My Favorite City: Cartagena Travel Experience

Of all places I’ve been in Colombia, Cartagena was my favorite.  I got my first taste of Cartagena for 4 nights on my first trip.  On my second trip to Colombia where I spent most of my time in Taganga and Santa Marta, I needed to have another taste of Cartagena and stayed for two nights.

My first time there, I stayed in Bocagrande, the waterfront neighborhood lined with hotels and restaurants.  The second time, I stayed in my favorite neighborhood en todo Latin America, and that was Getsemani.  However, Cartagena is amazing, and both neighborhoods are good with their positives and negatives.

Starting with Bocagrande, you are on the ocean, so that’s a plus.  The hotels are bigger and more luxurious and there are plenty of restaurants on the other side of the street.  Bocagrande is a less glamorous South Beach located in Colombia.  The people who stay in Bocagrande are usually Colombian tourists.  Very few people speak English in Bocagrande and the nightlife pales in comparison to Getsemani or the walled city.  But if your main goal is to relax on the beach, head out on excursions of the surrounding islands or areas with a quick visit to the walled city then Bocagrande might be for you.  The hotel staff were friendly (but spoke very little English) and the beach was nice.  There was nothing spectacular about the beach, but it was nice.  And on the beach, service for drinks and food was good, and other things are available: from massages to homemade juices, snacks, replica jerseys, etc.  In Cartagena they will sell you anything.  If you visit Bocagrande, you will likely find a mass of inflatable swimming pools occupying the road adjacent to or on the beach… the mass will be a person draped with inflatables for sale.  The people of Cartagena can be pushy, but they are reasonable, friendly and fun.  The beach staff were great to talk to (even with my limited Spanish on my first trip to Colombia).

One excursion we did was a trip to the Rosario Islands and Playa Blanca beach.  We were picked up from Boca Grande in the blistering heat and ushered from hotel to hotel as we picked up more guests.  The heat was getting to me, and the salespeople who would swarm the bus didn’t help.  Did I mention I had a wicked headache and was nursing a horrible hangover from a party that started in Bocagrande, went to the walled city and ended in Getsemani the night before.  The tour was great, despite my massive headache.  We went snorkeling on a coral reef, where I almost got lost and couldn’t find my boat amid the mass of other boats, and enjoyed views and stops at some of the small islands.  Despite the crowds of people, the snorkeling was great, the water was crystal clear and I saw tons of fish.  We were then served fresh lobster which was delivered via boat to us in the middle of the Caribbean.  It was the best lobster I have ever tasted.  We then went to Playa Blanca, which had beautiful white sand and crystal clear blue water.  The only problem was it was packed.  But the water was nice and we were provided with a fresh seafood lunch on the island too.

We also went on a party bus tour from Bocagrande where we were taken to a few bars in the walled city and taken for some views of the walls and the fort.  It was a cool experience for my first time in Cartagena and there was lots of drinking, dancing, chanting and shouting on and off the bus.

Bocagrande is your place for the beach, nice hotels and a starting point to off land excursions; but the vibe in Getsemani is on a whole other level.  That is where I stayed my second time in Cartagena and where I spent the majority of my time, asides from drinking an 8 pack which we purchased at a very cheap price from a store, with a random local on the walls of the walled city.  And the best part about this area is that Getsemani and the walled city are right next to each other.  Marvel at the colonial architecture, cobblestone and flower lined streets and watch the sunset and then walk over to Getsemani to enjoy the vibrant nightlife in the street.

The walled city is beautiful and I did take a tour learning some of the history of it.  There is also Castile San Felipe de Barajas a massive castle with tremendous views of the city.  I did an audio tour where you get a headset and walk around; it was worth the money because the history of the fort and the city is colourful and interesting.

But back to Getsemani, the colourful, vibrant neighborhood, famous for its plazas, authenticity, street vendors and Plaza de la Trinidad.  Getsemani is a place where everyone is welcome.  While frequenting the neighborhood you will be one with other tourists, locals, artists, immigrants and refugees from Venezuela.  There are lots of cafes, restaurants and a few night clubs.  But the main thing you will notice are the street vendors, selling fresh juices and fruits by day, and beers and street food by night.  The food is amazing, try a kebab or a stuffed arepa or even a Colombian hotdog.  There are also a number of budget accommodations where you can stay and immerse yourself into the local culture.  At night you will find people drinking in the street, watching local street performers such as dancers and Michael Jackson look a likes.  The neighborhood is cheap, charming and fun.  As I write this I am reminiscing and wishing I was back there.  My favorite thing to do was to grab a drink from a small bar near Plaza de la Trinidad, take a seat on the terrace and after the drink was finished take to the streets.  In the streets you will be immersed with a cocktail of local culture and tourists combined.   You can then grab some street food, or cheap  beers from the locals selling them from their coolers, chat with locals, listen to the local artists stories and maybe buy some arts/crafts, have a beer and sit in the plaza to people watch and enjoy the street performers.

Now when I was in Colombia, I heard a few horror stories of robberies, mostly in dark secluded streets, but nonetheless they apparently happened.  I never felt any danger, and frequented a number of dimly lit streets.  The only trouble I got into, was self-inflicted, and nothing I couldn’t handle.  But I will say, the cops in Cartagena are young and corrupt.  On our first stay in Cartagena, on the way back from Getsemani and the walled city, our taxi was pulled over by police and they searched me.  They did not search my Mexican friend, Fabio.  I also had another encounter with police the second time when I was travelling solo, but both times nothing happened and I walked away unscathed and free!  And the locals were amazing, they were all friendly, welcoming and warm.  The only person who ever tried to rob/rip me off, was a very attractive women who I knew was out of my league.  She approached me and I knew something was up so brushed her away, in the process she tried to pick pocket me.  Luckily, I had my wits about me and sent her running away from me.  When I told the locals, they were all mad and extremely apologetic that she tried to pick pocket me.

Cartagena isn’t without it’s faults, but the beauty and real authenticity of Cartagena and its people are what make it a must go to when travelling the world.  Getsemani is amazing, the walled city is beautiful and Bocagrande is a nice beach spot.  Cartagena has it all, and that is why it is my favorite city in the world, and I would recommend it to anyone who has an open mind.