With beautiful colonial structures, exotic fruits and fresh seafood, renowned nightlife, and that famed Caribbean heat, Cartagena is often times the first city on travelers’ Colombia itinerary.
If this is your first taste of Colombia, be prepared for sensory explosion. There is a distinct vitality that buzzes through the streets, and you’ll find color and culture around every turn. You’ll meet folks who are pleased to call this place home, and they’ll tell you about it! In the evenings, watch as the streets fill with people and food vendors; and listen to the sounds of salsa music till morning.
Yes, Cartagena is touristic – popular with both international guests and Colombians vacationing in their native country. But if you know where to look and what to eat in Cartagena, we think you’ll learn to adore this bustling city by the sea.
Things To Do In Cartagena’s Old City & Getsemani
The Old City is where you will discover colorfully fascinating streets with flowers clinging to the walls - the Cartagena you’ve seen images of.
The Old City and Getsemani area are the ideal spots to explore!
1. DIY Walking tour in the Old City
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We’re generally major supporters of taking free walking tours, but after reading bad reports about the ones in Cartagena, we chose to explore at our own leisure.
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There’s something amazing about getting lost amid the colorful doors and gorgeous plazas. But if you want to make sure you visit all the essential places, we’ve developed a Self-Guided Walking Tour for you to follow that will introduce you to the Old City’s most significant landmarks. You’re welcome!
2. Cool down at Museo del Oro Zenu
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While fairly tiny, the Gold Museum is free to enter. And the museum’s powerful AC means it’s an excellent way to cool off after your self-guided walking tour (#1). Back sweat is a genuine challenge in this city, guys.
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The museum also includes a good and clean bathroom, which isn’t often easy to locate in this city.
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But the Gold Museum offers more than simply a spot to cool down and stop for a potty break. There’s actually some fairly stunning things on show, and you can learn about the process of how gold goes from the ground to a set of complex earrings. It’s rather intriguing, honestly.
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You don’t need any more than 30 minutes at this museum.
3. Hunt for beautiful doorways
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I have a fascination with doors… anyone else?
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Cartagena has some of the most colorful and stunning doors I’ve seen, and I loved roaming about the Old City, capturing shots of my favorite ones (which was pretty much all of them).
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And it’s not simply the doors that are beautiful… it’s the walls, the flower boxes, the windows and basically, well, everything.
4. Explore Castillo de San Felipe
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Learn about Cartagena’s history and experience spectacular views of the city all at the same spot. Castillo San Felipe de Barajas is a famous fortification located just beyond the Old City’s walls, and is a popular tourist site (with good cause).
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The construction of this stronghold commenced in 1536, and it was exceedingly sophisticated for its day. For example, the fort was created such that if it was assaulted by the enemy, the Colombian soldiers could still destroy them from within. And it worked! This amazing edifice was assaulted on multiple occasions, but never captured.
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Be sure to explore the huge network of underground tunnels, which are both intriguing and a nice reprieve from the sun!
5. Search for Street Art in Getsemani
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The area of Getsemani is a fantastic site to find street art.
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You may stroll about and get lost in the back alleyways at your own speed, or you can join a guided free street art tour which starts at 10 a.m. each day.
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6. Support a Vendor
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Buy fresh fruit from a cart seller (they’re everywhere!). They work hard being out in the heat all day, so it’s wonderful to show them a little support!
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Good to know: If you want to take a picture with one of the colorfully-dressed women with fruit baskets (an iconic Cartagena sight), you will need to tip them.
7. Take a Spanish Class
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If Cartagena is your first destination on a South American journey, why not spend a few days sharpening up your Spanish skills? We did exactly that and registered in 5 days of Spanish instruction before continuing our trip via Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Boliva. It was an excellent chance for us to ask questions, learn travel terminology, and practice pronunciations (and attempt get rid of our God terrible gringo accents!).
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We attended classes via Nueva Lengua and were delighted, although there are numerous Spanish courses to select from in this city. There are group sessions as well as private classes, depending on your level and budget. Plus, considering that there are many of activities to do in and around Cartagena, it is a fantastic area to base oneself for a bit.
8. Free bike tour
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If you prefer to tour the Old City on wheels rather than on your feet (it’ll be breezier than walking!), sign up for Free Bike Tour Cartagena.
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You hire the bike (find them around the city starting at 5,000 COP per hour) and the tour guide is added for free!
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Know that the guides work for tips, so if you had a wonderful time, it’s usual to pay them gratuities. The excursions are enjoyable and instructive and run roughly 2 hours.
9. Walk on top the Old City Walls
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The Old City is still encircled by walls, and there are areas where a series of stairs makes it feasible to climb up and wander along the circumference.
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Just know that walking around the Old City walls will leave you entirely exposed to the heat, and fellas, the sun here is no joke. It’s preferable to do this in the morning or late afternoon. And whichever time you go, make sure to apply your sunscreen!