Cartagena

Indulge in the rhythm of the city’s coastal scenery and cross-cultural influences

Colombia’s Caribbean crown jewel offers plenty of time for lounging on the sand and playing in crystalline waters – yet Cartagena is much more than a beach break. The pastel-hued UNESCO World Heritage city overflows with exciting nightlife, exotic upscale restaurants, and world-class cultural institutions.

Morning: 

Cartagena Museum of Modern Art holds a permanent collection that includes local luminaries such as Alejandro Obregón and Enrique Grau. It is also devoted to touring exhibitions featuring Colombia’s top emerging visual artists. Cross the plaza to marvel at the palatial San Pedro Claver church and museum, containing artifacts related to Colombia’s first officially designated saint as well as a collection of Afro-Colombian art.

Afternoon: 

Enjoy the award-winning cocina de autor (signature cuisine) at the rooftop garden dining room of Mar y Zielo. Ingredients sustainably sourced from small producers go into plates like burrata de planeta rica, a rich delicacy based on fresh local cheese, heirloom beans, cashews, vegetables, and a tangy, fruit called corozo. Browse the shops at La Serrezuela, housed in a former bullfighting ring, where Artesanías de Colombia is a government-run store specializing in high-quality handmade artisan goods from around the country.

Evening: 

Cocktails and sharable plates backed by a sunset over the Caribbean Sea and a live DJ await at Café del Mar, a lounge and restaurant on top of the ancient walls that surround the city. End the night at Alquímico, a former colonial mansion converted into Cartagena’s hottest cocktail bar and rooftop dance party.

Morning:

The 7:50 a.m. boat tour from the Cartagena pier (book the day before) takes you to the coral-reef-flanked archipelago of Las Islas del Rosario, a postcard-perfect Caribbean island chain, which lies 45 minutes offshore. You’ll pass private islands, including those owned by Shakira and Carlos Vives, and stop at a shallow and clear-as-glass sweep of the open Caribbean Sea to snorkel around a living coral reef.

Afternoon: 

Stop at the white-sand beach-lined peninsula of Barú for lunch. Highly recommended is the freshly caught mojarra (red snapper) served with coconut at a thatch palm-roofed table overlooking the shimmering sea. Then, soak up the sun with a cocktail and look out at the calm and extraordinarily deep turquoise waters.

Evening: 

Watch Afro-Colombian Palenque dancers perform at the triangular plaza outside the brightly painted Iglesia de la Trinidad in the historic Getsemaní neighborhood. After the show, try the Caribbean fusion tapas at Demente, before heading over to the Bazurto Social Club in time for its nightly 10 p.m. champeta class to learn a few steps of this lively Colombian–Caribbean dance.

Morning: 

Take advantage of the cool morning temperatures to explore the ancient cobblestone streets of the Old City. Stop at the Palace of the Inquisition, a 16th-century architectural treasure that once housed Spain’s most infamous tribunal. It’s now a gripping museum showcasing the colonial history of the Caribbean region. Across the street, Plaza de Bolívar is a lush tropical jungle of a park – rest in its welcome shade while watching street performers showcase their talents. At nearby Museo del Oro Zenú, see finely wrought pure gold figurines and body jewelry from the region’s pre-Columbian era.

Afternoon:

It’s a 15-minute taxi ride to Kiosco El Bony on Playa Hollywood. Bonifacio Ávila sold mangoes on the beach here to pay for the boxing training that eventually led him to the 1972 Olympic Games. After lunch at his iconic seafood restaurant, relax on the golden sands of Playa Hollywood, where people watching over a coco loco (“crazy coconut” – a ripe coconut filled with a cocktail mix) is the order of the day.

Evening: 

In the Old City, try alfresco street-front dining at La Cevicheria in the colonial San Diego neighborhood. Energizing delights like mandarin-juice-marinated shrimp and coconut-lime lobster are favorites and are perfect for sharing as the sun sets over beautiful Cartagena.