Getting around Cartagena: public transport, passes and taxis

Cartagena splits into three practical zones: the walled city with Getsemaní, the beach strip of Bocagrande and Laguito, and everything else, including the airport, the bus terminal and the islands. Match the mode to the zone rather than looking for one system that covers all of it.

The walled city and Getsemaní are the reason most people come, and they are small enough to cross on foot in about 20 minutes (check). Streets are flat, shaded in places by balconies, and best explored early morning or after 16:00 when the heat drops. Comfortable shoes matter more than any transport decision here.

Crossing from the walled city to Getsemaní is a short walk past the Puerta del Reloj and the Camellón de los Mártires. Bocagrande is walkable from Getsemaní in roughly 25–30 minutes along the waterfront (check), but many visitors take a taxi or app for that stretch, especially after dark.

Ride-hailing apps are the simplest option for visitors: the price is set before you get in, you avoid negotiating, and you have a record of the trip. They work well for the airport, Bocagrande, the bus terminal and evening returns. The legal status of app-based services in Colombia sits in a grey area, so a driver may ask you to sit in the front seat as if you were a friend; this is normal (check).

Yellow taxis are metered, but meters are not always used honestly with visitors (check). Take taxis from hotel ranks, the official airport rank or a restaurant call rather than hailing on the street at night. Street hails after dark have been linked to express kidnapping robberies in Colombian cities, so treat a booked car as the default after sunset.

Agree the fare or confirm the meter before you set off if you do take a street taxi, and carry small notes. Drivers rarely have change for large bills.

Cartagena has no metro and no single transit card that makes sense for a short visit. Local buses and minibuses run along the main arteries, including a route between the centre and Bocagrande (check), and cost only a few thousand pesos (check). They are cheap in daylight but crowded, unsigned in a way that is obvious to locals and not to you, and slow in traffic.

If you plan to use buses, ask your accommodation which route and which stop, pay the conductor in cash, and keep bags in front of you. For a three- or four-day trip, the savings over taxis are small compared with the time lost, so most visitors skip them. There is no tourist travelcard to buy; treat any offer of one as a red flag.

Boats to the Islas del Rosario leave from the Muelle de la Bodeguita near the old town and take about an hour each way. Tours are sold as packages, usually COP 150,000–300,000, with port tax and island entry fees often charged separately (check). Check what is included before paying, and expect beach vendors to push extras on arrival.

For anything beyond the islands, buses and shared vans cover the region: Santa Marta and Barranquilla are the usual next stops. Book those seats a day ahead in high season.

Budget roughly COP 8,000–40,000 per app or taxi trip inside the city, more at night or in heavy traffic. Airport runs to the walled city are short, about 15 minutes, so they sit at the low end of that band. Island tours are the big transport cost of a Cartagena trip at COP 150,000–300,000 per person (check).

Walking costs nothing and covers most of what you came to see. If you are watching the budget, stay in or near the old town and spend on boats rather than on daily taxis.