Cartagena was one of the places I had heard most about before traveling through Colombia. The Old Town is colorful, the evenings in Getsemaní are lively and the Caribbean is never far away. I spent my time here walking the Old Town, eating well and enjoying the city before taking two very different day trips to the Rosario Islands. If you are following the Caribbean coast too, Cartagena combines easily with Barranquilla and Palomino.
Things to do in Cartagena Colombia
Start in Cartagena’s Old Town. The narrow streets are lined with colorful colonial houses, balconies full of flowers, churches and small plazas. Much of the old city is surrounded by Las Murallas, the stone walls that are such a big part of Cartagena. Walk through the Puerta del Reloj, the Clock Tower Gate, and you arrive at Plaza de los Coches. Today it is one of the busiest squares in the Old Town, but there is a darker history behind it. Enslaved people were once traded here. Behind the square you find the Portal de los Dulces, where small stalls sell traditional Colombian sweets.
You don’t need a complicated sightseeing plan for Cartagena. Walk through the streets, look inside the small shops, stop for coffee and take time for the plazas along the way. The city gets hot during the day, so start early if you can and slow down a bit once the temperature rises.
Catedral de Santa Catalina de Alejandría
Another building you will keep seeing while walking through the Old Town is the Catedral de Santa Catalina de Alejandría. The pink and yellow tower rises above the rooftops and suddenly appears at the end of different streets as you walk around. The cathedral is close to Plaza de la Proclamación, so you will probably pass it anyway while exploring this part of Cartagena.
Walk Las Murallas
Walking along Las Murallas was one of my favorite things to do in Cartagena. You look over the Old Town on one side and the Caribbean on the other. I watched the kitesurfers out at sea, and the wind made the heat much easier. Go later in the afternoon if you can, when it starts to cool down. You can also tour the Old Town in one of Cartagena’s electric carriages, which have replaced the old horse-drawn carriages. I preferred walking because you can turn into any little street that looks interesting and stop whenever you want.
Getsemaní Cartagena
Getsemaní sits just outside the Walled City and was a great base for my stay. You can easily walk between the two areas, so during the day you can explore the Old Town and Las Murallas and head back into Getsemaní later for dinner and the evening. Plaza de la Trinidad is especially nice after sunset. Street-food vendors gather around the square, locals and travelers sit outside with a beer and sometimes people start dancing. There is not really anything you have to do here. Find a place to sit and enjoy what is going on around you.
Where to stay in Cartagena
I stayed at Casa Pizarro Hotel Boutique in Getsemaní, a small boutique hotel with a pool that was very welcome after walking around Cartagena in the heat. Breakfast is served on the rooftop terrace, with views over the city and a bit of breeze in the morning. The location was one of the best things about staying here. The Old Town is within walking distance, while Getsemaní has plenty of restaurants and life in the evening. For me, this was a much better fit than staying in one of the larger hotels elsewhere in Cartagena.
Where to eat in Cartagena
For Peruvian food, try Cuzco Cocina Peruana in the Old Town. I already loved Peruvian food from earlier travels, so this was an easy choice. It was very busy when I went, with people waiting before opening, but the food and service were good. La Cevichería in San Diego was another favorite. I love ceviche and Cartagena is a pretty good place to eat it. It is popular, so allow a little extra time if you go for lunch or dinner. After one of my Rosario Islands trips, I also stopped for ice cream on the way back into town. I didn’t plan it or look anything up beforehand. It was hot, there was ice cream and that was enough reason.
Cartagena beaches or the Rosario Islands?
Cartagena has several beaches, so you can easily combine sightseeing with some time by the sea. Bocagrande is the best-known city beach, with a long stretch of sand and the modern Cartagena skyline directly behind it. There are also beaches further along the coast if you prefer to get away from the busiest part of the city. I didn’t spend time on Cartagena’s beaches because I had already had plenty of beach days in Palomino. Instead, I took two day trips to the Rosario Islands. If your route is different, you can easily add a few hours at the beach while staying in Cartagena. The combination with Palomino worked well on my Colombia route. Palomino gave me the long beach days, Cartagena the Old Town, food and evenings in Getsemaní, and the Rosario Islands added the turquoise Caribbean water.
Rosario Islands day trip from Cartagena
There are many Rosario Islands tours from Cartagena, and in photos they can all look pretty similar, but they’re not. I booked two island days and had two very different experiences: Isla del Encanto and Coralina Island. The year before, I had visited the San Blas Islands in Panama and absolutely loved them, so my Caribbean island expectations were probably quite high. Isla del Encanto didn’t quite give me that same feeling. Coralina came much closer.
Isla del Encanto day trip
The first trip was to Isla del Encanto. The harbor was packed in the morning, with large groups checking in and trying to find the right boats. Once we finally left Cartagena, the boat ride was beautiful and I was happy to be back on the water. The island itself was much busier than expected. There were lots of people and beach beds, and I managed to find one partly in the shade. The water was beautiful and turquoise, though, which was exactly what I had hoped to find in the Caribbean.
Renting a stand-up paddleboard was the best part of the day. I paddled away from the busiest section and found some small waves near a reef to the side of the island. Lunch was served buffet-style and was well organized. The Premium Maritime Day Tour is around US$135 per adult, plus about US$10 port tax. The package includes the return boat from Cartagena, lunch, beach club access and water activities. Check the current price before booking because rates can change.
The boats return to Cartagena fairly early in the afternoon, so your actual time on the island is shorter than you may expect. Check the return time before choosing a tour, especially if you mainly want a long day by the water. Would I choose Isla del Encanto again? Probably not. The water was lovely and the SUP was great fun, but the island was simply too busy for the kind of day I had in mind.
Coralina Island day trip
My second Rosario Islands trip was to Coralina Island, and this suited me much better. Check-in was calmer, there were fewer people and there was only one boat for our group. Already a better start. Coralina doesn’t have a large sandy beach. The shoreline is mainly coral, with beautiful turquoise water around the island. That didn’t bother me because swimming, snorkeling and relaxing by the water were exactly what I wanted.
On arrival, my place was reserved with my name on it, with fresh towels and a white wine waiting. I snorkeled around half of the island and spent the rest of the day relaxing. Lunch was served in several courses instead of as a buffet, and the whole setup felt smaller and more personal. The Relax Experience is around US$208 per adult in low season or US$215 in high season, plus approximately US$12 for the port tax and medical insurance. Boat transport, lunch, towels and use of kayaks and snorkeling masks are included.
Some guests were staying overnight and I could understand why. A day on the island goes quickly once you include the boat trip in both directions. If you have the time and the budget, compare the day trip with an overnight stay before booking.
Isla del Encanto or Coralina Island?
Coralina was my favorite. It felt quieter and more relaxed, with far fewer people around. Isla del Encanto was cheaper and had more of a beach club setup, while Coralina was smaller and more personal. For me, that difference was worth paying more for. The biggest thing I learned from these two trips is that the beautiful island photos don’t tell you much about the actual experience. My days were very different because of the number of people, the time on the island and the way everything was organized. Those are the details I would check before choosing a Rosario Islands tour.
For the Rosario Islands, the meeting time can be well before the boat actually leaves. Isla del Encanto checks in at Muelle de la Bodeguita from 7:00 AM, with the boat leaving around 8:00 AM. Coralina asks guests to arrive around 8:00 AM for an approximately 8:40 AM departure.
What not to do in Cartagena Colombia
I wouldn’t fill every hour in Cartagena with sightseeing. The Old Town is compact and part of the fun is simply walking around, stopping somewhere for a drink and going back out later when the heat has dropped. Keep some energy for Getsemaní in the evening too. The same goes for choosing a Rosario Islands tour. My two trips looked quite similar when I booked them, but the experience was completely different once I arrived. If a quiet island day matters to you, look at how the trip is organized and not only at the price or the nicest turquoise-water photo.
Getting to and from Cartagena
My Colombia route came into Cartagena from Barranquilla by minibus and finished here. I had started the trip in Bogotá and flew home from Cartagena, which saved traveling back across the country at the end. Cartagena also connects easily with Santa Marta and the rest of the Caribbean coast by bus and shared transfer. If you are traveling in the same direction, you can combine Santa Marta, Tayrona or Palomino, Barranquilla and Cartagena without having to backtrack.
Is Cartagena Colombia worth visiting?
For me, yes. Cartagena was completely different from the other stops on my Colombia route. The Old Town has the history and colorful streets, Getsemaní comes alive in the evening and the Caribbean is right there when you want some beach or island time. I would happily make the same combination again: spend a few days in Cartagena, stay around Getsemaní and add the Rosario Islands. Between my two island days, Coralina would still be my choice.
Continue your Colombia Caribbean route towards Barranquilla, or Palomino and the rest of the coast, or fly out of Cartagena at the end of your trip.
