CARTAGENA : 10 THINGS TO DO

10 THINGS TO DO IN CARTAGENA

1. Walk in the Centro Histórico. The architecture of the historic center of Cartagena is incredible. You will definitely fall in love with this colonial and colorful architecture. To visit the historic center, you can take a free walking tour; they usually meet at the Torre del Reloj, and you are expected to give a tip (usually around 30,000 to 40,000 COP). If you want to explore on your own, here's a list of places you should go:

• Plaza de los Coches, where the famous Torre del Reloj and the Portal de los Dulces (dulces: traditional treats) 
• Plaza de Bolívar, featuring a small park and the beautiful Catedral de Santa Catalina in front.
• Plaza Santo Domingo, with a church and the famous sculpture by Botero. Legend says you should touch it to make your wishes come true.
• Plaza Fernando de Madrid, a lively square at the end of the day and home to the only air-conditioned church, always booked for weddings.
• Plaza San Diego, a lively square with nice restaurants around it, and you'll always find a mini market where you can buy souvenirs and bracelets.
• La Serrezuela, which was originally a bullring, then a theater, and is now a luxury mall. The most incredible aspect is that they preserved the wooden architecture.
• Plaza de las Bóvedas, where the Bóvedas were military buildings used to store munitions. They also served as a prison and a liquor industry site. Nowadays, you can find souvenir and craftsmanship shops there.

2. Sunset on the city walls. Around 5 pm, you should take a walk on the city walls and watch the sunset from there. You can have a drink at the famous Café del Mar; it’s quite expensive for what it is, and the cocktails aren't great, but it's a fantastic spot. Alternatively, many street vendors can sell you a beer.

3. Discover Getsemaní. Getsemaní is the neighborhood next to the Centro Histórico. In the past, it was a lower-class neighborhood and the first to be freed during colonization. The residents are very proud of being from Getsemaní. Nowadays, it’s a colorful neighborhood full of life and street art, appreciated by backpackers because it's cheaper than the Centro Histórico. At night, the main square is full of people; you can buy a beer at the little shops around, eat from the many food trucks, and watch the street performances. Let me share a few streets you need to see, perfect for your Instagram photos: Calle 29, Calle 27, Calle 28, Calle de San Juan, Carrera 10. Our favorite restaurant is in Getsemaní; it’s called Blue Lagoon, and they make the best ceviche at the best price – highly recommended! Another nice place to have a beer and watch the sunset is Isabel's food truck.

4. Go to the Mercado Bazurto. The Bazurto Market is located in the south of the city. You can go on your own or with a tour. If you go by yourself, take a taxi, wear simple clothes, no jewelry… the more discreet you are, the better. This market is huge; you can find vegetables, fruit, meat, fish… and you can eat there cheaply. It’s the real Cartagena!

5. Try the street food. You will find many street food vendors in the streets. You absolutely need to try: arepa de huevo (the most typical), patacón (fried plantain), green mango with salt and lemon (our favorite), fresh coconut, carimañola (fried yuca), grilled arepa con queso (which is quite rich)…

6. Go to an island. The famous day tour in Cartagena involves going to an island. Here are the three types of islands you can visit:

• Isla Barú: Barú is a public beach with white sand and turquoise water. However, being a public beach, it has many vendors and noise… it’s not super calm, but it’s cheap. Be careful; don’t accept anything without asking the price beforehand. If they say it’s a free sample, that doesn’t exist – they will ask you to pay. If you want something quieter, you can book at Mambo Beach, which is on the main beach, or Eco Baru Beach, which is farther but more peaceful. Also, one of the main activities in Isla Barú is seeing bioluminescent plankton. It was a nice experience, but don’t expect a super bright blue light as you might see in photos.
• Islas del Rosario: Everything is private there, so you will need to book a tour to go. You can choose a tour where you stay at a beach club for the day. If that’s the case, we advise Islabela. Or you can book a tour where you see more than one island. Usually, the tour will show you Isla Rosario and then finish at Isla Barú.
• Islas San Bernardo: A bit less touristy and farther from Cartagena, we advise you to spend at least one night. Our favorite island to spend the night is Isla Palma at Mística.
• Rent a boat: If you are a group, we advise you to rent a boat. You can see the maximum: Islas del Rosario, Cholón, and Barú. For a small boat for 8 people with a captain, it will cost you around 1,000,000 COP.

7. Try La Mojarra. The typical dish of the coast is La Mojarra. It’s a fried fish served with patacón, coconut rice, and salad. You will always find it at beach restaurants.

8. Discover the mangroves. In the north of Cartagena, there is a lagoon with mangroves. We advise you to book an ecotour. What we loved about this tour is that it’s different from all the other tours you can find here and much less touristy. From the popular neighborhood of La Boquilla, you will board a pirogue, see many birds and mangroves. Then, we stopped at a hidden beach where we had lunch and went back by pirogue. It’s another, much quieter and more natural side of Cartagena.

9. Visit the Castillo San Felipe. We advise you to do this at the end of the day because it’s less hot. The entrance fee is 40,000 COP. It’s a monument of Cartagena where you can walk inside tunnels and enjoy a nice view of the city.

10. Discover the Convento de la Popa. The Convento de la Popa is at the top of La Popa hill. We advise you to take a taxi there and ask the driver to wait for you to bring you back down afterward. From there, you can visit the convent, but the most incredible part is the view. You have an incredible view of the city.