I fell in love with Cartagena.
The colours, the people, the food, the weather, the walled city.
All of it just transports you to a faraway land. This is one of the places where you go and you know you’re on holiday. The narrow streets, the flowers growing over the balconies, the fruit carts just waiting for you to devour all their mangoes (I definitely tried).
I stayed mostly inside the walled city, and trust me, that’s where you’ll want to be (and never want to leave!)
This was mine and Matt’s first time swimming in the Caribbean!
Door knocker! No door bells here, they were all animals – so cool. The delicious La Paletteria, in the walled city. Perfect after after a after dinner stroll!
Stay I definitely recommend somewhere within the walled city. We stayed at Hotel Boutique Santo Toribio, and I can’t recommend it enough! Staff were so attentive, and the amazing lady even remembered I liked lime with my tea every morning. Find them here
Eat There are so many amazing restaurants and fresh fruit carts in Cartagena I could go on for hours. My tip? Just walk around and stumble upon some places. My favourite was Carmen Restaurant, which only opens for dinner and does exquisite food (find them here) and for some ceviche you can’t miss El Boliche Cebicheria (find them here).
Do Watch the sunset from the walled city top, take a day trip out into the Caribbean*, eat lots of fresh fruit, walk around the plazas at night, visit the San Felipe de Brajas Castle (go in the morning or evening, or the sun gets unbearably hot). Soak it all in.
*there are many tourist traps with the Caribbean island trips. Ask at your hotel for one of the private islands.