Cartagena Travel Itinerary

A port city like no other. From the antique house structures to the vibrant nightlife, Cartagena has so much to offer. This was part of our three city South American trip. With that in consideration, this portion was very much food, random exploration walks, and endless drinks. We spent most of our time within a 8 minute walk from our Airbnb for the majority of our stay. However, within that small radius, there’s so much to see as you walk on the cobblestone streets. With such an electric nightlife, we couldn’t help but go out every night.  

Overall, my experience in Cartagena was amazing with great stories of connecting with both local and traveling visitors, colorful photo taking walks, and dancing. I see why Cartagena is compared to Miami. But it’s way better in my opinion.

Cartagena was the perfect first stop to kick off our South American trip. It allowed our group to bond and explore at our own pace.

Buena Vida – Seafood Rooftop Restaurant

A block from our stay, we came here to grab some fresh seafood. The ratings online were a perfect 5 stars which I’ve never seen before. In terms of beauty and décor, 5 stars. The food was 3/5. The food looked great; however, it lacked flavor. I would have liked some sauce to come with my seafood platter. We went upstairs for a post-meal drink. Personally, overpriced for the experience. The staff was friendly, energetic with random dance sessions, and helpful.

Overall Rating: 3.2/5

Alquímico Bar – Rooftop Bar Club

OMG. My favorite bar in Cartagena. It’s a bit of a mixed crowd all listening to reggaetón and hip-hop amongst the grand royalty-like architecture. It’s a total of three stories, the base floor with the main bar and seating, second floor is a more mingle friendly vibe, and the rooftop is puro perrear. We went every night here. The drinks are crafty. I ended up telling the bartenders my likes and they curated a custom drink for me that I loved and kept ordering. It was a perfect blend of strong and spicy. Great, great first stop to start the night.

Overall Rating: 5/5

Town House – Rooftop Restaurant

This rooftop has the drinks, bites, pool, and the views. I really enjoyed my time at this restaurant. It was so beautiful to see the panoramic view, and the food was yummy. It’s your more typical American small bites food such as sliders and chicken skewers. We went during the day, so we had the restaurant to ourselves. I enjoyed chatting with the staff as we got our lives together from the night before.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Boat Tour - Experience

We took a two-hour sunset boat ride. Our tour included unlimited drinks, however, it was also BYOB which we partook in with White Hennessey and La Hechicera. It did get a bit crowded on the boat with moments of spilling drinks due to the waves, but it was an eventful pregame move as we overlooked the city. Our particular package had an interactive portion where we got to mingle and party with the whole boat collective. I wish we got more of a say in the music selection. It was a vibe but could have been better. Especially, with only two hours, could have optimized with better songs for the lit vibes. It was a great opportunity for my group to mingle with both the hosts and the other groups.

Overall Rating: 3.8/5

Mirador – Rooftop Bar

Overlooking the Monumento Torre del Reloj (clock tower) and port, I’m noticing there’s a theme of Cartagena, rooftops. We had experienced a live band covering hits from different Latin countries. The Colombian flag right in front with the walking pedestrians was a freeze moment of cherishing life. Especially being Latina, Colombia felt familiar even though I’ve never been before. As I remember randomly saying to some street vendors, Viva Cartagena! Viva Colombia! Viva México!

Overall Rating: 4.2/5

Delirium Gastro Bar – Bar Club

I unfortunately did not make it to this night spot; however, I heard it was a dope vibe. According to the group, highly recommend. They played hip-hop, rap, and reggaeton.   

Rating: 4.8/5

Bronx Afro House – Hookah Lounge

A graffiti hookah lounge playing all the hits with the music videos playing on the TVs. This is a chiller lowkey lounge compared to other locations I went to. There’s also a second floor we didn’t really get to explore. The vibe upstairs was more of a club rather than sit and lounge. I’d recommend going with a large group. Music 10/10.

Overall Rating: 3.8/5

Cande – Restaurant

I was recommended this spot based on the food. I personally didn’t finish my food due to the dislike. It wasn’t for my palette. I had the trio ceviche. It wasn’t my favorite flavors in my opinion. One was tomato based but it tasted watered down. Another was too sweet for my liking. The ambiance was very elegant from the decor, service, vegetation, and bathrooms. There was live music playing which was great. They had instruments as simple as shakers to the piano and cello.

Overall Rating: 2.5/5

Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas – Attraction

We had some time prior to our flight to explore this historic castle. It was a short taxi ride from El Centro. We went during a very direct sun afternoon. It was nice to see and walk around. It had a great view of the city. Not much to learn from just walking around without a guide.

Overall Rating: 3/5

Chingona Tips

• If you take a picture of or with the Fruit Ladies, do know that you have to pay per woman. Ask for the price prior to snapping.

• With your stay, read the reviews on the hot water and A/C mentions. Some areas we were looking into had issues with these items. We thankfully had an incredible experience at our stay. This is ours that was extremely central to everything.

• La Hechicera was our drink of choice, a Colombian rum. Too smooth for our own good.

• We rarely ordered any car rides. I recommend when you do need vehicle transportation to opt for Uber to minimize the risk of fake taxis.

• Bring breathable attire. It’s extremely humid and hot in Cartagena.

• If you find yourself hungry while out, consider the chicken and carne asada skewers from street vendors.