Best Things To Do in Cartagena de Indias

By Roberto – (Updated Feb 23)

⏱ 5 min

Whether you have traveled before to Latin America or not, one thing is for sure: you will fall in love with many things in Cartagena! This place is unique in many ways. From colorful streets with colonial houses, to the best fruits, or the crazy night life with the newest reggaeton. Let me guide you in this post with the best things to do in Cartagena de Indias over 3 or more days. This post complements our other post about What to know When Preparing a Trip to Cartagena de Indias.

I spent three summer vacations in a row in Cartagena with friends. It may sound a bit crazy, but in our case, we had free accommodation with everything included, a free boat, and also, there are many things to do and love here.

Cartagena’s best assets are:

• the people (always nice and helpful)
• the food (meat and smoothies are freaking good)
• the atmosphere (the old area of Muralla is so authentic)
• the nightlife
• blue waters, and so on.

Best things to do in Cartagena de Indias

The city offers many options. I think it’s better to mention almost all of the possibilities, without entering a lot of detail.

Walk Through Colonial Houses

Pinks, blues, yellows and green tones of the colonial houses welcome you in the area of Muralla. When the Spanish colonists settled in Colombia, magnificent artisans built these two floor houses for noble families, rich militaries or priests. Today, these houses – some mansions – remain well conserved and maintain their internal gardens with fountains, wooden details and elaborated balconies. 

The colonial houses give you an idea about how the life had to be for the rich families during the years 1600-1800. Many of these houses are hotels, and I totally encourage you to stay in one of them. I stayed in Casa Rosa Boutique, with a jacuzzi next to Santuario de San Pedro Claver. You will see many open houses with gardens in a courtyard, and you are free to ask if you can go in. Probably they will let you go in, and if you’re lucky, they will explain the history of the house to you. 

Sail to Barú or Islas del Rosario

Barú or Peninsula de Barú gather some of the best beaches of the region, and are a good option for a pasadía – a plan to spend the day – or even to sleep in a wood hut on the beach. There are multiple ways to reach the main beach, Playa Blanca. You can go either by car, bus (1h 30min), group boat or private boat (45min) with a wide range of prices. Make sure you check prices and the reputation of the agency you take the trip with. 

Playa Blanca, the biggest and most touristic beach, has decent waters and a fanciful scene. Multiple sellers will try to offer you piña colada, massages, wristbands, coconuts or other drinks, varied food, and so on. It’s not the cleanest beach, due to the overexploitation of tourism, but the vibe, the views and the sunsets are worth it. 

If you prefer a quieter spot, with outstanding water, then Islas del Rosario will be a better option. Reachable only by boat, and 30 more minutes from Barú, this group of almost 30 little islands has pure Caribbean blue waters and plenty of fish. There are coves and houses that you can rent (normally quite expensive) to fully enjoy this paradisiacal experience.

Keep calm like a local, and drink!

Cartageneros are not known for providing the ultimate fast service in the world. Far from that, they might make you lose time while on a tour, or give you a different meal than the one you ordered after waiting for 30 minutes (real). To endure this, I suggest you to use that time for other things, rather than just “waiting”. Do people watching, start conversations, or simply order a drink. You’ll be surprised how enjoyable it is to end up sharing a beer on a terrace with a local vendor.

Immerse in history in La Popa or Fuerte San Felipe

Discovering this story, visiting the fort or La Popa, and seeing with your own eyes the canyons along the bay, will give you an idea about how powerful Cartagena was in those centuries. Additionally, there are multiple stories in colonial houses, names of streets – like Calle de la Amargura – and much much more information, that I strongly recommend you learn about. 

Cartagena has tons of stories and history, from the Spanish and the Colombian side. As a history enthusiast, I was amazed how people in Cartagena knew about the Battle of Cartagena de Indias, with Blas de Lezo, while nobody in Spain knows about it. This life-changing event was the second largest disembarkment – after Normandy – of the world. Few more than 3,000 Spanish-Colombian men, defended against the overwhelming attack of the British Navy, who had nearly 30,000 soldiers and more than 100 boats. 

Bargain, regatea and colabora

Except at stores or restaurants with fixed prices, bargaining is pretty common in Cartagena. You can bargain with cigarette or juice sellers, with musicians or other artists, with tour agencies, even with discos! Don’t think you’re being rude if you try to do it, because they will also try to charge you more, since you’re not a local. 

It is important to negotiate but don’t take advantage with your purchasing power. Some sellers need to commute long hours to work in the city and try to sell tissues or fruits. Be gentle and help them! We established good connections with night musicians, boat drivers, security guards, and food sellers… To have a friend is to have a treasure!

Dance the real Reggeton

Salsa, bachata or champeta are all played in Cartagena’s discos, but reggaeton is the real king. If you haven’t heard about Bad Bunny, J Balvin or Nicky Jam, you will. Many of the world most famous reggaeton singers were born in Colombia or visit it frequently. Music – and mainly reggaeton – is present everywhere in Cartagena. Enjoy your cocktails on a terrace on the muralla like Café del Mar or Baluarte de San Francisco Javier.

For night plans, you’ll find good options at Muralla or Getsemany. Discos like ALQUIMICO, Babar, Mr Babilla, Fragma, or La Movida will entertain you until late hours with good tragos – drinks – and the newest reggeaton. Get ready to pay cover if you’re man – and move your body! If you don’t know how to dance, ask a local. If you don’t know how to ask, then drink!

Have the best boat day of your life at Cholón

Imagine an island in the middle of the Caribbean, where you can park your boat alongside other boats and music. A place where you can order drinks and local food and eat on wooden tables installed in the water. A place where you can rent water motorbikes to explore other Caribbean islands or pay for a 1-hour massage. This island is called Cholón. 

Cholón is next to Peninsula de Barú and only accessible by boat. This place is mandatory to visit if you want to enjoy a drinking day in Cartagena. I’ve been here six times and I would go another six! To come here, there are tours departing from Muralla – from 50 USD for the full day – or you can rent a private boat if you go with a group of friends, for a bit more. 

In addition to the party and music, this place is next to one coral reef, being a great spot for snorkeling.

Try local food

Cartagena food – as all the Colombian food – is made from pure strong flavours. Latin America in general, mixed Spanish food with thousands of local ingredients, resulting in an immense list of dishes. I’d highlight the sweetness and flavor of ALL the fruits. Mango, watermelon, papaya… whatever you chose for a smoothie at the beach or any jugo, will be amazing. Fruit is also mixed with rice, like in the case of arroz con coco or the famous cocadas.

For fish eaters, there are many options for fried fish, shrimps – I recommend ordering the shrimps if you are in Cholón – and sancocho de pescado, like a fish soup with potatoes. Some good quality restaurants are…… If you prefer seafood, I would suggest El Boliche Cebicheria. 

In case you prefer meat, the best quality/cost restaurant you can find is – with 0 doubts – Restaurante Quebracho. There are hundreds of options within Muralla or Getsemaní that also have sushi, Peruvian food, tapas or pasta. Other suggestions would be: El Arsenal, La Tapería, … but due to the intense tourism and high competition, there are many good options!

Want more and have Time? Visit Tayrona’s Park

Reaching the end of the post but with honorific mention, would be Tayrona’s Park or Parque Tayrona. This place deserves a single post, so I’m going to just mention the basic information here. Tayrona’s park is a tropical paradise, considered one of the most beautiful natural parks of the world. In it you’ll find hikes and jungle, mixed with virgin beaches and an epic Caribbean landscape. It is around 4 hours from Cartagena, and it is mandatory to stay one night minimum. There are tents, private houses, and shared wooden cabins. 

This is the official website, which I recommend to explore before paying any tour, in order to avoid being scammed. If you can afford spending 3 days here, don’t hesitate. The 3-day adventure in Tayrona can cost between $250-350 – for foreigners – depending on many factors, like the accommodation and options for the tours or food included. Negotiation skills are always important. We stayed in a private house with dinner, breakfast and horses for one night, for less than 200$!

I hope I’ve convinced you to visit Colombia and discover the amazing Cartagena de Indias. Cartagena is a destination that, besides being very touristic, offers something unique with the happiness and the love of its people. I bet that you won’t forget this place, so… what are you waiting for?

For more blue waters…