Journal

Tierra Bomba Beach Club Day Pass from Cartagena: How the Day Actually Works — A Tierra Bomba beach club day pass from Cartagena runs about $40 per person with the boat. Crossing times, what's included, who should skip it, and when to go.
What to Do in Cartagena When It Rains (It Won't Rain All Day) — What to do in Cartagena when it rains: free gold museum, the Inquisition palace, a bottomless brunch, and why the downpour is usually over in an hour.
Bocagrande or the Old Town? Where to Stay in Cartagena, Honestly — Bocagrande vs Cartagena's Old Town: beach and high-rises versus walkable colonial streets with no beach. Which one suits your trip, and what you give up.
Is Cartagena's Old Town Walkable? Yes, and You Can Cross It in 20 Minutes — Cartagena's Old Town is walkable end to end in about 20 minutes. What that means for where you stay, the cobblestones, the heat, and when to take a taxi.
Rosario Islands Day Trip from Cartagena: What It Costs and Who Should Skip It — A Rosario Islands day trip from Cartagena: boats from Muelle de la Bodeguita, 45-60 minutes each way, the park fee in cash, real costs, and when to stay closer.
The Best Time to Visit Cartagena, According to People Who Live Here — The best time to visit Cartagena is December to April: dry, hot, busy. Here's what each season actually feels like, when rates spike, and when we'd come.
Where to Go Salsa Dancing in Cartagena's Old Town (and Getsemaní) — Where to go salsa dancing in Cartagena's Old Town: Donde Fidel, Café Havana and Bazurto, with covers, hours, when the band starts and how to get home.
FICCI 2027 in Cartagena: 6-11 April, and Where to Stay Inside the Walls — FICCI 66, the Cartagena film festival, runs 6-11 April 2027. Dates, how the week actually feels, booking timing, and where to stay inside the walled city.
Small Hotels Inside Cartagena's Walled City: What to Ask Before You Book — Booking a small hotel inside Cartagena's walled city? Ask about noise, breakfast, deposits and which street you're on. Our own answers, straight, from San Diego on Carrera 7.
Cartagena in January: The Driest Month, Two Festivals, and Full Rooms — What to expect in Cartagena in January: the driest month of the year, the music festival on 9-17 January, Hay Festival on 28-31, and why the walled city books out early.
Cartagena Festival de Música 2027: 9-17 January, and How to Do It on Foot — The Cartagena music festival runs 9-17 January 2027 across the walled city. Dates, what the festival actually is, and what we tell guests about staying inside the walls for it.
What to Wear in Cartagena: Pack for Heat, Cobblestones and a Rooftop — What to wear in Cartagena, Colombia: it sits between 76F and 88F all year, so pack linen, flat shoes for the cobblestones, and one outfit for a rooftop night. Here's the honest list.
Hay Festival Cartagena 2027: Dates, and Where to Stay Inside the Walls — Hay Festival Cartagena runs 28-31 January 2027. Here's what we tell guests about staying inside the walled city for it: dates, tickets, booking, and getting in from the airport.
Is Cartagena Safe for Tourists? What We Actually Tell Guests — Is Cartagena safe for tourists? Straight answers from a small hotel inside the walls: where police are thickest, the scams that get people, taxis at night, and what we handle for you.
Solo Travel in Cartagena's Old Town: How to Do It Without Eating Dinner Alone — Solo travel in Cartagena's Old Town, from someone who lives on the square: where to sit, where the company is, what to book direct, and when to skip the rooftop.
Bocagrande to Cartagena's Old Town: Taxi, App, Bus, or Walk — How to get from Bocagrande to Cartagena's Old Town: the legal taxi fare is about COP 12,250, plus ride-hail apps, the Transcaribe bus, and the seafront walk.
Where the Art Is in Cartagena's Old Town (Including On Our Walls) — An art hotel in Cartagena's Old Town, and where to see the rest of it: the modern art museum, the Zenú gold, the vaults, and the murals a walk away in Getsemaní.
Staying in San Diego, Cartagena: What the Neighbourhood Is Actually Like — San Diego is the northern corner of Cartagena's walled city. What it's like to stay there, how noisy it gets, what's walkable, and the practical stuff we get asked.
Plaza de San Diego, Cartagena: Our Square, and How to Use It — Plaza de San Diego is the small restaurant square in the north of Cartagena's walled city. What to eat, when the tables fill, and what's a two-minute walk away.
Getsemaní Street Art: The Walk We'd Send You On, and When to Go — A Getsemani street art tour you can do yourself: Calle de la Sierpe, Plaza de la Trinidad, Callejon Angosto and Callejon Ancho, plus the best time of day to walk it.
Walking Cartagena's City Walls at Sunset: Where to Start, Where to Stop — Walking the city walls in Cartagena at sunset: start at Las Bovedas in San Diego, walk south to Baluarte de Santo Domingo, and know what it costs you.
Where to Hear Live Music in Cartagena's Old Town at Night — Where to hear live music in Cartagena's Old Town at night: salsa and Latin jazz in Getsemaní, what nights the bands play, and what happens on our rooftop.
Things to Do in Getsemaní: Where We Send You After Dark — Things to do in Getsemaní, Cartagena: Plaza de la Trinidad after 7pm, the street art on Calle de la Sierpe, salsa at Café Havana, sloths at Parque del Centenario.
Cartagena at Christmas and New Year: What Actually Happens, and What It Costs You — Cartagena at Christmas and New Year: Velitas on 7 December, novenas from the 16th, dry-season heat, and the mid-December price jump nobody warns you about.
Hotel or Airbnb in Cartagena's Old Town? An Honest Comparison — Hotel or Airbnb in Cartagena's Old Town: what each one actually gets you on breakfast, air conditioning, arrival, noise and cost, with real numbers from our own front desk.
Rooftop Pool Day Pass in Cartagena: Ours Is €25 for Two — Looking for a rooftop pool day pass in Cartagena's Old Town? Ours is €25 for two people for the day. Here's what's included, the hours, and the kids rule.
48 Hours in Cartagena's Walled City: The Plan We'd Text You — A 48 hours in Cartagena walled city itinerary from a hotel on Carrera 7: free gold museum, the walls at sunset, Getsemani after dark, and where to nap.
Beaches Near Cartagena's Old Town: Which One, and How You Actually Get There — The best beaches near Cartagena's Old Town and how to get there: Tierra Bomba is a 25-minute boat ride, Playa Blanca on Barú is about an hour. What to pick.
Where to Eat in Cartagena's Walled City (What We Actually Send Guests To) — Where to eat in Cartagena's walled city: the ceviche counters in San Diego, the lunch canteen locals use, and the one dinner worth booking weeks ahead.
Getsemaní or the Walled City: Where to Stay in Cartagena — Getsemaní or the walled city? An honest comparison of where to stay in Cartagena, written from San Diego, about ten minutes' walk from both.
Cartagena in November: What the Independence Festivities Are Actually Like — Cartagena's Independence Day festivities run around 11 November, with the Bando parade, the Festival Náutico and two beauty pageants. What to expect and how to plan.
Rooftop Bars in Cartagena's Old Town: Where to Drink at Sunset — The best rooftop bars in Cartagena's Old Town, with floors, cocktail prices and who each one suits. Written from our own rooftop on Carrera 7 in San Diego.
Cartagena in September and October: Yes, It Rains. Come Anyway. — Is Cartagena worth visiting in September or October? It's the peak of the wet season and the quietest time of year. What the rain is actually like and how to plan around it.
Cartagena Airport to the Old Town: Taxi, Transfer, and What It Should Cost — Getting from Cartagena airport (CTG) to the Walled Old Town: it's about 3 km and 10-15 minutes. Taxi fares, our transfer price in pesos, and how not to overpay.
San Diego, Cartagena: What to Actually Do in Our Corner of the Walled City — Things to do in San Diego, Cartagena's quieter Walled Old Town barrio: the plaza, the free Gold Museum, the walls at sunset, and where we send guests to eat.