Cartagena is a picturesque walled city known as the Queen of the Caribbean coast. The pastel colonial buildings, friendly locals and cobblestone streets give you a glimpse of the city’s history. This historic city lies within an impressive 13km of centuries-old colonial stone walls. Cartagena’s Old Town is a Unesco World Heritage Site – a maze of streets covered in bougainvillea, and massive churches that cast their shadows across leafy plazas. It is the perfect city to visit for a holiday of a lifetime or to reward the incentive winners at your company.

Must Experiences

• Escape Cartagena for the day and take a private boat or catamaran to Rosario Islands. Enjoy a scenic trip through the turquoise Caribbean sea to the Islands. Relax on beautiful beaches and enjoy the natural flora and fauna by snorkeling or swimming. A sunset cruise on a catamaran through the bay of Cartagena while enjoying a delicious cocktail and typical snacks is also an amazing option. Or how about a white party for your incentive group during the sunset sailing or a sailing regatta around the Rosario Islands?
• Enjoy Colombia’s culinary delights on a street food tour, an interactive Colombian Cooking Workshop or one of our tastings – how about rum, chocolate, coffee or exotic fruits? These experiences are sure to leave you with a unique taste of Cartagena!
• Be sure to spend time in Getsemani, the “Brooklyn” of Cartagena, a short 15 minute stroll beyond the city walls. This neighborhood is an authentic array of hipster cafes, shops and stunning graffiti and street art. An art workshop can be added.
• Discover the rhythms of Colombia during a drum workshop with an Afro-Colombian community or a dancing class! Imagine a salsa flash mob surprising your clients in the cobblestone streets of Cartagena and learning the basic steps from the experts right there.
• Tour Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, which is arguably the most incredible fortress ever built by the Spanish. It was impenetrable due to its labyrinth of underground tunnels which you will navigate during your tour.

Must Eat

• Almuerzo (set lunch) includes a small soup, fried mojarra fish (commonly served with a side of coconut-infused rice and patacones) and a refreshing agua de panela sweet drink.
• Posta Negra Cartagena – Beef, cooked in a dark sauce made with Cola, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, cumin and panela or brown sugar.
• Arepas con queso are savoury, cheese-filled corn cakes cooked on a griddle.

Best Nightlife

Cartegena has a fantastic Caribbean vibe at night. Cafe Havana in Getsamani is one of the best live salsa music venues in South America. Sit atop the city walls and sip sunset cocktails! We recommend pre-dinner drinks at Alquimico Bar before trying one of these iconic city restaurants: El Arsenal – The Rum Box, where you can have a Colombian Rum and chocolate tasting, Celele or Alma or Restaurant Candé with live music every night. End your night at SevenTimes and dance the night away.

Best time to visit

You can visit Cartagena all year round, but January to March is the ideal time to explore Cartagena’s beautiful beaches and landscapes. The weather is warm but not too humid during the day, and the ocean breezes make for cool evenings.

Top Travel Tips

Travel during carnival season in February/March and head to the Barranquilla Festival, just 2 hours drive away. This Mardi Gras style carnival is like no other, the second biggest in the world. Barranquilla is also the hometown of Colombian icons, Shakira and Sofia Vergara. Enjoy 4 days of partying, salsa dancing, costumes and parades. Another great event for music lovers is the Cartagena Jazz Festival in November each year.

Our recommended DMC: The team at WhereNext Travel will create memorable getaways for you throughout Colombia.