Cartagena de Indias in Colombia | What to Know
By Roberto – (Updated Feb 23)
⏱ 5 min
If you are considering visiting Cartegena de Indias soon? In this post we talk about what to know before going to Cartagena de Indias. Some things will surprise you! Cartagena la Fantástica or just Cartagena, is a touristic beach destination in the northwest of Colombia. There are MANY things to do in this marvellous city and we have dedicated another entire post about What to Do in Cartagena de Indias. In this post, we help you to prepare your trip by sharing what to know before visiting Cartagena de Indias.
When to go | All year round! Cartagena has two main seasons: the dry one, from December to April, and the “wet” one, from May to November. I’ve been three times in the middle of Summer (July and August) and it wasn’t rainy at all. Temperatures are HIGH (even at night) around 30ºC, and the humidity is everywhere. |
How to get there | The city has its own airport. It is only 1.5 h from Colombia’s capital Bogota, and even less time if you fly from Medellín. |
Don’t forget | Cash (you are going to need it for many things), sun cream, a hat and patience… |
Cost |
Cartagena is a destination that offers many services and options for travelers, yet it is not like visiting Rome. There are tons of cultural differences, behaviors, general disorder, and areas you should avoid.
Below you’ll find what to know when visiting Cartagena de Indias. Some advice may seem not so inspiring, but I can promise you that the good things of Cartagena BY FAR outweigh all the bad things.
Things to know before visiting Cartagena de Indias
Cartagena’s weather
First things first. If you extremely dislike heat and humidity… think about visiting another destination. Cartagena is hot and very humid all year round and 24/7. When you exit the airplane, you’re going to start sweating after feeling a heat wave, and you’ll have that feeling until you leave the city again. Sweating is pretty common, even for the locals, so don’t be embarassed if your back looks like a cascade.
Bring summer clothes, shorts, sandals, thin dresses, and hats or caps. Drinking water or jugos – juices – becomes mandatory. You can always buy water supplies from street vendors.
Zones and safety in Cartagena de Indias
When planning a trip to Cartagena de Indias, you definitely want to consider the city’s zones. Cartagena is divided in two big areas for tourists. One is the touristic one, with restaurants, plenty of hotels, bars, good safety, and more sightseeing. The other area, which can represent the 80% of the city, where many locals live, offers more problems than benefits to tourists.
The safer area includes the zones of Muralla (the historical center of the city), Bocagrande (newer area with high buildings), and Getsemany (an area that is constantly improving its image and businesses). These zones are also the best option when looking for accommodation. I would 100% recommend renting accommodation in a colonial house in Muralla.
Beyond in the “bad” areas, you can find cheaper stores, good discos (nightclubs) and restaurants, yet the probability of being scammed increase the further you go. Unless you have a friend who guides you, try to avoid visiting these areas. I went to these zones several times, and nothing bad happened to me. But I’ve also heard stories with different results. Besides this, you will feel safe in Cartagena.
What to know about unwritten rules
In restaurants, boats, and the streets, pay attention to your possessions, because robbers are everywhere. They won’t point a gun at you, but if you leave something without supervision…my friend, you just lost it. In addition, the word of mouth plays a fundamental role in their culture, and they always try to find a task to do for you – el rebusque – and try to charge you extra, because they have to pay somebody else. They call this “la colaboración” – the collaboration-.
If you are thinking about doing activities – and don’t know anyone there – I suggest you to pay big companies that may be more expensive, but they will probably save you from having problems. For example, if you ask somebody about how to get to La Popa, they will call a friend instead indicating you to take a regular taxi. Later, the friend will charge you an extra fee to pay for the recommendation.
Moving around Cartagena
This one is easy: taxis. I love taxis there for several reasons. The first one, is that there are lots of them and you don’t have to wait. Second, they are very affordable – around 1.5-2 $/trip – and you pay after the service BUT you first set the price. For example, from Castillogrande to Muralla, is 7000 pesos. And lastly, my favorite, taxis are like mini temples. Let me explain this.
Some Colombians are very Catholic, and love expressing their faith in Christ with lights, stickers, figures and even Christmas decorations inside the taxi. It is rare that you will take a taxi ride in a plain taxi. Also, they put champeta – afro descendant rumba – or reggaeton on the radio, and make the trip an exciting experience.
You won’t need bikes in Muralla, because it is small enough to walk and you won’t take a bike to go to further areas, because you will sweat, and someone will probably steal the bike. Motorbikes are not allowed in Muralla, you can ask someone there why 😉
A bit of Story before visiting Cartagena de Indias
Cartagena de Indias was a strategic and powerful point for Spaniards between the centuries XVI-XVIII. There is another Cartagena, in Spain, which had a huge port in those years, and – as you probably know – Spaniards and Christobal Colombus thought that they had discovered the Indias (not America). That’s why the name of the city is Cartagena de – of – Indias.
Around 1500, after some invasions and unjustified abuses, Spaniards finally mixed with natives by royal order and understood that it was better to live with the locals than to fight them. Believe it or not, Spaniards and mestizos – mixed races – lived in harmony for centuries, until they proclaimed independence from the Spanish Crown after the Independence War, in 1815. Understanding this story is mandatory to fully understand many things in Cartagena.
The Mecca of Reggeton – Nightlife in Cartagena
Many famous Latino singers like Shakira, Carlos Vives, J Balvin or Maluma, are Colombian and Colombians are proud of the music. Everybody knows how to dance here. Salsa, bachata, reggaeton, champeta or dembow, can be played in a hairdresser, in Zara or in a restaurant. Cartageneros love music wherever they go and the nightlife couldn’t be less.
The majority of discos are in Muralla and are open until 3-4 am – enough for foreigners yet not enough for Spaniards 😝– and in addition to the Latin music, they also have electro or dance music. The dress code is strict at some discos, ALWAYS with long pants for guys. For girls, with a sexy dress, you’re always welcomed and with free entry or even drinks.
Advice to the tourists: if you’re in a disco and a stunning girl clearly approaches you, don’t think she’s flirting with you because you’re an exotic foreigner. Prostitution is a normal business in Colombia and it’s present in many places. Plazas around Torre del Reloj become a showroom at night, giving sometimes a deplorable scenario. My personal advice is (if you’re looking for this) to use Tinder or Hinge, to meet local and real people.
Take it slow… you’re in the Caribbean
Cartagena reminds me of the Philippines, where the time goes slow, and so do the people and the services. Ordering the bill can take up to twenty minutes, ordering a drink in a bar, five, perhaps ten. Who knows. The parsimony is linked to the natives since immemorial times. Don’t be rude if the service is really slow, or if the waiter forgets something. I know it’s difficult to live with, but low wages, low motivation and extreme heat may be the main causes.
Probably you will hear ahorita – now – when you order something, but ahorita can mean five minutes, double that or … never! My advice is … get ready for this slow-mo life and flow with it. There is nothing like enjoying an Aguila beer in Donde Fidel, people watching and just sitting there for hours. Remember that you are on vacation, and you came here running away from the stress.
Is it worth it then?
It’s true that Colombia is a sexist country, it has a lot of poverty, social and political issues, nobody can neglect that. But I went there THREE times, THREE entire summers, and believe me when I say that you will fall in love with the positive experiences.
The cold juices will keep you alive in the heat, surrounded by music and colors. The history, with forts, walls and canyons, will amaze you. The smiles, the kindness and the slowness of the people, will teach you that many times, less is more.
For me – and I’m finishing with this – Cartagena marked a turning point in how I see many things in this world, and it will be always in my heart.
I hope you learnt something from reading this post about what to know before visiting Cartagena de Indias! If you had any other important advice, please let us know =)
Further reading…
For more advice on visiting some of the world’s most fantastic places, you might enjoy the posts below.
- Discover the Philippines – What not to miss
- Epic Western Australia Road Trip
- Favignana Island Travel Guide – Sicily, Italy