My life saver of a last minute February break trip… a perfect quick getaway of beach & culture. I highly recommend this destination if you can make it through the customs line.

My Itinerary

Day 1- Arrive (eventually) and explore Getsemani, 9pm dinner at Celele

Day 2- Street Food Tour, explore city sites, Rum & Chocolate Tasting

Day 3- Excursion to Blue Apple Beach Club at Tierra Bomba (island), cocktails at Alquimico

Day 4- Excursion to Bora Bora Beach Club at Rosario Islands

Day 5- History and art museums in the historical center

Tips & Highlights

First of all, the customs situation at the Cartagena airport was the worst airport waiting situation I’ve ever experienced in my life. People were actually whistling and yelling in the line after a while, and it was hard to blame them. But apparently this is all typical there. I waited over 3 hours to get through customs. Be sure to have water and snacks with you and set aside for this. Also, be aware that some hotels run a scam in which they offer to pick you up at the airport and then charge you for being late even though it’s common knowledge that everyone will be held up for hours in customs lines. This didn’t happen to me, but I spoke to other travelers who shared this.

I opted to stay at a lovely little B&B (Les Lezards) in Getsemani, about a 10-15 minute walk from the historical center area. It was such a fun and vibrant area and I’m glad I stayed there. At my B&B, I loved the delicious home-cooked breakfasts, excellent service and advice, my terrace, and the cats and turtles keeping me company.

I’m not a boat person, but no part of me regrets taking those choppy boat rides for my day trips to the islands. In fact, I’d go back in a heartbeat. The Blue Apple Beach Club on Tierra Bomba was a peaceful, quiet oasis with surprisingly great food. The Bora Bora Beach Club on the Rosario Islands was the livelier, flashier version (a bit more of a party scene), but still not much to complain about. You can also stay overnight at the islands if you like. If I return to Cartagena, I’d certainly prioritize staying a couple nights at Blue Apple for ultimate relaxation.

Don’t miss Alquimico (listed on world’s 50 best bars) for cocktails. The menu is creative with a focus on sustainability, and the cocktails are unbelievably smooth! Each of the three floors of the bar is different. I went to the rooftop, but it would have been cool to check out the menus of the indoor floors, as well!

If you love to check out special restaurants, make a reservation for Celele well in advance. They have set times for table seatings, so everyone waits outside to enter at the start time. The food is not just delicious, but gorgeous, and the restaurant is acclaimed on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

On my last day in Cartagena, I used the annotated map from the innkeeper at my B&B and designed a route to see more highlights around the city. My favorite part was visiting the fascinating Museum of Cartagena de Indias, which had historical exhibits focused on the Spanish Inquisition, colonization, trafficking, and even historical torture equipment.

Next time?

I’d come back here, for sure. Next time I’d probably spend more time on the islands, maybe stay at the Blue Apple Beach Club for 2-3 nights to completely relax at the beach.

I’d also look into pairing this trip with another destination in Colombia (probably Medellin- although Bogota’s airport is bigger and rated one of the most efficient in the world).. but anything really to avoid the customs line at Cartagena airport, if I could. (But… there were no delays in departure or security lines, so it was not bad as a departure site.)