritty Café Havana nightclub in Getsemani and the chic Sofitel Legend Hotel Santa Clara’s El Coro Lounge Bar in San Diego.
Café Havana nightclub
cafehavanacartagena.com
El Coro Lounge Bar
sofitel-legend.com/columbia/santaclara/en
STORY & PHOTOS: Karina Antenucci
