36 Hours
36 Hours in Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena de Indias, a colonial port city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, can be so hypnotically hot (even with the ocean breeze and occasional tropical downpour) that visitors may feel like they are drifting through a dream world of cobblestone lanes and Afro-Colombian drum beats — a sensation captured by the magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s Cartagena-set novels. A weekend is perfect for a robust introduction through two adjacent, walkable neighborhoods. The Old Town is still surrounded by the stone walls built by the Spanish colonists, who also left behind opulent mansions and churches. Neighboring Getsemani is an artsy, semi-residential enclave with a popular street-party scene, overlooked by the 16th-century fortress that looms on a hill nearby. And if the heat does get to you, order a limonada de coco, the slushy coconut limeade that keeps coastal Colombians deliciously cool.
Recommendations
- The UNESCO-designated Old Town, Cartagena’s inner walled city, merges historical architecture with modern shops and restaurants, and is often compared to Old San Juan or New Orleans’s French Quarter.
- Celele is a rising star restaurant in the Getsemani neighborhood that serves elegantly presented Colombian-Caribbean dishes.
- San Felipe de Barajas Castle is a 16th-century fortress on a rocky crag overlooking the city.
- La Serrezuela is a former bullring and theater that has been reimagined as a shopping mall packed with local design boutiques.
- Mar y Zielo is a stylish, low-lit Old Town restaurant with great service and inventive dishes made with local ingredients.
- Alquímico is an acclaimed multi-floor bar and restaurant, and later in the night, a discotheque.
- El Barón is an unpretentious restaurant and bar that pairs beverages and cigars on a popular square.
- Libertario Coffee Roasters is a coffee-lover’s mecca in the middle of the Getsemani neighborhood.
- Sambal is a small Getsemani restaurant with an open kitchen and a knockout dessert menu.
- Mirador Gastro Bar, Movich Hotel and Sophia Hotel are three Old Town rooftop bars where you can watch the sun set over the city.
- Callejón Ancho and Callejón Angosto are two narrow Getsemani alleyways shaded by colorful umbrellas and flags that, come evening, are filled with people drinking beer at plastic tables.
- Café Havana is a dependably vivacious bar for Cuban rum drinks and live salsa music in the heart of Getsemani.
- The rooftop at Townhouse Hotel turns into a boozy brunch scene on weekend mornings, with unlimited mimosas and a plunge pool.
- Café de la Mañana is a sweet little (albeit unairconditioned) cafe in the historic center with affordable breakfast plates and icy cold coffees.
- Evok sells chocolates and teas derived from local herbs and fruit.
- Ábaco Libros y Café is a cozy bookstore and coffee shop in the Old Town.
- St. Dom is a one-stop shop for some of Colombia’s coolest fashion designers.
- Loto del Sur sells fragrant lotions and potions in chic packaging.
- Silvia Tcherassi is one of Colombia’s most recognized fashion designers with an Old Town shop.
- El Centro Artesano Guazuma sells an expansive collection of crafts from artisans and Indigenous groups across the region.
- Maaji sells tropical-printed bathing suits inside La Serrezuela mall.
- Sabandija sells leather handbags and wallets in La Serrezuela.
- Victor del Peral is a favorite shop for preppy menswear.
- The Getsemani neighborhood is the hipper sibling to Old Town and famous for its street art.
- Puerta del Reloj, crowned with a clocktower, is the historic main gate into the walled city.
- Parque del Centenario is a green space between the Old Town and Getsemani, where locals hang out alongside trees hiding monkeys and sloths.
- Plaza de San Diego is a popular public square inside the walled city with food carts selling typical Colombian snacks.
- A champeta dance class with Black Legacy Experiences is a great way to dive into Cartagena’s Afro-Colombian musical roots.
- Plaza de la Trinidad is a lively square and the heartbeat of the Getsemani neighborhood.
- Casa San Agustin, a luxurious Old Town hotel with a spa and pool, is near the elegant Alma restaurant and plenty of nightlife. Doubles start from around 2,300,000 Colombian pesos, or about $560 a night.
- Casa del Coliseo is an upper mid-range boutique hotel ideally located in the heart of the Old Town, with a rooftop pool and some rooms with street-facing, flower-covered balconies. Doubles start around 1,150,000 pesos.
- Amarla Boutique Hotel is a seven-room hideaway in the Old Town with a checkerboard floor that can also be booked as a whole for groups. Doubles from around 992,000 pesos.
- For short-term rentals, look in the Old Town or Getsemani neighborhoods, where most tourist sites are concentrated. Or, a short drive away, ocean views are available in the high-rises of the Bocagrande neighborhood.
- The Old Town and Getsemani neighborhoods are best explored on foot, and most destinations in those areas are reachable within 15 minutes. Taxis and Ubers are also widely available and affordable.
Itinerary
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