Sambal
GetsemaníA Caribbean bistro that quietly outranks most of the famous places in town. Tasting menus, warm service, and a room that never feels stuffy.
Cartagena de Indias
Things To Do
You have come a long way for one evening. Here is what to do with the rest of the days.
Cartagena is a walled colonial city on the Caribbean, and almost everything below sits within a short walk of the church.
Where To Eat
Reservations are worth making in December, especially for anything with a rooftop.
El Burlador
Plaza Santo DomingoMediterranean cooking with a Caribbean accent, in the prettiest square in the walled city. Order the tapas and let it run long.
Carta Ajena
GetsemaníOpen from breakfast to late. Come for the almond croissant and coffee in the morning, or the shrimp rice at night.
Mar y Zielo
San DiegoCaribbean cooking and cocktails on a terrace with the church tower in view. Book if you want the rooftop rather than the bar.
Baroca
GetsemaníA rooftop built for the hour before sunset. Ceviche, a cocktail, and the light going orange over the rooftops.
Bazurto Market
Local & chaoticThe real market, and not a polished one. Extraordinary food and genuine mess in equal measure. Best with a guide and shoes you do not love.
Where To Drink
The walled city empties out around midnight; Getsemaní keeps going.
Alquímico
El CentroThree floors in a colonial house, regularly ranked among the best bars in the world. No reservations, so go early or go late.
Café del Mar
On the rampartsDrinks on top of the old sea wall as the sun goes down. Touristy and entirely worth it once. Arrive well before sunset for a table.
Casa Pura
El CentroA quieter rooftop for sunset, with a view over the tiled roofs and a bartender who takes it seriously.
Café San Alberto
Plaza Santo DomingoColombian coffee taken properly, including a siphon tasting. The best half hour you will spend indoors.
What To See
Most of this is within a fifteen-minute walk of the church. Go early or late; midday is punishing.
The main event
The Walled City
A UNESCO site and the reason everyone comes. Balconies, bougainvillea, and streets that reward getting lost. Best walked at 7 AM or after 5 PM.
The fortress
Castillo San Felipe
The largest fort the Spanish built in the Americas, with tunnels you can walk and a view over the whole city. Go early; there is almost no shade.
The view
Convento de la Popa
The highest point in Cartagena, with a restored convent and the best panorama of the city. Take a taxi or Uber up rather than walking.
Inside the walls
San Pedro Claver
A seventeenth-century church and monastery with a shaded stone cloister that stays cool through the afternoon. The quietest place inside the walls, two minutes from the sea wall.
For souvenirs
Las Bóvedas
Twenty-three vaults built into the wall, once storerooms and cells, now craft shops. Better quality than the street vendors outside.
The square
Plaza Santo Domingo
Café tables, street musicians, and Botero’s reclining woman in bronze. The place to sit with a drink and watch the city go by.
Worth The Trip
If you have a spare day on either side of the wedding.
One hour by boat
Islas del Rosario
An archipelago of coral islands with genuinely clear water. Go by private or small-group boat rather than the big shared ferries.
By road or boat
Playa Blanca, Barú
The white-sand beach everyone photographs. Beautiful early, crowded and heavily hawked by midday. Go at 8 AM or stay overnight.
20 minutes north
La Boquilla
A fishing village on the edge of the city. Take a canoe through the mangrove tunnels in the morning, then eat fried fish on the beach with your feet in the sand.
Practical Notes
Weather
December is dry season and about as good as Cartagena gets: hot, bright, and breezy, with highs around 88°F. It is still the Caribbean, so plan on linen and an afternoon shower of your own.
Money
Colombian pesos. Cards work in restaurants and hotels; cash is easier for taxis, markets and beach vendors. Withdraw from bank ATMs inside the walls rather than street machines.
Getting Around
The walled city is small and best walked. For anywhere else, Uber and inDrive both work well and settle the fare in advance. Agree a price first if you take a street taxi.
Language
Spanish, with English common in hotels and less so elsewhere. A little Spanish goes a long way, and Valentina is happy to translate for anyone who needs it.
Staying Sensible
The historic centre and Getsemaní are well patrolled and comfortable to walk at night. Normal city habits apply: keep your phone in your pocket on quiet streets, and use Uber after dark rather than an unmarked cab.
Vendors
You will be offered hats, cigars, massages and photographs, constantly. A smile and a firm no, gracias ends it every time. They are working, not hassling.
If you only do one thing: walk the walls at six in the evening, when the stone is still warm and the light goes gold.
Photographs of Cartagena via Wikimedia Commons, used under CC BY-SA.