Cartagena, Colombia is a walled city that is filled with incredible food, amazing art and beautiful architecture. It is a walkable city and easily accessed by rideshare service or the public bus system. If you wish to visit one of the beautiful Rosario Islands nearby, you can easily book a day tour. These islands have gorgeous beaches with ice blue water and white sand. Just be warned that the trip back in the late afternoon will most likely be very windy and you will get soaked!
Isla Grande, Rosario Islands
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I would highly recommend this trip if you plan on visiting Colombia. Even if you choose to stay in Bocagrande, its just south of the old town and bordered by a public beach. A rideshare service will run you $2-4USD to get you into the old town or about $7-10USD to the airport. The old town features many amazing restaurants, bars, lounges, and lots of shopping with local vendors. You can even book a free tour if you have time. Make sure you try some of the local fruits as many of them are native to Colombia and can only be found here. One of my favorites are the guava fruit rolls that are sprinkled with sugar. I have had guava many places but I have never tasted any as delicious as what you will find in Columbia. Many bars have also turned to Mixology methods for mixing bar drinks so many specialty cocktails here are outstanding due to the availability of fresh exotic fruit. I initially travelled alone on this trip and then met up with friends a few days later. I felt very safe the entire time and I never witnessed anything that would make me feel like I was in any danger. This includes staying out at a lounge until 2am and then catching a rideshare service home. Just be aware that a rideshare service will drop you anywhere in the old town if coming from another location but they only tend to pickup from the taxi stand across from the clocktower on Carrera 8 in the south part of Centenario Park. The walk from anywhere in Old Town to this location will never take you more than 5-10 minutes and police presence is everywhere. I don't think renting a car is really necessary because it seems to be difficult to park, especially in the walled city where many of the roads are one ways. I would suggest spending at least 4 days/3 nights here to really get a chance to experience all that the city has to offer including a day trip to the Rosario Islands.Â