9 Cool Things to Do in Cartagena, Bolivar, Colombia
This list of 9 cool things to do in Cartagena gives a short review of each of the things to do in Cartagena, links to more detailed reviews (where applicable), advise on accommodation in Cartagena, and information on getting to Cartagena.
There are way more than just 9 cool things to do in Cartagena, but I only spent 9 days there.
Cartagena wasn’t somewhere I wanted to spend too much time. It was more like a pit-stop on my way to Santa Marta. Actually, I could just have easily gone straight to Santa Marta from Medellín but since Cartagena is the most visited city in the country I thought I had better go see what all the fuss was about.
Even more of a reason for me to go there was because it’s my mother’s favorite city in Colombia. Also, I think we are somehow related to Rafael Nuñez who was the president of Colombia (4 times!) back in the late 1800’s. Rafael Nuñez was born in Cartagena and there are a few things dedicated to him in the city, including the airport.
9 Cool Things to do in Cartagena
1. The Walled City of Cartagena
The first thing on this list of cool things to do in Cartagena is to check out the walled city. Inside you can admire the colonial architecture, chill in one of plaza’s, eat in an overpriced restaurant, buy souvenirs off the street, check out a museum, etc.
Read more about the walled city of Cartagena here.
2. Party on a Chiva Bus
Chiva’s (colorful wooden buses) actually used to be part of the Colombian public transport system, but now they are mainly used as tourist buses around the city.
HiCartagena is one company you can book a tour through and they offer two types. One is in the afternoon and the other is for the party go-ers at night.
3. Castillo de San Felipe
Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas is a Spanish Fort which, back in the day, held off the English armada! Some think that if it wasn’t for this fort, the majority of Latin America would speak English instead of Spanish.
Nowadays it is a tourist attraction. You can walk in and around it, go into the tunnels, watch an informative short film (which I thought was pretty good), and get a pretty good view of the city.
The standard entry fee is 25,000COP and you can also hire a live or audio guide if you want. I wanted an audio guide but somehow I missed it at the ticket booth.
View from Castillo de San Felipe
4. La Popa Hill
Apparently, the the best view of Cartagena can be seen from the top of the La Popa hill. I wouldn’t know because I never went there (I felt the view from Castillo de San Felipe was good enough). This is also where the convent of La Candelaria is located.
View of La Popa Hill taken from Castillo de San Felipe
5. Go to the Beach
Number 5 on this list of cool things to do in Cartagena is an activity that some tourists spend 90% of their waking time doing while here… chilling on the beach.
There are a few beaches to choose from not far from the city center, and then a couple more (prettier ones) a short boat ride away.
Playa La Boquilla.
Read more about the beaches of Cartagena here.
6. Mercado de Bazurto
Mercado de Mazurto is a fairly big traditional market a short bus ride from the city center. Inside you can find a ton of fresh produce, clothing, and lots of other stuff.
One thing I didn’t see inside Mercado de Bazurto was other tourists. In fact, I wasn’t even comfortable to whip out my phone for a picture whilst inside – which is why my picture is from across the street.
Regardless of my apprehension, Mercado de Bazurto is one of the best market places I’ve experienced in a while. It’s definitely worth a look, just be extra careful of your belongings.
7. Palace of the Inquisition – Cartagena Historical Museum
Inside the historical center of Cartagena, next to Bolivar park, is the the infamous Palace of the Inquisition. What was once a house of torture is now a pretty good museum, mostly about the (Spanish) inquisition era in Cartagena.
Although most of the information is in Spanish, there is enough English translation to keep you interested for an hour or two, and if you can read Spanish then you could be in there a long while. Even just looking at the architecture inside the old palace is worth the time.
Entry is 19,000COP and audio guides (extra) are also available. You could also hire a live guide.
8. Jardín Botánico “Guillermo Piñeres”
Jardín Botánico “Guillermo Piñeres” was a bit of a mission to get to but it was totally worth it. It is easily my favorite thing on this list of cool things to do in Cartagena. I will even go as far as saying that it is one of the best botanical gardens I have ever been to!
It’s extremely peaceful (I think I was the only one there), very well laid out, and is teeming with wildlife. I saw a massive range of birds, lizards (from very small to really big), monkeys, and more.
Read more about Jardín Botánico “Guillermo Piñeres” here.
9. Espiritu Del Manglar Park
The last thing on this list of cool things to do in Cartagena is to check out Espiritu Del Maglar Park. I initially didn’t expect much from this place but it was really quite good. Kind of like a mini version of the botanical garden, but much closer (walking distance from town) and free.
I ended up spending more than an hour in there looking at the statues of famous “Cartagenians”, trying to photograph monitor lizards, and just soaking up the wetlands scenery in general.
Lago Del Caribo from inside Espiritu Del Manglar Park.
Getting to Cartagena
Cartagena is the most visited city in Colombia and it has an international airport so you can fly in from almost anywhere (indirectly).
To get from the airport into town you can catch a taxi or even an Uber. It’s best to use the taxi voucher stand (in the baggage are) to avoid being overcharged by the touts out the front.
You could also use a colectivo (shared taxi) from the front of the airport which will take you to the city for 2,000COP. This same system of shared taxi’s works throughout the city. They generally travel along fixed routes to/from areas outside of town for 2,000COP and can be signaled by showing your index finger.
On my way out of Cartagena I took a bus to Santa Marta from the Terminal De Transportes. I took an Uber to get there from my accommodation and it took 40 minutes or so. It would have been cheaper to use the tapsi app or just haggle with a taxi on the street. I paid 25,000cop and I probably could have got it for 20,000 or even 15,000. Catching a bus is another option, which would only be 2,000cop but would probably take twice as long.
Once at the terminal de transportes I walked straight past the touts (recommended) and bought ticket from Brasilia. There’s a few companies that will go to Santa Marta. My experience with Brasilia (Expresobrasilia.com) was excellent. It cost 30,000cop and took 4 hours including one 15 minute break in Barranquilla. The seating was comfortable (I fell asleep for a while), there was a toilet on board, and they played movies.
If coming/going to Panama you could travel by boat.
There are also numourous companies offering cheap holiday packages to Cartagena and Colombia as a whole.
Accommodation in Cartagena
Whilst doing all these cool things to do in Cartagena I stayed at Apartamentos Vistas del Caribe.
Originally I booked a small apartment of a different name, but owned by the same people. They picked me up from the airport (15,000 COP, although I paid 20,000 COP and received no change) but when I got to the apartment I discovered there was no internet, despite what was in the online description. After explaining (in terrible Spanish) that I needed internet for work I was moved to a different apartment which was both better and worse at the same time.
Worse because I no longer had a place to cook, it was further from town (although still in walking distance and with lots of public transport), and in a neighborhood that I wouldn’t walk around in after 9pm. Better because it had excellent wifi, a small desk to work at, and it was on the roof which meant it was super private and had a nice view.
I paid the same price as I would have for the other apartment. I should have demanded a discount but the people were so nice that it didn’t cross my mind until after I had given up my cash. Actually, I looked up the place afterwards and it turned out to be the same cost anyway.
Cost: 480,000 for 9 nights.
Book your stay at the Apartamentos Vistas del Caribe or some other accommodation in Cartagena.
Here’s a video slideshow of all the pictures taken in Cartagena.
Pin This List of 9 Cool Things to do in Cartagena for Later!
Got anything to add to this list of cool things to do in Cartagena? Let us know them (or anything else you want to say) in the comments
