Horse carriage and fruit seller inside the walled city of Cartagena

Cartagena, Colombia (GenevaLunch) – When my wife suggested combining a December work assignment in Cartagena, Colombia with holiday vacation, my first thought was “I am going to miss some great early snow!” Three weeks later, with a nice tan and saltwater still seeping out of my ears, I am thanking my wife for her wisdom. Here is what we found traveling the country largely by bus, from the Caribbean to the Pacific Coast, with a passage over the Western and middle branch of the Colombian Coordillera.

Our trip began in Cartagena de Indias, on Colombia’s Atlantic or Carribean Coast.

The city is probably the most well known tourist destination in Colombia. The 500 year-old colonial city is a UNESCO World Heritage site, as well as home to white sand Caribbean beaches.

The city is also home to Colombia’s largest naval contingent, and the government has been very conscious of maintaining public security in the area given the importance of tourism and foreign investment. The result is a traveler friendly urban area where horse carts mingle with taxi cabs and beachgoers walking to the surf, literally 2 blocks from the walled city.

Cartagena is hot! Temperatures varied between 29 degrees at night and 36 during the day: a good hat and sunblock are essential accessories. Dress comfortable and casual because the old city is visually stunning and a joy to explore on foot, especially early morning and later at night. The latter was particularly noteworthy given the level of public insecurity in Colombia due to common delinquency and/or armed groups in many regions of the country.

View near the battlement wall, Cartagena, Colombia

Our three day whirlwind visit included extensive walking along cobbled streets largely unchanged since Spanish adventurers first colonized the city in 1533. Walkways along the battlement walls surrounding the old city provide a birds eye view of both the nearby beach front, as well as of the colonial architecture inside.

One of our favorite areas was the Getsemani neighborhood, adjacent to the more gentrified areas within the walled city. The neighborhood is split between a low keyed residential area of long and narrow attached residences of modest means, and a commercial area full of guest houses, cheap eateries and bars.

On the evening we walked through, we found Cartagenero families enjoying “tinto” or coffee on impromptu curbside patios, children playing football with a bundle of newspaper and musicians playing a pickup tune in the church square.

There are any number of excellent restaurants in Cartagena where you can sample costeño or afro-Colombian dishes and an array of fresh seafood. I think the best meal I ate there though was served to me on the beach; a grilled mojarra fish with lots of lime, coconut rice, and fried plantains.

While at the beach, we relied on Lucho, a Cartagenero and friend of the family who earns a living guiding and assisting visitors. In addition to supplying us with excellent food, he provided us with local tips on everything from where to find great music (Café Havana, Quiebra Canto…) to possible day trips outside of the city.

"Raspado," shaved ice vendor at Centenario Park in the historic center of Cartagena

Unfortunately, our travel itinerary (and scheduled flight out of the city) only allowed us 3 days to enjoy the magic that is Cartagena. But then again the rest of the country lay waiting…

Your options for travel from Geneva to Colombia are varied depending on the airline, however the flight with one stop averages 15 hours. Air France and Iberia have some of the better connections from Geneva. If you don’t mind combining airline flights, you can also find great deals on tickets flying into Miami and then onto Cartagena.

Check my blog for further musings on bicycling in Bogota, boating on the historic Magdalena river, devouring mangoes in Colombia’s fruit capital, crossing the Colombian Cordillera and surfing the wild beaches of the Colombian Pacific.

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