We think Cartagena is one of the most beautiful cities in Colombia. It is very vivid and you feel energy and celebration everywhere! ?
I think there is already a lot of information about Cartagena on the Internet. It is very touristic and you will be approached very often by various guys who try to sell you something. Still, we have to confess it is a very nice place. There is a very beautiful historic old town (with two districts the Historic Center and Getsemani –which is also historic, but now also a hip and cool place). The historical center is just awesome! It is a UNESCO world heritage city. Cartagena has the most extensive fortifications in South America. There is also a new town “Bocagrande”. Many hostels are in the historic districts, but most hotel beds are in Bocagrande (or close to the airport). There are also some other districts in Cartagena, but most tourists stay in these 3 districts. The other ones are not as nice as this 3 (and some of them are also not as safe as you might wish).
We had an interesting experience with Cerro de La Popa. Cerro de La Popa is a monastery and chapel located at the top of Mount Popa. It is a great viewpoint where you can oversee all Cartagena. We decided to walk there. It’s not so far, maybe 40 minutes walk up the hill. But in the very beginning we were warned by a couple of different people that its dangerous. To go there by taxi costs 4 times as much as a regular taxi ride. At the beginning of the road you meet a lot of motorbike-taxies, that also have for such a short trip a special high rate. After hesitation we decided to take a mototaxi. You don’t want to take a risk in Colombia. The view from the Cerro de la Popa is amazing! You can see the harbour, the old city, Getsemani, Bocagrande, islands, bridges etc.
Even though Cartagena is quite touristic; we think it is well worth a visit. It is not only a nice place with a rich history, but also a good place to enjoy the nightlife (on the streets and also in bars or clubs). Originally, we planed to stay only one night in Cartagena, but we enjoyed so much and you can do a lot there. So we decided to stay two more nights there.
