This six-day itinerary for Cartagena and the Caribbean Coast focuses on exploring the cities of the area, wandering streets, relaxing on beaches, and enjoying local cuisine. You can also easily extend the visit by four or five days to include an excursion to La Guajira.
From nearby Pereira, fly to Cartagena, 1.5 hours away. Once you land and change into the airy attire standard for the sultry city, get to know the area by taking a stroll on the massive ramparts protecting the city.
Have dinner at La Vitrola, a Cartagena classic. Spend the night at the Hotel Sofitel Legend Santa Clara or the Blue House hostel, a good budget option.
Walk the Old City streets, getting lost and found again as you amble from the divine Plaza de Bolívar to the Plaza Santo Domingo to Las Murallas, the city’s walls. Be sure to check out the impressive Castillo de San Felipe in the late afternoon.
Lose yourself in the romance of Cartagena’s narrow streets and plazas. Photo © Konstantin Kalishko/123rf.
Don’t miss out on the old-style fun at Café Havana, and be sure to try one of their famous rum drinks. Go for pizza afterward at nearby Pavia before returning to your hotel for the night.
For a change of pace, take a cab or bus to Bocagrande, Cartagena’s version of Miami Beach. A walk along the bay in the Castillo Grande district is a fine way to pass the day.
Spend some time in the hip and happening area of Getsemaní, a neighborhood of tapas bars and watering holes. For inventive local cuisine, try La Cocina de Pepina.
From the Muelle Turístico in town, take a boat to the beaches of Islas del Rosario, the area’s finest beaches, and spend a couple of nights at an island hotel. It’s worth splurging for the Coralina Isla Boutique.
Return to Cartagena in the late afternoon and take one last walk on the walls, enjoying a cocktail at Café del Mar and dinner at La Cevichería.
If you have 4-5 extra days, consider taking a trip to La Guajira, a desert peninsula that is home to the Wayúu people.
Start at the beach in Palomino or in Riohacha, the departmental capital of La Guajira, and join up with an organized tour group. After a dusty ride past countless cacti and lonely goats, you’ll arrive at Cabo de la Vela, where you can take a dip in the Caribbean Sea or try your luck wind- or kite-surfing.
The next stop is Punta Gallinas, the northernmost point of South America. Spend a day or two on a photo safari of the unusual landscape of desert dunes that drop dramatically into the sea.
Take a canoe trip to explore the mangroves, then share a huge, freshly prepared lobster with a friend. If there’s time, check out the Santuario de Fauna y Flora Los Flamencos to the southwest for an early morning or late afternoon canoe ride in search of flamingos.
Check out more of our Colombia best-of travel itineraries with six days in Medellín and the Coffee Region or make it five exploring Bogotá and Boyacá or San Agustín, Popayán, and Cali.×Excerpted from the First Edition of Moon Colombia.
