36 Hours
36 Hours in Cartagena, Colombia
![A public square is lit up at night. People stroll along the cobblestones, with colonial buildings in the background.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/08/24/multimedia/24hours-cartegenia-cvhg/24hours-cartegenia-cvhg-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
Cartagena de Indias, a colonial port city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, can be so hypnotically hot (even with the ocean breeze and occasional tropical downpour) that visitors may feel like they are drifting through a dream world of cobblestone lanes and Afro-Colombian drum beats — a sensation captured by the magical realism in Gabriel García Márquez’s Cartagena-set novels. A weekend is perfect for a robust introduction through two adjacent, walkable neighborhoods. The Old Town is still surrounded by the stone walls built by the Spanish colonists, who also left behind opulent mansions and churches. Neighboring Getsemani is an artsy, semi-residential enclave with a popular street-party scene, overlooked by the 16th-century fortress that looms on a hill nearby. And if the heat does get to you, order a limonada de coco, the slushy coconut limeade that keeps coastal Colombians deliciously cool.
Recommendations
- The UNESCO-designated Old Town, Cartagena’s inner walled city, merges historical architecture with modern shops and restaurants, and is often compared to Old San Juan or New Orleans’s French Quarter.
- Celele is a rising star restaurant in the Getsemani neighborhood that serves elegantly presented Colombian-Caribbean dishes.
- San Felipe de Barajas Castle is a 16th-century fortress on a rocky crag overlooking the city.
- La Serrezuela is a former bullring and theater that has been reimagined as a shopping mall packed with local design boutiques.
- Mar y Zielo is a stylish, low-lit Old Town restaurant with great service and inventive dishes made with local ingredients.
- Alquímico is an acclaimed multi-floor bar and restaurant, and later in the night, a discotheque.
- El Barón is an unpretentious restaurant and bar that pairs beverages and cigars on a popular square.
- Libertario Coffee Roasters is a coffee-lover’s mecca in the middle of the Getsemani neighborhood.
- Sambal is a small Getsemani restaurant with an open kitchen and a knockout dessert menu.
- Mirador Gastro Bar, Movich Hotel and Sophia Hotel are three Old Town rooftop bars where you can watch the sun set over the city.
- Callejón Ancho and Callejón Angosto are two narrow Getsemani alleyways shaded by colorful umbrellas and flags that, come evening, are filled with people drinking beer at plastic tables.
- Café Havana is a dependably vivacious bar for Cuban rum drinks and live salsa music in the heart of Getsemani.
- The rooftop at Townhouse Hotel turns into a boozy brunch scene on weekend mornings, with unlimited mimosas and a plunge pool.
- Café de la Mañana is a sweet little (albeit unairconditioned) cafe in the historic center with affordable breakfast plates and icy cold coffees.
- Evok sells chocolates and teas derived from local herbs and fruit.
- Ábaco Libros y Café is a cozy bookstore and coffee shop in the Old Town.
- St. Dom is a one-stop shop for some of Colombia’s coolest fashion designers.
- Loto del Sur sells fragrant lotions and potions in chic packaging.
- Silvia Tcherassi is one of Colombia’s most recognized fashion designers with an Old Town shop.
- El Centro Artesano Guazuma sells an expansive collection of crafts from artisans and Indigenous groups across the region.
- Maaji sells tropical-printed bathing suits inside La Serrezuela mall.
- Sabandija sells leather handbags and wallets in La Serrezuela.
- Victor del Peral is a favorite shop for preppy menswear.
- The Getsemani neighborhood is the hipper sibling to Old Town and famous for its street art.
- Puerta del Reloj, crowned with a clocktower, is the historic main gate into the walled city.
- Parque del Centenario is a green space between the Old Town and Getsemani, where locals hang out alongside trees hiding monkeys and sloths.
- Plaza de San Diego is a popular public square inside the walled city with food carts selling typical Colombian snacks.
- A champeta dance class with Black Legacy Experiences is a great way to dive into Cartagena’s Afro-Colombian musical roots.
- Plaza de la Trinidad is a lively square and the heartbeat of the Getsemani neighborhood.
- Casa San Agustin, a luxurious Old Town hotel with a spa and pool, is near the elegant Alma restaurant and plenty of nightlife. Doubles start from around 2,300,000 Colombian pesos, or about $560 a night.
- Casa del Coliseo is an upper mid-range boutique hotel ideally located in the heart of the Old Town, with a rooftop pool and some rooms with street-facing, flower-covered balconies. Doubles start around 1,150,000 pesos.
- Amarla Boutique Hotel is a seven-room hideaway in the Old Town with a checkerboard floor that can also be booked as a whole for groups. Doubles from around 992,000 pesos.
- For short-term rentals, look in the Old Town or Getsemani neighborhoods, where most tourist sites are concentrated. Or, a short drive away, ocean views are available in the high-rises of the Bocagrande neighborhood.
- The Old Town and Getsemani neighborhoods are best explored on foot, and most destinations in those areas are reachable within 15 minutes. Taxis and Ubers are also widely available and affordable.
Itinerary
Friday
![People stand in front of a market stall that displays a variety of tropical fruits. A person wearing a dark-pink polo shirt holds a cut fruit.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/08/24/multimedia/24hours-cartegenia-wjbl/24hours-cartegenia-wjbl-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![People stand in front of a market stall that displays a variety of tropical fruits. A person wearing a dark-pink polo shirt holds a cut fruit.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/08/24/multimedia/24hours-cartegenia-wjbl/24hours-cartegenia-wjbl-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A stone wall is lit up in the evening. The sky is full of cloud formations that almost appear purple. People gather along the far side of the wall under colorful lights.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/08/24/multimedia/24hours-cartegenia-wkjm/24hours-cartegenia-wkjm-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A stone wall is lit up in the evening. The sky is full of cloud formations that almost appear purple. People gather along the far side of the wall under colorful lights.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/08/24/multimedia/24hours-cartegenia-wkjm/24hours-cartegenia-wkjm-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![Five people wearing yellow T-shirts sit at stools along a bar. A bartender is on the other side of the bar. Warmly lit straw light pendants hang above.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/08/24/multimedia/24hours-cartegenia-mktl/24hours-cartegenia-mktl-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![Five people wearing yellow T-shirts sit at stools along a bar. A bartender is on the other side of the bar. Warmly lit straw light pendants hang above.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/08/24/multimedia/24hours-cartegenia-mktl/24hours-cartegenia-mktl-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![People sit at colorful chairs on an outdoor terrace strung with fairy lights in the daytime. Two people are kissing. In the background are old colonial buildings.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/08/24/multimedia/24hours-cartegenia-bpgk/24hours-cartegenia-bpgk-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
Saturday
![A close up photo of a cafe latte with the name](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/08/24/multimedia/24hours-cartegenia-qtgv/24hours-cartegenia-qtgv-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A close up photo of a cafe latte with the name](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/08/24/multimedia/24hours-cartegenia-qtgv/24hours-cartegenia-qtgv-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![Tourists explore an outdoor section of an old castle during the daytime. One person wearing a wide-brimmed hat stands under a stone arch and is pointing in the distance.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/08/24/multimedia/24hours-cartegenia-lktp/24hours-cartegenia-lktp-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![Tourists explore an outdoor section of an old castle during the daytime. One person wearing a wide-brimmed hat stands under a stone arch and is pointing in the distance.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/08/24/multimedia/24hours-cartegenia-lktp/24hours-cartegenia-lktp-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A plate that appears to be small croquettes, each topped with a pink or white flower petal, that form a circle around a crab shell that contains orange-colored sauce and has a herb garnish.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/08/24/multimedia/24hours-cartegenia-pbqw/24hours-cartegenia-pbqw-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A plate that appears to be small croquettes, each topped with a pink or white flower petal, that form a circle around a crab shell that contains orange-colored sauce and has a herb garnish.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/08/24/multimedia/24hours-cartegenia-pbqw/24hours-cartegenia-pbqw-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![Two people sit on wooden bar stools on an outdoor terrace. They are looking at the view over the city. A clocktower can be seen rising up from the city below.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/08/24/multimedia/24hours-cartegenia-qlbz/24hours-cartegenia-qlbz-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![Two people sit on wooden bar stools on an outdoor terrace. They are looking at the view over the city. A clocktower can be seen rising up from the city below.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/08/24/multimedia/24hours-cartegenia-qlbz/24hours-cartegenia-qlbz-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A close-up of a glass dish that is ornately decorated with a variety of dozens of colored flower petals and leaves.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/08/24/multimedia/24hours-cartegenia-mbvq/24hours-cartegenia-mbvq-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A close-up of a glass dish that is ornately decorated with a variety of dozens of colored flower petals and leaves.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/08/24/multimedia/24hours-cartegenia-mbvq/24hours-cartegenia-mbvq-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![People crowd in a narrow alleyway that is painted pink. Above, colorful umbrellas dangle above alongside string lights.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/08/24/multimedia/24hours-cartegenia-pvkh/24hours-cartegenia-pvkh-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
Sunday
![A dish containing what appears to be fried chicken and waffles rests on a counter next to a champagne glass filled with a red, fizzy drink. In the background, diners sit on an outdoor terrace in the daytime.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/08/24/multimedia/24hours-cartegenia-cbzl/24hours-cartegenia-cbzl-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A dish containing what appears to be fried chicken and waffles rests on a counter next to a champagne glass filled with a red, fizzy drink. In the background, diners sit on an outdoor terrace in the daytime.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/08/24/multimedia/24hours-cartegenia-cbzl/24hours-cartegenia-cbzl-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)