El Totumo – A mud volcano where you can float around and get massaged in the mud, then scrubbed down afterwards.We were content just strolling around town, but there’s plenty more to do in or just outside of Cartagena proper: Today, you can walk the entire 4km wall around town and snag views of the sea and the streets from above – just beware of the guys hawking souvenirs and the young couples making out all along the wall! During the colonial period, a wall was built to protect it from pirates’ pillaging. Highly recommended!Īt one point Cartagena was the largest port in America, often transporting boats full of riches to Spain. Chill, authentic, and just 30,500 COP ($15 US) a night – El Genoves didn’t even feel like a hostel, but more like a calm little nook to retreat to at the end of the day. We didn’t put much thought into our Cartagena accommodation beyond a preference for somewhere cheap in the Old Town, so we were pleasantly surprised at how awesome El Genoves Hostal turned out to be. We’d wanted an outdoor table, but the restaurant interior was cute enough that we didn’t really mind dining inside. We didn’t try the ceviche (cubed fresh raw fish with citrus juices and spices), but their catch of the day on a plate of coconut rice was probably the best fish dish I’ve had in my life. If Anthony Bourdain gave it a thumbs up, it’s gotta be worth trying, right? La Cevicheria is an Old Town culinary gem, specializing in seafood. Thumbs up to traveling at ANY age, of course – but we’re forever champions of independent travel. That is, until a tour group of old folks rolled in, at which point we picked up the pace with our wine consumption. We shared hummus and red wine on a balcony overlooking the square, and all felt right in the world. Fresh fruit, smoothies, and empanadas always seem to be within reach wherever you are in town.įorever a sucker for balconies, I was immediately drawn to El Balcon on Plaza de San Diego. We contentedly found our rhythm walking around town in the sun for a couple hours, then retreating to the shade for a cold drink or snack. These things it undoubtedly delivered – overdelivered, even. We chose the Colombian coast for our winter getaway in part because it promised sunshine and heat. Yeah, I suppose I could stand to get a little better at my fact checking. Well, we googled it later on – turns out there’s an amphitheatre in Cartagena, SPAIN. In all our Old Town frolicking, you’d think we’d have stumbled across it at some point, no? Nicki tried to find information about it on her phone while we were out and about but to no avail. “I know there’s supposed to be an amphitheatre here somewhere – I saw it when I google image searched for Cartagena!”, I insisted. Recovering from our Tayrona sunburns and not having nearly enough time for an excursion out of town, we racked our heads for a more sensible option. Colors for days!Īfter a cumulative day and a half of roaming the colorful streets, we had another half day to “kill” in Cartagena before leaving for the airport. I just couldn’t get over the vibrant colors everywhere. We lugged our professional cameras and lenses around everywhere, even waking up at 6am one morning to shoot the town before it woke up. Nicki and I were constantly captivated by the unique doorways and balconies. Of sole interest to us was the former, Old Town Cartagena.Ĭartagena’s Old Town certainly has enough aesthetics to please. Oh yeah, we were kickin’ it in colorful Cartagena, Colombia!Ĭartagena is a sizable city of typical interest to visitors are the Old Town (aka the Old City, or Walled City) and Bocagrande (the peninsula where high rise hotels, restaurants, clubs, and shops can be found). After logging 8+ hours hiking in flip flops, 14+ hours in various modes of transport, and one of the nastiest sunburns of my life, can you blame me for just wanting to take it easy for the 2 days we had in this city? We spent the rest of it getting to Tayrona National Park and back, which took more time and effort than one might typically spend during an 8 day vacation. My recent trip to the Colombian coast began and ended in Cartagena.
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