Cartagena

Introduction

Cartagena 4

© Flav-Greg

Cartagena, it historic centre being a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a popular destination in Colombia. It was founded by the Spanish conquerors and used for years as one of the main ports to ship goods and people between Europe and South America and the Caribbean, and that history can be seen in the city's beautiful colonial architecture and iconic city walls today. Cartagena has a great nightlife with several good discotheques like Babar, Joy Slava, Mr. Babilla, Bazurto Social Club, and a myriad of other hot spots to dance the night away.

Neighbourhoods

• Old town/Centro - Located inside the city's colonial era walls, OldTown sports lots of picturesque colonial city streets. While much of it is a tourist area with hotels, restaurants, and museums, it is also downtown Cartagena and has government buildings and lots of shops and businesses.
• Getsemaní - Located just outside the city's walls, Getsemaní is a historically important neighborhood that until the last decade had remained largely working class. However, the last several years have seen a proliferation of cafes, hostels, and hotels enter the area. The Calle Media Luna and Calle del Arsenal are also centers of the city's nightlife with night clubs dotting each.
• Bocagrande/Laguito - Sporting a sort of mini-Miami vibe, Bocagrande is the home of much of Cartagena's upper class and has lots of hotels along the beachfront.
• El Cabrero and Marbella - Located just outside the walled city, El Cabrero and Marbella are along the waterfront between the airport and the walled city. There are a handful of hotels as well as apartments available for short term vacation rentals here.
• Manga - Located on an island overlooking the bay, Manga is more residential than tourist, but there may be some hotels and apartments available for rent there.
• Crespo - Located around the airport, Crespo is also largely residential, although there are a few hotels and one hostel (Wonderland).
• Other Neighborhoods - Cartagena has a ton of other neighborhoods located along the two main avenues that run to the south from Oldtown. Some are nice, some can be dangerous. Given that they are far from the main tourist attractions, it is not recommended that visitors stay outside of the main areas listed above.

Sights and Activities

Cartagena has several faces; one of a dirty, sprawling Caribbean metropolis, in Bocagrande the one of a massive "hotel ghetto" and finally the old town with its well-polished face of a once affluent colonial city. Cartagena's main attraction is its historic old town surrounded by the city wall. Main entrance is the Clock Tower Building. The walled city includes the neighbourhoods Centro, San Diego, Getsemaní and the modern part La Matuna. The oldest part of Cartagena is around Plaza Trinidad in Getsemaní. Cartagena's five hundred year-old coralstone forts and great parts of its walled city are admirably intact and represent some of the finest examples of civil and military architecture of the Spanish colonial times.

Almost all churches in the historic centre are worth visiting, especially Iglesia de San Pedro Claver, in honor of the priest St. Pedro Claver, who was the first saint of the new world for his work with slaves; La Catedral, near Plaza de Bolívar and the Iglesia de Santo Domingo.

The old town is divided into three parts: El Centro with the cathedral and the many palaces in Andalucian style, San Diego, which was the quarters of traders and bourgeoisie lived and Getsemaní which was the home of the working class. Today it has become a trendy spot for backpackers, hostels, restaurants and cafes, and nightclubs. Especially Plaza de la Trinidad has become a popular hangout spot. Finally, La Matuna has become a commercial area with lots of shops.

For those interested in learning more about the city's history the San Felipe Fortress is also not to be missed. It is the largest colonial era fortification in all of Spanish South America. The Museo Naval del Caribe is also excellent and provides a lot of info on the city's history, in particular the attacks on the city by Francis Drake and others during the colonial era and the city's role in the independence of Colombia. The Palacio de la Inquisición doubles as a museum of the city's history and of the Spanish Inquisition. Note that it is free for all visitors the last Sunday of every month.

The city itself boasts a number of beaches, including those of Bocagrande and the waterfront in the neighborhoods of El Cabrero and Marbella. Further up north of the airport the beach around Hotel Las Americas and La Boquilla tend to have slightly smaller crowds and have an extensive beach. The beaches on the island of Tierra Bomba across the bay from Bocagrande are also nice. However, Playa Blanca, located on the Island of Barú about an hour south is the nicest beach in the area. Both it and the Rosario Islands off the coast boast white sand the crystal clear Caribbean water.

Several agents arrange boat tours to Islas del Rosario. A set of small islands out of the coast. Usually the tour include lunch, a visit to an aquarium and a few hours at Playa Blanca. Not included in the price is harbor tax and park entrance (COP$12,000 total) and the entrance fee to the aquarium (COP$15,000). If you buy your tour at one of the street vendors, don't pay in advance, preferably pay part or all at return in Cartagena. At least one of these tours is to a resort "Coco Liso" which is something like a Colombian Butlins (a British holiday camp). You will be promised a beach, pay a high fee, then disembark a boat after an hour and a half to be greeted with a fairly basic hotel, gimmicky pool, and a tiny slice of beach. Buying a piece of "coral" jewellery from one of the many hawkers, engage them in conversation, and they might lead you to their private beach - quite beautiful, and all the more interesting for having its existence totally denied by the tour operators. The tourist offices in the centre of the old town and a good place to compare the many possible trips to the islands.

Events and Festivals

• Hay Festival - This annual literary festival is held in late January every year. During the event, Latin American authors and poets come to Cartagena to do readings and talks. This international event attracts large audiences each year, and it takes place at a number of venues around the city. Also available for viewing during this festival, are exhibits on art and science.
• Independence of Cartagena (11 Nov 2013) - On November 11th of every year, the city of Cartagena remembers the day in when it became the first province in Colombia to declare absolute independence from the Spanish Crown in 1811. This event is widely celebrated all over the city, with "November parties" including parades, dancing, decorations, and fireworks. The parties are a lot of fun but can get a little rowdy. The big parade on the 11th is not to be missed. Cartagena's independence from the Spanish Crown is celebrated as being especially meaningful because of the leading role it played in the eventual liberation of the whole country of Columbia and its valiant resistance to a 10 month siege during the Spanish reconquest in 1815, earning the city its nickname of "La Heroica."
• Concurso Nacional de Belleza (04 Nov 2013 - 16 Nov 2013) - During the "November Feasts" of the independence day celebrations, a very popular National Beautify Pageant is held in Cartagena. Beautiful women from around the country compete to be crowed Miss Colombia by dazzling the judges and the audience in their ability to wear beautiful gowns and impressive swimsuits. There's also a local beauty pageant where women from different neighborhoods in the city compete to be crowned Queen of Independence. The National Contest was moved to March in 2017, but has returned to November in 2018. Both sets of candidates participate in a massive parade held on either the Thursday of the week of November 11th or the 11th itself. The pageant is also known for it's social causes and ability to raise a great deal of money for needy children, elderly, and disaster victims.
• Cartagena Film Festival - The Cartagena Film Festival is the longest running film festival in Latin America. This festival draws an international audience, but focuses primarily on promoting Colombian television programs, Latin American films, and videos.
• Cartagena La Habana Son Cultural Festival - This cultural festival annually throughout the month of September in Cartagena. The event celebrates the strong connection that has always existed between the cities of Havana (in Cuba) and Cartagena (in Colombia). Visitors attending the event can expect to see a variety of culturally-inspired events, including dance and music performances, workshops for performers to fine-tune their craft, art exhibitions, and parades.

Weather

Cartagena has a tropical climate with hot and humid conditions year round. Temperatures vary slightly between the different months and seaons, but rainfall is another matter. The average annual amount of precipitation is just over 1,000 mm but October alone counts for about a quarter of that alone and most rain in general falls from June to November. From December to April is the dry period with hardly any rain in February and March. Temperatures, as mentioned, vary extremely little, with just 0.7 °C between the highest and lowest average maximum temperatures which are around 31-32 °C. Lows are between 23 °C and 25 °C, with the highest lows in the wettest months, so it gets rather sticky during those times. December to April is by far the best time for a visit if you want to avoid the most sticky conditions therefore.

Getting There

By Plane

Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG) is located near Cartagena and offers both domestic and international flights. International destinations include Cancun, Milan, Aruba, Curacao, Maracaibo, Panama City, Miami, Montreal, Toronto, Caracas, Lima and Fort Lauderdale. Domestic services go to Bogota, Medellin, San Andrés Island, Barranquilla, Pereira, Cali and Bucaramanga.

By Car

The city is connected to the rest of Colombia by good roads. Ruta 90 (Transversal del Caribe) goes along the coast connecting Cartagena to places line Barranquilla and Turbo and has been built out to limited-access highway. You can drive here from Bogota too, but that's a drive of more than 1000 kilometres.

By Bus

The bus terminal is 11 kilometres east of the old city. Frequent White and Green metrocar buses with air conditioner go to the old city and cost COP$ 1,700. Buses leave every hour for Barranquilla, and from there frequent buses connect to Santa Marta. The asking price for buses to Medellin is $50 USD, but it is normal to barter the price down to $30. All long distance bus tickets are expected to be bartered down. If you are coming overland from Panama your first bus will be from Turbo. Turbo to Monteria is COP$ 25,000, 4 hours, Monteria to Cartagena COP$ 35,000, 4 hours.

Marsol and Berlinas offer Greyhound style chartered vans between Cartagena, Barranquilla, and Santa Marta. They are a bit pricier than the buses at the terminal, but can be gotten closer to Oldtown. Marsol offers door to door service for an additional charge and their office is located about a 10 minute walk outside of the walled city in El Cabrero.

By Boat

Cartagena is an important port for charter boats between Colombia and Panama. There are several private boats doing that trip. Fare varies between US$375 and US$500 depending on size of the boat and on-board services. The trip usually takes 4 nights and 5 days and includes a 2 or 3 day stopover in San Blas Islands. At the Panama end, the boats either leave from the Portobelo Area or from Carti Islands Kuna Yala rather than Colón. Reliable information about departure dates and captains can be found at the hotel Casa Viena, at Zulys Backpackers Hostel[8], Mamallena Hostel or Luna's Castle Hostel in Panama City, at Hostel Wunderbar in Puerto Lindo, Hostel Portobelo, or the Darien Gapster in Panama.

Getting Around

By Car

You can take taxis but try to avoid driving yourself. Taxis don't have meters in Cartagena, and fares should be negotiated. There are printed fares, but they are more like minimum fares. Even negotiated rates are often higher, especially in high season. There are also night and air condition surcharges each of a few hundred pesos. Confirm your fare before getting in the taxi. Taxi drivers may demand ridiculous rates if not negotiated in advance.

Taxis are generally easy to find, although in the old town you may have to walk a few blocks away from the center, toward the wider road close to wall. You can also usually catch taxis in front of the Clocktower, walk down to the right a bit after exiting old town so they don't block traffic when they stop. From the old town to Boca Grande or vice versa or any transport inside Bocagrande or inside old town expect to pay COP$7,000-8,000; from the airport to the old town or vice versa is COP$10,000-12,000.

By Public Transport

Buses are a good way for longer distances in the city. To reach other destinations such as the San Felipe fort, Bocagrande, Castillogrande, airport, etc there are many buses running all over the city. Ask the driver or other people who are waiting which bus goes to your destination. An urban bus ticket cost COP$2300, sold by the driver or the "sparring" bus attendant who hails riders. Pay attention to the names listed on the windshield as they are the main neighborhoods along the route. On the downside, buses drive slower, stop at each corner and seldom take the direct way so expect a bus ride from A to B to take several times that of a taxi ride.

The newer Transcaribe bus system is a bit more comfortable with air conditioned buses and set stops. The system is meant to function like an above ground metro, and you must buy a card and add credit to it at one of the stations, located along the main avenue of the city. There are stations outside the tourist docks and in front of Centro Uno in La Matuna in the Centro and just outside of Centro in front of Mall Plaza shopping center and near the Castillo San Felipe. "Feeder" buses run through Bocagrande and along the water front to Crepo, near the airport.

By Foot

The old town in particular is best explored by foot. Most places in Bocagrande which have up-market and all-inclusive hotels are also within walking distance.

By Bike

• Bike & Art, Media Luna 10 #23, ☎ +57 311 4185883, e-mail: [email protected]. Bike rental. 1 hour COP$4,000, 3 hours COP$10,000.

Eat

Cartagena features a rich fusion cuisine, combining ingredients and methods of the New and Old worlds, as well as of the original African, Arabian and other legacies of its inhabitants. Eating set menu lunches and dinners in local restaurants called 'corrientes' costs around COP$6,000. A typical dish consists of fried fish (if you are by the beach), chicken or meat, served with coconut rice (arroz de coco), fried plantains (patacones) and salad. Other good dishes to try are camerones al ajillo (shrimp in garlic sauce) and cazuela de mariscos (a stew with coconut milk and seafood). Great ceviche can also be found both in restaurants and at stalls on the street in oldtown. There are many places that sell COP$2,000 fruit juices. Colombia boasts a very good range of exotic fruits that can be mixed with water or milk. Also, you can try the delicious coconut limeade.

In the old town, dozens of good restaurants can be found dotted around the streets particularly concentrated close to the Plaza Santo Domingo. Beware that many of the city's restaurants are not open on Sundays. There are lots of newer cafes and restaurants that have opened up in Getsemaní as well. In Bocagrande, there are also plentiful restaurants offering all sorts of fare.

There are lots of street stalls offering empanadas and other fare. A popular staple for locals, the arepa de huevo is worth trying. Often eaten for breakfast, it has an egg and typically ground beef inside. Donde Magola across from Exito San Diego serves up a number of variations, even ones with shrimp and egg. Mazorca (corn) and patacones con todo (piled high with meat, usually chicken, chorizo, and a sausage known as butifarra) are also popular street stall foods.

• Pan de Bono (corner of Calle del Porvenir and Calle San Agustin). A bakery where you can get a fresh and inexpensive snack in the form of sandwiches. Try the local cassava bread!
• Café Juan Valdez (corner of Cl. San Agustin and Cl. de la Universidad, also other locations). Coffee chain with a large variety of coffees and different cakes. Free WLAN.

Crepes & Waffles (Several locations). Very nice Colombian franchise restaurant which offers very good dishes to excellent prices. dishes around COP$15,000. edit

• El Corral (One is located on Plaza San Pedro, 4 others further out.). Very nice Colombian franchise hamburger chain. Good quality hamburgers for COP$10,000-15,000 for a combo.
• Gelateria Paradiso. Has unreal ice cream, with a large assortment of different exotic fruit flavors. Fans of coffee ice cream must stop by for a scoop. Corner of Calle del Cuartel and Calle de la Estrella. COP$4,000 for small cup, $6,000 for medium.
• Abaco, Calle de la Mantilla. Cafe & Book Store is a great place to relax and get some peace and quiet. Local books on Cartagena in addition to great coffee. Hot beverage and cake around COP$9000.
• Atahualpa, Carrera 7 (At end of Calle de Tablada at the Plaza de Managua.). Peruvian place with fresh fish. The menu of the day is great value Set dinner soup, main and juice for COP$12,000.
• El Bistro, Calle Ayos 4-46 (2 blocks from Plaza Santo Domingo), ☎ +57 5 664 1799. German-owned restaurant with excellent European kitchen, especially the steak is good. Also, they have home-made German bread and you can have German beer here too. Breakfast for around COP$10,000, mains around $25,000.
• La Cevicheria, Calle Stuart 7 (opposite Hotel Santa Clara), ☎ +57 5 664-2760. A great selection of hot and cold ceviches. around COP$25,000 a dish.
• La Vitrola, Calle Baloco no. 33-201. Considered the best restaurant in town. Cuban ambiance, good food - high prices. It is on Calle Baloco at the corner front to the historical walls.
• Restaurante Bar El Muelle (El Laguisto Beach Club), Carrere 1 ra. No. 1A - 23. There are many good restaurants in the Bocagrande area on the beach. The food is of decent quality, but the delight is the water coming up to the restaurant. The host speaks English, Spanish, French, some Portuguese and Turkish! Mid-range.
• La Mulata, Calle Quero 9-58, ☎ +57 5 66 46 222. A choice of a few set lunch options. Different menu every day of the week. Delicious and unpretentious. mains COP$20,000-30,000.
• Otro Mundo (Bistrò-Bar-Pizzeria), Calle San Agustin 6-68, ☎ +57 5 6602314. 09:00-00:00. Otro Mundo Bistrò-Bar-Pizzeria it is in Centro Historico de Cartagena de Indias, Calle San Agustin 6-68, close Universita de Cartagena (Cartagena University). There you can eat excellent Croatian dishes, pastas, and the best pizza of America. Ambient is rustically tip, very clean with excellent service. The price of dishes and pizza is very good. In the local you can use gratis WiFi internet connection. They do also pizza delivery. Croatian Cevapcici COP$18,000; Pasta frutos del mar $20,000; small pizza from $12,000, medium $25,000, large $35,000..
• El Balcón, Calle Tumbamuertos No. 28-85 2do. piso Esquina. 2nd floor restaurant that overlooks the Plaza San Diego. Small balcony for seating, but great food, both fish and meat. Good set menus and 2-for-1 specials on cocktails every day from 18:00-21:00. About COP$45,000 with drink.
• Restaurante La Casa de Socorro, Cl. Larga No. 8B-112, ☎ +57 5 6644 658. Traditional restaurant serving typical Caribbean fare: langoustines, crabs, ceviche, fish, all very tasty and well prepared. Popular among locals, especially for lunch. COP$20,000-40,000.
• Teriyaki, Plaza San Diego No. 8-28. Sushi and Thai restaurant. COP$10,000-30,000.
• Restaurante Zebra, Plaza San Diego No.8-34, ☎ +57 5 6642 177. African-Caribbean fusion, pasta. .
• Club de Pesca, Avenida Miramar. Fine dining restaurant specializing in the "fruits of the sea". Great seafood and great atmosphere. Located in Manga with view to the bay and marinas of Cartagena. Mains COP$40,000-60,000.
• Donde Olano (Olano´s), Calle Santo Domingo #33 - 81 (Near Plaza de Santo Domingo), ☎ +57 5 6647099, e-mail: [email protected]. Great sea food with fusion style, don´t miss the shrimps in passion fruit and coconut rice! Mains COP$30,000-70,000, but does have some more affordable alternatives.
• Quebracho, Calle Baloco 2-69. Argentinian restaurant at its best. Good meat, good ambiance. Dishes around COP$55,000.
• Cafe El Santisimo, Calle del Torno 39 - 76. One of the must-see restaurants of Cartagena. Dishes around COP$50,000.

Drink

The most common type of coffee in Colombia is the sweet tinto. This can be bought from street vendors all over Cartagena for COP$500. Upper scale coffee shops like Juan Valdez have higher quality coffee on offer.

In addition to the juices and coconut limeade mentioned above, there are tons of places in Old Town and Getsemaní that have cocktails on offer, often with 2x1 happy hour specials in the early evening. Most beer in Cartagena, and all of Colombia for that matter, is your typical American lager cloan, with the most popular being Aguila and Club Colombia. They can generally be purchased cheaply all over and in small shops. There are a few places that offer better, craft beer, including a Bogotá Beer Company location in Oldtown and Beer Lovers, which has craft beers from all over Colombia on offer.

Locals drink the water, but you might be better off not taking any chances as a visitor. Bottled water is cheap and can be bought in any shop and from vendors on the street. If you're looking to cut back on waste, large jugs and bags can be bought for the equivalence of a few US dollars, and most vendors and shops also sell small half-liter bags.

• La Avenida del Arsenal. La Avenida del Arsenal is located along the bay near the Centro de Convenciones. In its heyday it was the place to be. Now much of the nightlife in Cartagena has moved to the Ciudad Vieja, but this strip of about 10 discotecas is still a raging place to experience on weekends. Entry to most of the discos is COP$10,000-20,000.
• Mister Babilla. One of the most popular watering holes for local Cartageneros is Mister Babilla, located on the Avenida del Arsenal, near the Centro de Convenciones. This place is great on the weekends and is notorious for having people dancing on the tables and the bar late into the night! A great time!
• Cafe del Mar, Baluarte de Santo Domingo. Located atop the western wall providing sunset views and cocktails.
• Salsa Donde Fidel, Plaza de la Aduana (Right by the clock gate). Great place to sit and people watch as the night gets going. Indoor and outdoor seating, according to one visitor the indoor is better. Good prices on drinks (beer COP$2500) and the place to meet Cartageneros and tourists alike.
• Otro Mundo (Bistrò-Bar.Pizzeria), Calle San Agustin 6-68, ☎ +57 5 6602314. 09:00-00:00. Otro Mundo Bistrò-Bar-Pizzeria is in Centro Historico de Cartagena, Calle San Agustin 6-68 and is near Universita de Cartagena. There you can eat excellent croatian dishes, pastas, and the best pizza of America. Ambient is very clean and service is excellent. The price and quality of the dishes and pizza are very good. Every day you can listen good music and taste also good drinks, like beer, coctails, juice and natural juice, all this with very good price and hospitable service.
• Zorba Wiskeria, Plaza Fernandez de Madrid. A great little corner bar that offers bottle service and a decent street scene. Very local. Beers are COP$3000 and a bottle of rum will set you back COP$27,000, which is pretty good. Right next door to a Pizzeria and up the street a few doors from a Lebanese Falafel house. Calle de la Tableda.

Sleep

In the Ciudad Amurallada, the most famous hotels are Sofitel Santa Clara and Charleston Santa Teresa, both old monasteries renovated in the 1990s. Either of them have fabulous facilities - expect prices like Monaco. Otherwise, the newest part of the city, Bocagrande, offers the largest number of hotels of all prices. You should always try to stay in the ciudad amurallada, since this is what makes Cartagena unique, rather than its beaches, which are normally too crowded and not really clean. If you cannot afford the five-star hotels, you may try with colonial houses turned into hostels, but they are rather small and sometimes getting a room there may be a matter of luck. There are also some cheaper, boutique hotels in Oldtown.

Budget hotels and hostels can be found in Getsemaní around the Calle de la Media Luna. If you're already in Cartagena just walk along the Calle de la Media Luna and check out the numerous hostals to get an impression of their offering. You'll notice that the 'value for money' differs heavily between the places, even though they're next to each other: for COP$50,000 you can either stay in a really nice private double room or in a dodgy dorm.

Casa Viena, Calle San Andrés No 30-53 (Getsemaní), ☎ +57-5-664-6242, e-mail: [email protected]. Popular backpackers place with several 2 to 4 person rooms some with bathroom and a dormitory with arco. Facilities include internet, personal strongboxes, bookswap and a communal kitchen. Information for sailboats to the San Blas islands and Panamá is also available. Dorms from COP$26,000, rooms from COP$35,000.

• Hostal Real, Calle De La Magdalena No. 9-33 (Getsemani), ☎ +57 5 664 7866. Housed in a beautifully restored colonial building filled with color, unique artwork, and lovely gardens for reading and relaxing. The owners are very friendly and happy to help you with any questions or advice. Rooms are rather damp and dated. Cockroaches have been sighted but promised to take care of. dorms beds from COP$21,000, rooms from $40,000.
• Hotel Familiar, Calle El Guerrero No. 29-66 (Getsemani), ☎ +57 5 664 2464. Run by Jairo Toro, 100 meres from Casa Viena and a good second choice. Rooms are bright and clean and prices start from COP$18,000 per person.
• Hotel Villa Colonial, Calle del las Maravillas No.30-60 (Getsemani), ☎ +57 5 664 4996, +57 5 664 5421, e-mail: [email protected]. Well kept, clean, friendly and helpful management, rooms with air conditioning and fans, private bathrooms, some rooms without windows. They also have another building on Calle de la Media Luna, which has nicer, more expensive rooms. The staff is very nice and welcoming. Doubles from COP$60,000.
• Hostal La Casona, Calle Tripita y Media - Cra. 0 No. 31-32 (Getsemani), ☎ +57 5 639 5644, e-mail: [email protected]. With approximately 30 rooms around a nice courtyard, this hostel offers a good deal for backpackers. Cheap and fast internet as well as tours agency service are available. Air-conditioned rooms with cable TV and a private bathroom from COP$65,000.
• Hotel Marlin, Calle de la Media Luna, Calle 35 No. 10–35 (Getsemani), ☎ +57 5 664 3507, +57 5 6601497, e-mail: [email protected]. Popular with backpackers, this centrally located, clean hotel with nice rooms with private bathroom and air-conditioned in all dorms, communal kitchen, free internet, free Breakfast, and tours services. Information for sailboats to the San Blas islands and Panamá is also available. From COP$75,000.
• Hotel La Muralla, Calle de Media Luna (Getsemani). Clean, the owners are nice, can be loud on the weekends, not really a tourist place, but one of the cheapest options! Make sure to get a room on the second floor, the first floor rooms are a little musty. From COP$65,000.
• Amber Hostel, Calle Pacoa N° 10-103 (Getsemani), ☎ +57 5 608634. A very relaxed hostel in which Maude will welcome you within her family. The kitchen is shared with them, which gives a feeling of living in a Cartagena family house. dorm beds from COP$15,000, rooms from $40,000.
• Hotel La Espanola, Media Luna 10 #10-58, ☎ +57 5 6604485. Same price and style of hotel as La Muralla, but the rooms are a little stuffier and darker. From COP$75,000.
• Hostel Mamallena, Calle Media Luna (Viejo Hotel Holiday, Getsemani), ☎ +57 5 664-0948, e-mail: [email protected]. Hostel Mamallena, Cartagena is the first Colombian hostel opened by the Panamanian Hostel Mamallena. We bring to Cartagena our high levels of service, variety of rooms, orthopedic mattresses, free WiFi, garden courtyard and friendly staff. The majority of our rooms have private bathrooms and can sleep from 1 to 5 people. Dorms are large and airy and have private bathrooms as well. Budget tours to the volcano, Playa Blanca and Islas Rosarios are also available. We were the first hostel to start booking boats between Panama and Colombia and we´ve bought that experience to Cartagena. Even if you choose not to stay with us feel free to drop by for whatever you may need. High season: dorm bed COP$50,000, private rooms from $75,000 but more if you want AC and/or private bathroom. Low season prices are about a third less.
• Hotel El Viajero, Calle del Porvenir No 35-68, ☎ +57 5 664 3289. Pleasant hotel with a beautiful inner yard and a guest kitchen, but quite expensive. Without A/C: sgl COP$40,000, dbl $60,000, with A/C: sgl $50,000, dbl $70,000.
• Hotel Bellavista, Av. Santander No. 46-50, ☎ +57 5 6646411. Friendly and casual hotel in the district of Marbella, some 15 minutes by foot from the old town. The rooms are spread out in several small one-floor buidlings. Rooms have private bathrooms,the more expensive ones have A/C too. Without A/C: sgl COP$40,000, dbl $70,000, with A/C: sgl $60,000, dbl $80,000.
• Hotel Cartagena Premium, Bocagrande Av. San Martín No. 11-113, ☎ +57 5 6552355. Hotel Cartagena Premium offers single room, matrimonial double and twin double with air-conditioning, mini-bar and breakfast. Its facilities and services include swimming pool, jacuzzi, room service and parking. From COP$145,000.
• Casa India Catalina, Calle del Coliseo No 5-67 (Centro), ☎ +57-5-664-4361, e-mail: [email protected]. Spacious rooms, some with balconies onto the street. Decent swimming pool. Simple furnishings. From COP$246,000.
• Casa Mara Hostal, Calle del Espiritu Santo No 29-139 (Getsemani), ☎ +57-5-664-8724. rates upon request.
• Vista Heroica, Isla de Tierra Bomba, ☎ +57 3126331825. Nice hotel on the island of Tierra Bomba (10 minutes by boat from the Hilton Hotel of Cartagena). It's in the middle of a real local village, not far from the beach, and with a great view of Cartagena. Rooms are very clean, 3 beds (2+1), kitchen, individual jacuzzi, air conditioning. Restaurant from COP$10,000-12,000, decent food. COP$100,000.
• Hotel Bahia, Cra 4a-Calle 4a (Bocagrande), ☎ +57-5-6650316. From COP$176,000.
• Hotel 3 Banderas, Calle Cochera del Hobo #38-66 (San Diego), ☎ +57-5-660-0160, e-mail: [email protected]. Small colonial hotel. From COP$200,000.

Up-scale hotels can be found in San Diego and El Centro area of the old city.

• Charleston Santa Teresa Cartagena, Centro plaza de Santa Teresa Cra 3ª 31-23, ☎ +57 5 6649494, +57 5 6649547, fax: +57 5 6649448, +57 5 6649447. From COP$795,000.
• La Passion Hotel Lounge, Calle del Estanco del tabaco # 38-81 (Centro), ☎ +57 5 6648605, e-mail: [email protected]. A boutique style hotel combining ancient architecture and modern commodities. Perfect for romantic escapade. 8 rooms. A beautiful terrace with swimming-pool. Free Wi-Fi. From COP$617,000.
• Hotel Ibatama and Hotel Ibatama Real, Avenida San Martin 7 (Boca Grande). Hotel Ibatama and Hotel Ibatama Real are really an option for the people in the non luxurious budget. situated on either sides of Boca Grande, the hotels are nice, clean and you get value for money with the AC rooms. Close to the beach and Bocagrande is safe as always.
• Casa Marta Cartagena, Calle San Antonio # 25-165 (Getsemani), ☎ +57 310 630 6003, e-mail: [email protected]. Check-in: Flexible, check-out: Flexible. Casa Marta is a colonial guesthouse/bed and breakfast situated in the city's historic district of Getsemani. The house has been carefully renovated to modern standards and has two bedrooms with a maximum capacity of 4 to 5 people each. Each bedroom has air conditioner, fan, fridge, Satellite TV, and a private bathroom. Internet service and breakfast are included free of charge. A nice plunge pool is also available to all guests. From US$125.
• Hotel Casa del Curato, Calle del Curato Cra. 7 Nº 38-89 (San Diego), ☎ +57-5-664-3648, e-mail: [email protected]. The hotel was converted from an 18th-century mansion and opened in Dec 2005. Good breakfasts served by Eufemia. Attractively furnished although regular rooms are small and windowless. Two internet computers for guests. From COP$250,000 (low season), COP$270,000 (high season).
• Hotel Cochera de Hobo, Calle Cochera de Hobo No. 38-55 (San Diego), ☎ +57 5 664 3384, +57 3002153828. In the heart of Cartagena's old walled city. It has four rooms. The hotel has a restaurant, room service, free wifi for guests, two terraces with beautiful views of the historical city center, and a third terrace with a BBQ. The rooms have air conditioning, minibar, plasma TVs, and satellite TV. From US$90.
• Hilton Cartagena, Avenida Almirante Brion (El Laguito), ☎ +57 5 6650660. From US$129.
• Agua, Calle Ayos, No 4-29 (Centro), ☎ +57 5 664-9479. A beautiful boutique hotel with rooms reportedly from COP$500,000 plus tax in low season. rates upon request.
• Hotel Alfiz, Calle Cochera del Gobernador, No 33-28 (between Plaza de la Aduana and the cathedral), ☎ +57-5-660 0006, e-mail: [email protected]. A romantic hotel in the old city. From COP$550,000.
• Hotel Casa la Fe, Calle segunda de badillo #36-125 (Centro), ☎ +57-5-664-0306, e-mail: [email protected]. This small beautifully restored hotel attracts many favourable reports in Trip Advisor and has been recommended in the New York Times travel section. The hotel is English owned and run. Guests enjoy free WiFi and a PC work station. From COP$265,000.
• Hotel Sofitel Santa Clara, Cr 8 No 39-29, Calle del Tomo (San Diego), ☎ +57-5-664-6070. Nice hotel with decent prices for its category, though a bit generic. From COP$720,000.
• La Merced Hotel, Calle Don Sancho No 36-165 / Cra. 4, ☎ +57 5 6647727. A boutique style hotel. from US$249.

Work

For expats, the most likely jobs to be found are as English teachers. You can try the Colombo Americano, who usually has a need for native teachers. The private bilingual schools also hire foreign teachers, both for English and other subject areas. Depending on the school's profile and their need, you may need a teaching qualification and experience.

If job hunting in Cartagena, know that many places suffer from organizational disorganization and in particular can be bad about responding to emails.

To legally work in Cartagena as a foreigner, you will either need a work visa (usually paid for and taken care of by your employer) or Colombian residency.

Learn

• University of Cartagena (in Spanish only)

If you are interested in staying in Colombia for an extended period of time, consider applying for a student visa. Most language schools will provide you with a templated letter for a packet you will need to build and present to immigration.

Health

In the event of an Emergency, the most modern and accessible facility in the zona norte (covering the touristic neighborhoods of Bocagrande, el Centro, Getsemani, etc..) is the Nuevo Hospital de Bocagrande.

Nuevo Hospital de Bocagrande
Address: Calle 5 # 6-49 Bocagrande
Tel: (57) 5-693-3052; (57) 5-693-2996
Website: http://nhbg.com.co/
E-mail: [email protected]
Services: Urgent care, intensive care, cardiology, diagnostic imaging, lab testing, orthopedic and traumatology, plastic surgery, pediatrics, oncology.

Medical tourism is developing rapidly in Cartagena, with a variety of clinics offering dental care and ambulatory surgery procedures at rates 50-70% lower than in the United States.

Apollo Medical Travel
Website: https://apollomedicaltravel.com
Services: Dental care, plastic surgery

Fitness

There are several gyms located in Cartagena that allow for day passes as well as long term memberships. Major national brands include Bodytech and SmartFit.

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet cafes are easy to find in any city or town. Expect rates to run about $1,250-2,500 (around $US 0.50-1.00) per hour, depending on how much competition there is (i.e., cheap in Bogotá, expensive in the middle of nowhere). Quality of connections varies enormous and tends to better in populated places and tourist areas. Wifi is getting more and more popular in some hotels, restaurants and bars, but don't count on it and be careful regarding your privacy. There are also a very small number of select areas of town that offer free wifi for a limited time.

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

The country calling code to Colombia is: 57. To make an international call from Colombia, the code is: 005.

Using your own phone and SIM card is expensive so if you are planning to do quite a few calls, buy a phone or just a SIM card. It's simple enough to get a SIM card and even an unlocked phone at the international airport in Bogotá, although there is, of course, a price hike. They're not hard to find in any city either, just ask your hotel or hostel staff where to go. Topping up is also easy, and can be done pretty much on any street corner. The carriers you'll most likely see are Claro, Tigo, and Movistar. Claro is the most expensive (by a little bit), but has the widest coverage in the country, if you expect to get off the beaten path.

Post

4-72 is the unusual name of Colombia's postal service. They have post offices throughout the country, which are open usually from 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday and sometimes on Saturday mornings as well. That doesn't apply to all offices though, only the larger ones in the big cities. But for example along the Caribbean coast, offices tend to close between noon and 2:00pm. But even at the ones that are officially open all day long, it might be difficult to get anything done during those hours. For domestic services, sending letters and postcards is mostly reliable but takes days, for international services don't hold your breath. Eventually, a postcard or letter might arrive in the country of destination but it's almost not worth it. For parcels, you are better off using companies like FedEx, TNT, DHL or UPS.

External Links

• Official Governmental Website
• Official Tourism Website