Cartagena La Heroica, as it’s known to the locals. I’m sure if you are reading this it’s because somewhere you read that if you are going to Colombia, Cartagena must be on top of your list.

The Spaniards built fortresses and wall cities throughout their empire, including Cartagena, it’s in the Unesco world heritage sites and considered by many a top world destination.

There are many direct flights from international destinations, especially the United States, otherwise, you can fly to Bogotá and then fly to Cartagena, if you do fly to Bogotá don’t skip this beautiful capital, full of traffic jams, street vendors, nonstop nightlife, abundant streets of emeralds shops, plenty of rain in the rainy season and blue skies in the dry seasons.

HISTORY

Well, let’s say it has been there since the Conquistadores decided to build a walled city to protect the stolen goods from the Americas.

MONEY EXCHANGE

WHERE TO STAY

Hostels, hotels, Airbnb, the beach, the bars. There is plenty of places to crash for the night, if you are a student with no budget because you have no money, there are plenty of hostels dormitory style where no one is going to rob you because they know you have nothing worth anything. Hostelworld.com is a good place to start your search, keep in mind that a night stay can cost you as much as a Mcdonald’s meal so better decide if you rather eat or sleep.

Do you like Airbnb? There are plenty to choose from, just make sure you know how far they are from the walled city, keep in mind the walled city is not the same as the city center, if it says Boca Grande area or Getsemani, you are in a good place, Most hotel are north of the city or the airport with great beaches and plenty of resorts, Hotels in Boca Grande are good but the beaches are not the best.

And then you have boutique hotels, and, chain hotels. If you want to experience real Cartagena, stay in a boutique hotel, they are small and charming, normally run by the owners like a five-star hotel with a three-star price. If you prefer a well-known hotel chain, there are plenty to choose from. They speak perfect English, you can get room service, and they can make you feel like you never left Chicago, and if you never leave the hotel, you won’t miss home at all.

TRANSPORTATION

Taxis, plenty of them, you don’t need Uber, hail a taxi in the street it will be faster than waiting for an Uber. If you are concerned about your safety, keep in mind that Cartagena is a world tourist destination that depends on tourism, it’s rare that a tourist is robbed, however, just like you would anywhere else don’t do anything to bring temptation, I always leave my 10 karat bottle glass ring on top of my hotel bed.

WHAT TO DO

Count your days and then your blessings. A good plan vacation should give you time to explore and to relax. If you want to see all the sites in one day, you are not a true tourist, you just collect refrigerator magnets and airport pictures.

The walled city is the main attraction, but just walking around only gives you the outside view of what is truly the beauty of the city, behind every door, there is a fantastic courtyard and history stamped on every wall. Take the time to go inside every open door that welcomes you, don’t be afraid to ask permission to see someone’s courtyard that you happen to see through an open door in someone’s home.

Here are a couple of things that will keep you occupied, go to the Castillo San Felipe, it’s the fortress you see outside the city, it was built to protect the city from any invaders who could actually reach the port, if they manage to take the fortress there is an underground escape route to the city, and when you walk inside the tunnels notice how low the ceilings are, Spaniards built them that way so any invader especially the English would have to bend to walk through them putting them in disadvantage in a crossfire.

A trip to Cartagena is not complete without a visit to the rosary Islands, they are a chain of islands just offshore of Cartagena, they have an aquarium and beautiful beaches, some tours will wear you out going from place to place, if you rather go an spend the day at the beach get on a boat to Baru and Playa Blanca, they can drop you there in the morning and pick you up on the afternoon.

Isla Grande, (big island) is the biggest island in the chain, there are hotels and Airbnb’s, but there is no much to do on the island unless all you are looking for is plenty of relaxation with beautiful views, if you have plenty of time, spend couple days in the island, but otherwise, spend the time in Cartagena and surroundings.

WHAT NOT TO DO

Don’t venture outside the tourist areas at night unless you are a native who happens to live outside the tourist area.

Never pay the asking price for anything you buy, bargaining is expected includind in the best shops, if you are willing to pay in cash rather than a credit card you will get a discount, and don’t buy on impulse except when you are running to your gate at the airport and you remember that you forgot to get a present for your daughter, in that case, a US$3 bracelet with an asking price of US$30 should be fine.

Beware of anyone offering to change your dollars or euros on the street, it can be tempting when they are willing to give you 30% more than any official exchange place. You could end up with a lot of fake pesos. But don’t worry you can use them on the Colombian Monopoly game.

RESTAURANTS

Don’t get impatient at a restaurant, service is always slow and the bill may never come if you don’t ask for it, Colombians live to eat not eat to live, having a two-hour lunch is not uncommon. Most restaurants have English menus, if you don’t get one ask for one.

Restaurants always ask you at the end if you want the tip included (Servicio incluido) if you do there is no need to leave a tip on the table. The staff do not depend on tips for their livelihood as it’s in the United States so don’t feel obligated to leave a tip if you don’t want.

Try the fish, it’s always fresh, never frozen, and normally delivered to a restaurant in the morning after the first catch of the day.

¿HABLA ESPAÑOL?

English is widely spoken, and most Colombians speak English as well, but a few Spanish words can be appreciated, Colombians are very formal and well-educated, especially in the big cities like Bogotá, always say please, por favor, and thank you, gracias. Don’t be afraid to ask to the best of your abilities, anyone will be glad to help and try their bad English as well. If you think you are going to need better Spanish because your travel is going to take you away from big cities and more to small towns and villages, then get yourself a spoken translator, they are well worth the money.

EMERGENCIES

I highly recommend getting travel insurance, I know you never get sick but one word of advice, if you end up in a hospital you better have insurance or cash readily available if you want to get service, If you are not part of the health system in Colombia you need to prove you can pay before you are admitted, even in the emergency room. If you have travel insurance, the insurance will tell you where to go and you will get serviced right away.

Need to call an ambulance? That can be tricky and may take a while, if you are able to get yourself to a hospital by taxi do that first. The emergency number in Colombia is 123 but don’t expect someone to be able to communicate in your language.

• Make sure you post your picture with a location so your friends know where you took them
• Post daily your adventures
• Read some of the history of Cartagena
• If you post a review, be fair, not only say what you didn’t like but also what you liked
• Finally, thank you for reading this post, if one day I make any money, I’ll let you know