With it's vibrant colors, impressive culinary scene and friendly locals, visiting Cartagena is an amazing experience. Coming from New York, direct flights are easy to find and inexpensive, making Cartagena the perfect quick getaway. The walled Old City and it's immediate surroundings span a relatively small area, so there's no need to rent a car, and cabs are cheap when necessary. The charming Centro and San Diego neighborhoods hold most of the upscale hotels and restaurants (and tourists), with adjacent Getsemani being the grittier, hipster area. Although it is still recovering from an sketchy reputation, I strongly recommend at least taking a walk through Getsemani to catch a glimpse of local life sans street hawkers.
The weather is quite hot and humid year round, but cools off a bit from December-March. As per popular opinion, the beaches in Cartagena aren't anything to write home about. If you need a beach fix, the Islas del Rosario archipelago is accessible via a short boat trip. We visited Coralina Island, a rustic, family run hotel on it's own island with gorgeous, crystal clear water and delicious homemade food. For a more resortlike experience with sand beaches, check out Decameron on Baru Island.
Where to Stay: Whichever hotel you choose, make sure it's in the walled old city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although the megahotels with beach views might be tempting, old city holds all the history and charm of Cartagena. I immediately fell in love with our hotel, Casa Pombo, located in Centro. A former 16th century estate, the hotel feels luxe while still retaining every ounce of it's historic charm. Each room is unique and beautifully furnished, so much so that is has been used for film sets such as Love in the Time of Cholera. The multi-room apartment suites are perfect if traveling with a group. Finally, impeccable, friendly service and a rooftop pool with sweeping city views are the icing on the cake. I cannot recommend it enough! Similarly, Casa San Augustin and Casa de Indias have a rich history and an upscale, boutique vibe. For a budget option, we met other travelers who had great experiences with Airbnb rentals.
Where to Eat: Cartagena has some incredible restaurants, from the casual hole in the wall to upscale tasting menus. Make sure men bring along long pants and closed-toe shoes--many restaurants strictly enforced a dress code. We really enjoyed Carmen Restaurant, which had an elaborate, beautifully presented tasting menu. The service and food were both wonderful with a romantic atmosphere. For a lively yet upscale experience, Cuban restaurant La Vitrola was one of our best meals of the trip. Donjuán has the best wine list in the city and an elegant menu.
Cool off with a streetside coconut or la paleta, a delicious, fresh fruit based popsicle you can easily find throughout the city (I ate about 50 of them). For a taste of Columbia's famous ceviche, visit La Cevicheria (a Bourdain pick) for lunch, or El Boliche Cebicheria for dinner. We had an incredible authentic lunch at La Mulata, conveniently located across from technicolor street Carrera 8, depicted in many a Cartagena Google Image search. They change the menu each week and everything was incredibly fresh and delicious. We didn't get a chance to visit Alma, but it was recommended to us several times by other travelers.
Where to Play: For the best sunset drinks, grab a table at Café del Mar. Built right on top of the historic city walls, the views make up for the groups of tourists. At night, don't miss Café Havana in Gestemani. Grab a mojito and enjoy the exceptional 12-piece salsa band and salsa dancers--or even better, join them!
