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Voykit pocket guide · Colombia
Cartagena
Cartagena de Indias
Base 3 nights in the walled city or Getsemaní: walk the old town at 07:00 before the heat and cruise crowds, and give the beaches a half-day, not a day.
Cartagena is Colombia's most-visited city: a walled Spanish colonial core and the fort of San Felipe, both UNESCO-listed, plus a hotel strip at Bocagrande and islands an hour offshore. Three nights covers the old town, the fort and one beach or island day. It is hot and humid all year, so plan mornings and evenings outdoors and rest at midday.
- Country
- Colombia
- Local name
- Cartagena de Indias
- Best months
- Dec–Apr (dry); Jul is drier than the rest of the wet season
- Avoid
- Sep–Oct (wettest); Dec holidays and Holy Week (crowds, higher prices)
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- COP
- Money
- Currency is the Colombian peso (COP, $). Cards work in hotels, malls and many restaurants; cash is needed for small shops, markets and rural areas.
- Daily spend
- Budget COP 120,000–200,000 excl. bed · Mid COP 200,000–400,000 excl. bed · High COP 400,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Claro (best coverage), Movistar and Tigo SIMs in malls and at airports; passport required and IMEI registration may apply for longer stays — check.
- Emergency
- Police 123 · Fire 119 · Ambulance 125
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 110–120 V · 60 Hz · US-style plugs.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10% propina voluntaria offered on the bill.; Guides: COP 20,000–50,000 per person per day.; Taxis: Round up.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in Bogotá and Medellín; drink bottled on the coast and in rural areas.
- Toilets
- Put paper in the bin in most places; bring tissues for bus stations.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | COP 4,000–9,000 |
| Set lunch (menú del día) | COP 15,000–30,000 |
| Beer: bar / shop | COP 8,000–15,000 / COP 3,000–5,000 |
| Taxi, old town ↔ Bocagrande | About COP 6,000 |
| Castillo de San Felipe entry (foreign visitor) | COP 30,000 |
| Inquisition Palace entry | COP 17,000 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | COP 30,000–60,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CTG · Rafael Núñez International
- About 3 km from the old city; taxi to the walled city roughly COP 10,000–12,000, about 15 minAbout 1.9 mi from the old city; taxi to the walled city roughly COP 10,000–12,000, about 15 min
Typical fares
- Airport → walled city, taxi
- about COP 10,000–12,000, about 15 min (check)
- Old town → Bocagrande, taxi
- about COP 6,000
- Transcaribe ride
- about COP 2,300 with a COP 4,000 card (check)
Get around
The old town is a walking district; most sights sit within 15 minutes of the Puerta del Reloj. Taxis have no meters, so agree the fare before you get in (old town ↔ Bocagrande about COP 6,000). Transcaribe buses use a rechargeable card (card about COP 4,000, ride about COP 2,300) and are slow but cheap. Boats to the islands leave from Muelle de la Bodeguita.
See and do
Known for
- Walled colonial city (UNESCO)
- Castillo de San Felipe
- Getsemaní street art
- Islas del Rosario and Playa Blanca
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Islas del Rosario / Playa Blanca | Boat from Muelle de la Bodeguita | About 1 h each way |
| Barranquilla | Bus, about 2 h 30 min | About 3 h |
| Santa Cruz de Mompox | Bus, about 6 h | About 6 h |
| Tolú | Bus, about 3 h | About 3 h |
| Rincón del Mar | Bus to San Onofre, then moto-taxi | 3–4 h |
| Montería | Bus, about 4 h 30 min | About 5 h |
Sleep
- Walled city (Centro and San Diego)
- Colonial streets, restaurants and museums on foot; priciest beds and some street noise at night.
- Getsemaní
- Just outside the clock tower; hostels, bars and street art, 5–10 min walk into Centro.
- Bocagrande
- Beachfront hotel towers, 10–15 min by taxi from the old town; calmer, less character.
- Castillogrande
- Quiet modern condos and a jogging strip; good for longer stays with a car or app rides.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Buenos díasBWEH-nos DEE-as |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-see-as |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-to KWES-ta |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorla KWEN-ta por fa-VOR |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-do pa-GAR kon tar-HEH-ta |
| Where is the toilet? | ¿Dónde está el baño?DON-de es-TA el BA-nyo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, cheek kiss between women and mixed pairs; avoid: Launching into requests without a greeting
- Politeness: 'Con gusto', 'a la orden'; avoid: Blunt commands
- Topics: Coffee, football, food; avoid: Escobar jokes, drug talk
- Showing valuables: Keep phones away; avoid: 'Dar papaya'
Scams and watch-outs
- Agree every taxi fare before boarding; drivers may quote high rates to visitors.
- Tap water is not for drinking on the coast: buy bottled.
- Do not walk up La Popa hill; take a taxi and fix the return fare first.
- Island and beach tours add port tax and island fees on top of the advertised price.
- Old-town streets flood in heavy rain; bring sandals you can get wet.
The walled city and Bocagrande are busy and generally safe by day. Keep phones out of sight, use apps or hotel taxis at night, avoid walking up La Popa, and treat street hail taxis after dark with care.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Cartagena yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Walled colonial city (UNESCO)
- Castillo de San Felipe
- Getsemaní street art
- Islas del Rosario and Playa Blanca
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Cartagena (Colombia), revision 5291213 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5291213
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
CartagenaCartagena de Indias
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
The US consulate is in Barranquilla (check the address); most other countries keep embassies in Bogotá.
Tipping: 10% propina voluntaria is offered on restaurant bills; round up taxi fares.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/cartagena-colombia). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.