Everyone needs a little Colombian in their life:-)

• Cartagena is the city with the most touristic traffic in Colombia. It is hard to tell when is low season. Every year, thousands of travelers walk the fascinating streets of this charming city.
• We’ve visited Cartagena in December 2017 and here is the list of travel tips for you.

The best area where to stay 

• Walled City: while it is truth the historic center is the most charming, it’s also the less flexible for your pocket.
• Getsemani: this is an ideal area for travelers, who want to be near the historic center on a budget. You find here many hostels. The nightlife also offers a bunch of bars and restaurants, as well as the Plaza de la Trinidad, where tourists and locals gather together for pleasure and entertainment. This is the best option for price and location.
• Bocagrande and El Laguito: these are modern tourist areas. Both neighborhoods offer well established hotel chains as Hilton, Dann and Holiday Inn, as well as apartment rentals.
• Our tip: we’ve stayed in San Lazaro Art Lifestyle Hotel. There’s an outdoor pool, restaurant, free wi-fi, breakfast, good restaurant, 24-hour reception, terrace with a view of San Felipe de Barajas Castle and nice rooms. Hop on hop off bus stop is just across the street. Bocagrande Beach is within 10 minutes’ drive. The hotel is 1 km from Cartagena’s Walls and 1.2 km from Bolivar Park. Rafael Nuñez International Airport is 5 km away. The price was around 70 Eur/2 persons/1 night with breakfast.

Weather 

• In Cartagena, there are two types of weather, hot and very hot:-)
• During the whole year, temperature in Cartagena average goes between 25 and 32 degrees (77 to 88 Fahrenheit) and 80% humidity.
• It is hot and dry from December to April.
• From May to November, there is raining season, being October the rainiest month.
• Drink lots of water and protect yourself from the sun!

Beaches

• Beaches are located in Bocagrande, Laguito and Playa Blanca.
• You find different prices from each vendor and never accept nothing for free.
• You should always agree on price before taking or accepting any product or service.
• Beaches in Cartagena, however, are not the most beautiful and are crowded with local people and tourists.

Bargaining

• Colombia is the country of bargain. And Cartagena is not the exception. It’s a tourist city, so everything is about your attitude and ability to negotiate.
• You should always ask for the price before you make a purchase. If you think, that the price is high, try to put it down.
• Keep in mind the rule of asking the price before taking taxi.

Public transport and taxi

• We used UBER whole the time without any problems. The price is around 3 – 6 Eur one way, it depends on distance.
• You can use also Hop on Hop off bus, it is an ideal transport around the city:-) The price is around 20 Eur/1 person/48 hours ticket.

Vaccination

• You don’t need a vaccination when you travel to Cartagena. 

Do you have any questions? Don’t hesitate to contact us for more informations or itinerary of your travel. See also why we fell in love with Cartagena, Colombia.