Have plans to have a relaxing day at the beach while you're in Cartagena? Whether you're thinking just to pop down to Bocagrande, trip up to La Boquilla or drive over to Playa Blanca, unfortunately there can be an ugly barrage of attention you may receive from vendors looking to extract the most amount of moolah possible from everybody who sets foot on their sands. 

It is sad, and these vendors are definitely detroying their own livelihoods with their agressive, short-sighted approach, with tourists and locals opting more and more to avoid the public beaches and go to private island locations.

Now, it is definitely possible to still enjoy the beach.. you just have to go with your eyes open and prepared to negotiate all prices upfront. Or just say no gracias a lot. Above is a list of set prices agreed to by the local Cartagena council. Screenshot them so you have them as a reference point. There's also a number you can call if things get heated.

Above all, don't accept anything until you've set the price first. No trial massage. No sample oyster. 

​Now go forth, ready to avoid the beach bullying. Once they know you're clued up, they will probably leave you alone. Wish it wasn't like this but you know, sometimes life's a beach.

We're sorry. We really are very sorry. Just when you think there's nothing else to pay for your day on the water, we regretfully inform you that there is also a pesky marine tax that is levied per persona. Currently it's a whopping 16,500 pesos pp.  Well, it's getting worse. We've just found out, the marine tax is being increased to 18,000 pesos starting January 1, 2019. SORRY! To avoid this, you can consider taxing a taxi or shuttle bus to Playa Blanca instead. Or going across to the close beaches of Bomba and Namaste at Tierra Bomba.

It's that time of year again when Colombians go costume crazy and adopt the North American festival with a fervour that has to be seen to be believed. Halloween. If costumes are your caper, and you're the type to travel for a really good bash.. then book your flights to Bogotá. The capital city does Halloween arguably better than anywhere in the world.. And if the date falls on  a weekday (this year it's Wednesday) even better - it means parties the weekend before, after and on the day itself. Sorry liver. Where to go? Guaranteed mayhem awaits at the epic Andres Cande de Res party in Chia. But book tickets early because they sell out every year. Otherwise  pretty much every bar around the Zona T will have some thematic fun for you. I definitely recommend you check out local guide civico for details on the best parties.
BUT since I live in Cartagena, since this website is called Cartagena Connections and since everyone keeps asking what the best party will be in Cartagena.. I've decided to quickly churn out this post with a summary of my picks.

TOWNHOUSE- Wednesday 31 October
Leading the charge for celebrating on the actual day, Townhouse will definitely be the best option for the 31st with a Heaven + Hell themed party. Townhouse is  a boutique hotel located close to Parque Fernandez de Madrid with both a rootop terrace (Heaven) and a dark and moody basement style bar (Hell). Good music, great crowd, people who will genuinely dress up and guaranteed surprises (is that an oxymoron?).. Pave your way to hell with good intentions! Entry is 30K pesos, but free if you come in costume. 

ALQUIMICO - Saturday 3 November
Consistently the best vibed bar/club in Cartagena, the Halloween party at Alquimico is always a top ticket for a good time and this year they have partnered with famed Party Promoters SUPREME FIRM to establish themselves as THE event to dominate the weekend celebrations. 500,000 pesos + 500,000 in booze for best costume, 4 DJs including Colombian/Miami favourite Augusto Yepes (he is gooooood) and a haunted house theme that is completely in keeping with this spooky converted Colonial mansion.

LA JUGADA - Friday 2 November
La Jugada has some of the best cocktails in Cartagena, which will definitely help with the warm-up for their Halloween party. Don't be suprised if your bartender is wearing a Dali mask however, as the theme has been taken from the addictive Spanish Netflix series Casa de Papel. Prizes for best costumes. 

LA MOVIDA - Saturday 3 November
La Movida is the place the most connected Cartageneros go to club. They'll book tables, order bottles and have immaculate costumes. So if you want to rub shoulders with them, you'll want to RSVP to +573106364472 The theme is NEON HORROR. Expect some trippy effects and come prepared to dance until 4am.

SELINA Saturday 3 November
For more of a casual fun time, the rooftop of funky hostel Selina is a good bet. Officially their halloween party was last Saturday (oops) but there will be a repeat this weekend.
Same story with Bourbon Street. Their always mega fun madhouse party already happened on Saturday 27th October, but there will be a repeat of sorts on Saturday.

With nights that seem impossible to end early and a contagious vacation vibe, Cartagena seems made for lazy starts and long brunches. Oddly however, the brunch scene here has until recently been fairly lacking. The fact that Cartagena already created breakfast perfection with the invention of the ubiquitous “Arepa ‘e Huevo” might have had something to do with it? For those of you who, like me, consider brunch to be the most pleasurable way to start the day/combat hangovers/delay reality, fear not! I am delighted to report we are seeing a host of restaurants and cafés brunching out (pun intended) into the realm of champagne-spiked breakfasts.

Here’s the best of the brunch:

PASTELERIA MILA
When Mimosas in Cartagena were barely a mythical whisper from those fortunate-enough to have ventured overseas, Pasteleria Mila was pioneering their cause. The home of the original Cartagena brunch, Mila still remains one of the city’s best; thanks to an enormous selection of scrumptious sweet and savoury offerings, gorgeous French-farmhouse ambience and those aforementioned Mimosas. If you can make it out without ordering “breakfast dessert” from the ridiculously tempting window displays, you’re a better man than I am.

TRY: Colombia’s unusual sweet/salty combo of hot chocolate and melted cheese.

Brunch from 8am Monday - Saturday and from 10am Sunday
www.pasteleriamila.com

CAFFÉ LUNATICO
Cute and quirky, Caffe Lunatico has quickly won the hearts of Cartagena’s brunch bunch with beautifully presented breakfast plates that taste as good as they look. Wash them down with all-day jugs of Sangria, or on Sundays, why not sign up for bottomless Mimosas? Because, as they say, brunch without champagne, is really just a sad breakfast.

TRY: Broken eggs with yuca or Cartagena’s (and potentially the World’s) best French Toast
Brunch 11am- 3pm every day.
@caffelunatico

CAFÉ STEPPING STONE
If you’d like a side of social conscience with your coffee and croissants, Café Stepping Stone is for you. The brainchild of two young Aussies, the project aims to share some of the cafe culture Australia does so well (yes, including brunch), whilst helping train, educate and support Cartagena’s disadvantaged and at-risk youth.

TRY: The menu is loaded with yummy vegetarian and vegan options.

Brunch from 8am Monday - Saturday, and from 9am Sunday
www.cafesteppingstone.com

OH LA LA
Take a beautifully restored high-ceilinged, light-filled Getsemani house with an incredible past, add soul-pleasing food and lashings of French-finesse and you have one of our favourite breakfast destinations. Think homebaked bread with real butter, homemade jams, granola and yogurts, toulouse sausage, decadently creamy omelettes, still-warm bollo served with the best suero you'll try (local delicacy).. all lovingly prepared and beautifully presented (like, really beautifully, in that, must upload to instagram immediately, kind of way).. trust us, you'll be charmed to bits too. 

Breakfast 8am-1pm Monday -  Saturday (Also great for lunch, or early dinner)
Found on Calle Larga, near the corner of Calle Vargas close to Cocina de Pepina​

EL BISTRO
Chef and foodie favourite, El Bistro, does a weekly Sunday brunch that places traditional Caribbean cuisine front and centre for a breakfast unlike anything you will try at home. Featuring elevated local classics such as arepa de huevo with smoked trout, chorizo empanadas, and fish Sancocho; your guayabo (slang for hangover) will be a distant memory thanks to this restorative fare.

TRY: Empanadas stuffed with seafood casserole and the amazing selection of German-baked breads

Breakfast Monday - Saturday 9am -1pm; Sunday Caribeño Brunch 10am- 4pm
www.el-bistro.com

OH! LA LA
Housed in a beautifully restored Getsemani space, Oh! la la is imbued with a romantic charm that captivates all.. and that's even before the impossibly chic food and drink start arriving. Homebaked breads with real butter, homemade jams, yogurt.. it is all so beautifully presented and lovingly prepared, you can't help but sigh in satisfaction (and upload a gazillion photos to the medias). There's proper Toulouse sausage, delicious granola, a decadent creamy omelette, still-warm bollo (a local favourite) washed down with good coffee and amazing juices. A definite favourite.

Brunch 7am-1pm Monday to Saturday
Calle Larga  corner of Callejon Vargas (around the corner from Cocina de Pepina)


CAFE ÉPOCA
Café Epoca is for people who choose their brunch based on the calibre of the coffee. Roasted in-house from the best of Colombia’s beans, this could be the very best cup in Cartagena. It’s not just coffee-snobs who will be satisfied; the food menu reads like a brunching all stars and definitely doesn’t disappoint in the delivery.

TRY: It’s hard to beat creamy avocado smashed on toast, right?

Brunch from 9am daily
@weare.epoca

CREPES & WAFFLES
For visitors it might be hard to accept that a restaurant that seems from the surface just to be a run-of-the-mill chain, is somehow capable of commanding the unfaltering devotion of an entire population. Yet this is exactly the power of the almighty Crepes & Waffles. Basically, if you live in Colombia, you will most probably eat here at least once a week, every week, for your entire lives. And then, on Sundays, it’s brunch time, baby. Mompox mozzarella, bread baskets, all the eggs, mimosas and nutella/banana crepes. There’s definitely worse ways to become a household name.

TRY: Baked Lebanese eggs, guanabana smoothie.

Sunday Brunch from 10am
www.crepesywaffles.com.co

It’s Saturday and your Cartagena friends have invited you to join them for a night out in a typical “disco”. “What kind of music do they play?” you ask, nervously wondering if they will expect you to move your hips and feet in the way they all seem inherently able to do. “Crossover”, they confidently reply. Err, right. For the uninitiated, this basically means an ongoing medley of latin hits covering genres from salsa to merengue to vallenato to electronica. The night proceeds normally enough; there’s lots of wiggling, lots of singing along, and way too many shots of “guaro”. And then, suddenly, the music changes and so does the entire atmosphere. This new song has a kind of happy, buoyant melody and everyone starts grinning. ‘It’s Champeta!’’ Your friend tells you excitedly. Some couples glue together for some serious rhythmic grinding, others start marching theatrically on the spot, others start doing something that reminds you of the funky chicken. The music is catchy, it’s joyful - and you’re hooked.
What you don’t know is that Champeta’s inclusion in this crossover medley, not just in Cartagena, but across Colombia, is a relatively recent phenomenon.
Back when Champeta, or as it was originally known, Terapia, was the musical “therapy” for Cartagena’s hardworking and impoverished Afro-Descendants, Colombia’s “well-to-do” upper classes considered it low-class and vulgar, indicative of a classist society that associated black culture with undesirable. In those days (we’re talking the 70s and 80s), being called a “champetudo” was considered an insult. An entire subculture grew around the genre in defiance; dance, language, art and fashion. Now, decades later, Champeta’s undeniable appeal has earned it a cool-club status that has all Colombians and the rest of the world clamouring to join: National top 10 lists will feature at least 3 Champeta songs, and reformed reggaeton princesses are now trying to learn thost “vulgar” dance moves. If you don’t want to be left out, here’s some Champeta basics to get you started.

Champeta - comes from the word for machete, which the workers arriving to dance at the picós would wear tied around their waist after their day’s shift. Some of the dance steps incorporate a machete chopping action reflecting this.

Picó - The enormous sound-systems that were originally transported to different neighborhoods on the back of “pickup” trucks. The music machines would be painted with images and graphics that would then later give the name to the picó, such as El Tigre or the most famous, El Rey de Rocha.

Meque or meke - is the force and potency of the sound system and the general energy and frenzy of a champeta song.

Espeluque - The third part in a champeta song where the rhythm changes and gets more intense and everyone is whipped into such a frenzy, their hair ends up a big mess

El Caballito - one of the more iconic dance moves represents riding a little horse. Also check out La Borracha and La Camita.

​

EATING THE STREET IN CARTAGENA

Whether you are chasing a stopover snack or something more substantial, a healthy start or a sweet denouement, Cartagena’s streets provide! Eating the street is a way to plug into the local culture and gain insight into the daily lives, as you enjoy food the way Cartageneros do. It’s also extremely tasty. So arm yourselves with an appetite and an adventurous attitude and go explore. Here’s some street treats to look out for:

Arepa e’ huevo - Probably the most iconic Cartagena street snack, the arepa e’huevo is a twice-fried golden circular cornmeal parcel filled with egg and meat. Must try.

Carimañola - Made from the sticky yuca dough, Carimañolas can be stuffed with meat or cheese before frying.

Papa Rellena - Yet another deep-fried delight, the Papa Rellena (literally translated as “stuffed potato”) is cooked potato balls with meat, onions and spiced dipped into a batter, then fried until crunchy.

Kibbeh - Another fried treat, the kibbeh is a tasty legacy of the Arabic immigration to Cartagena. It’s made from bulgar wheat, finely ground beef, onions and spices.

Mango biche - Cartageneros love their mango green (unripe), crunchy, and doused in lime juice, salt and pepper. Mango biche is also the renowned preferred craving food for pregnant women. Now you know.

Bollos - These leaf-wrapped rolls are similar to a Mexican tamale and are made by steaming cornmeal, plantains, yuca, coconut, or any other kind of masa inside a bijao leaf. They are then usually enjoyed with a few chunks of the local cheese: queso costeño. They can also be sometimes found,stuffed with meat and vegetables.

Patacones - twice-fried plantains are pisa’o (flattened) dipped in salty, garlic water and topped with cheese, meat, salad, sauces, or simply enjoyed on their own.

Pesca’o - You’ll hear this food before you see it. Listen out for the men walking the streets with their giant silver buckets calling out “Pesca’o Pesca’o!!” What you’ll receive is a piece of salty fried fish accompanied by salty steamed yuca and wrapped up in a piece of brown paper.

Coctél de Camaron - If you thought the famous shrimp coctkail died after the 80s, think again! In Cartagena cups filled with a mix of shrimp, onion, tomato, mayo and lots of garlic can be found all along Avenida Venezuela. You can even eat it under a giant Sombrero Vuelta’o hat!

Tropical fruits - Depending on the season, you can find all manner of strange and exotic tropical fruits like lulo, granadilla, nispero, papaya, guanabana, corozo, guama, zapote etc Some can be eaten there and then, others are better mixed into a juice.

Postres Palenqueros - Look out for the ladies in beautiful coloured dresses carrying bowls on their head often the treasures they are transporting are an array of traditional sweets such as cocadas (coconut mounds) enyucado (coconut and yuca cake) bolitas de tamarindo (sugar-coated tamarind balls) and alegría (puffed corn brown-sugar and coconut balls).

Agua e Coco - Known as natures energy drink, you can order the coconut whole, or drink the water en bolsita, ripping open the tiny plastic bags with your teeth.

Salpicón - This colourful, sweet cup is kind of like a drinkable fruit-salad laced with lots of sugar.

Raspa’o - Cartagena’s version of the snow cone, Raspaó is shaved ice topped with flavoured syrup. Popular flavours include tamarindo and Kola Roman.

Tinto - Need an energy boost with all this eating? Never fea! A tiny cup of caffeine is always close at hand thanks to the roaming tinto salesmen. Look for the men carrying thermoses and cigarettes. The coffee usually comes pre-sweetened and is usually, surprisingly, extremely hot.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN EXPLORING THE WORLD OF STREETFOOD IN CARTAGENA BOOK INTO ONE OF OUR FOOD + CULTURE TOURS OR REQUEST IT AS PART OF YOUR PRIVATE TOUR.

​

With uber talented chefs, a bounty of incredible ingredients and a strong tourist dollar stimulating competition, in Cartagena there are no shortage of quality international eating options vying for attention. But if you’re the type of traveller that feels savouring the local gastronomic delights is an essential part of the experience - these are some of the home-grown typical dishes that should be high on your must-try list.*

CEVICHE + COCTEL

Whilst it’s the Peruvians who mostly claim credit for the culinary blessing that is ceviche, the dish also has Colombian origins, with indigenous groups using local fruits to “cook” and preserve fish and seafood since waaaay back in the day. Upon settling, the Spanish combined this local method with their own popular dish of escabeche, and Cartagena has been enjoying the results ever since. The typical ceviche is prepared by marinating the raw fish/seafood in citrus (like lime) or fruit (like tamarind or mango) until “cooked” by the acidic juices. Herbs, toasted corn, peppers, onions and other spices can also be combined to create a variety of different versions. Similar concept, but with different execution, the coctél de camaron is a kind-of kickback to the seventies when the beloved shrimp cocktail was the height of fine-dining. In this case the pre-cooked seafood is mixed with tomato sauce, mayo and heap of garlic, and offered from beaches to roadside to restaurants all over the city.
Try it at (gosh I need a separate best of ceviche list!!)
Laguna Azul
Malagana
La Cevicheria
Alquimico
La Mulata
El Boliche
El Gramo
Cuzco
La Perla
Sombrero Vueltiao (look for the giant striped hat for the best streetside shrimp cocktail)


ARROZ APASTELA’O (PASTEL)

A specialty of the Caribbean Coast, this rice dish is prepared with the meat and stock of chicken or pork, vegetables like beans, carrots and peas, olives, capers and yellow achiote then wrapped up in a green bijao leaf and steamed. The result is a convenient parcel of moist deliciousness that can be unwrapped and enjoyed wherever you fancy.
Try it at
Your neighbourhood window in Getsemani (especially December 26-30)
Narcobollo (Manga)
Ohlala
Candé


BANDEJA COSTEÑA

The typical plate from the coast, this dish consists of a whole fried fish (mojarra or pargo are most common), golden patacon (fried green plantain) and the revelation that is coconut rice (seriously, so good). If you’re lucky you’ll get a bowl of taste-the-ocean fish soup on the side. For maximum enjoyment, eat using your hands while your toes are in the sand and with a champeta musical soundtrack.
Try it at
La Perla Negra (La Boquilla)
Kiosko Bony (Bocagrande)
Espiritu Santo
La Mulata
Candé
Narcobollo (Manga)


SOPA DE HIGADETE
This can be a bit harder to find, but this traditional soup made with sweet ripe plantain, beef liver and coconut milk is a taste sensation.
Try it at
Candé Restaurant
The home of someone's grandma

MOTE DE QUESO
Another main-meal soup, this plate is especially popular at Easter because it is completely meat-free (making it a great choice for vegetarians). It is prepared by cooking ñame (a root vegetable similar to potato) with salty cheese (queso costeño) and lots of onion. Cheesy soup? Yes, please.
Try it at 
Quero Arepa
Espiritu Santo
Cocina de Pepina


CAZUELA DE MARISCOS
Back when the Spanish first arrived, finding a land devoid of olive oil and chickpeas they had to improvise. The delicious result is this super rich casserole chock-full of seafood and cooked in a creamy-coconut sauce.

Try it at
Casa Socorro
Candé
Cocina de Pepina
La Mulata
Marea by Rausch


*for the sake of space this list is focused on main plates. We’ll save snacks and desserts for another time.

Cartagena boasts a multitude of Arabic-cuisined restaurants thanks to the immigrants from Syria, Lebanon etc who brought their aromatic recipes with them when they moved here and started building their trade-based business empires [food plus history lesson in one overly-long sentence. whoop].

I totally want to try them all! So far, however, I've only tried M Cocina. And it's good!

My last visit was a girly lunch date with one of my favourite Cartageneras and she advised me that M Cocina was the best Arabic food in Cartagena. Which is all the endorsement I need.

Following her lead I ordered a deeeeelicious guanabana and mint (hierbabuena) juice which was all icy and granizado-like and so frickin good. I actually think it was the highlight of the entire lunch. Here's a photo.

Mmmmm....

Because I wanted to try as much as possible and because I am generally greedy, we got a mixed plate to share for the starter. It had tasty chicken and toasted almond rice, some vine leaf wraps, tabbouleh, felafel, kibbeh, and a meaty empanada. You can see it in the top photo. Everything was really flavoursome but I liked the kibbeh the best. By the time the plate was finished, we were pretty much full.. but then our meat arrived..

D loves her a steak, so she ordered the lomo, which came with a herby butter and a choice of potatoes (she chose puree) and a salad. I nabbed a chunk and it was yeah-baby good with a nicely seasoned meat-crust. This is it:

When I choose from a menu, I have an ordering hierarchy which, in addition to favoring anything pig-derived, includes a general philosophy that I should order things that I wouldn't cook at home. Which is why I ordered the Kibbeh crudo (it's like an arabic-style beef tatare i.e. seasoned raw meat). Look how pretty it is:

It came just like this. No other side. So by the end (and yes, despite being full when I started eating it.. I did definitely finish it) I was craving something to re-fresh the palate a bit more. I even ate the decorative and usually annoying parsley because I was so desperate for the green. But flavour-fatigue aside, I really enjoyed. And it's definitely not something I feel brave enough to prepare at home.

By now we were so full we could barely stand up straight, so we didn't even look at the dessert menu which apparently contains such Middle Eastern wonders as baklava and rose-water scented sweets.

Like most of the Arabic restaurants in Cartagena, M Cocina is found in Bocagrande. The interior design is fiiiiiine, white and nice but nothing I need to elaborate on, save to confirm that yes, there is air conditioning.

Definitely recommended. Definitely order the Guanabana and mint juice.

Here's some shopping suggestions on the top souvenirs to remember your stay.







MOCHILAS Brightly coloured or neutral toned natural fibre handwoven bags with striking geometric patterns. They hail from indigenous artisans from La Guajira and near Santa Marta. Prices vary depending on quality... but they aren't cheap! They hover around the $50 mark. Buy from the street, from the wide collection at   or get fancy versions in boutiques like St Dom.

BIKINI As Colombia's and much of Latin America's beach-side playground, Cartagena is also home to some of the most innovative and beautiful beachwear designs. I think one of the brightly patterned, sometimes bejewelled bikinis would make an awesome souvenir. Or for the men, the tropical kitschy bermuda shorts are completely rad. Go to St Dom Touché, Del Mar, Ondade Mar in Centro, Hookipa in Bocagrande or Laguna Rose in Mall Plaza for a dazzling selection of all the top brands.

HATS Panama hats in every colour under the rainbow, the traditional black and white weave of the Vueltiao hat or one of Planeta Champeta's urban cool gorras.. you are challenged to stop at just one!

ANTIQUES By now you're sure to have noticed all the incredible doorknockers adorning the historic houses here. Why not buy one of your own? El Arcon Anticuario sells replica doorknockers together with other amazing artefacts. Or in Getsemani, check out the awesome Ocho Reales Maritime Artefacts and Collectable store on Calle Larga (near the Puente Roman).

ART I love buying art when I travel..  in Cartagena it can be a bit more difficult to unearth the gems.. it seems to be  touristy mass produced paint by numbers from the street, or super expensive gallery pieces. There are a few good options if you know where to look. Book in an art tour or alternatively, I can also put you directly in touch with some of my most favourite artists and photographers here for a unique souvenir that will appreciate (and be appreciated) forever.

EMERALDS Colombia is responsible (according to Wikipedia) for 70-90% of the world's emeralds. The mines are mostly located outside of Bogota in Boyaco.. but the stores and workshops in Cartagena are the most famous retailers. Gem traders come to wield deals on the sparkly shiny stones with their haul valued at considerably higher prices in the US and European markets. So potentially you can pick up a bargain.. Mostly though I just think they are super pretty. Check out Lucy Jewelry, Elia Jewelery and the amazing designs of Paula Mendoza.

CIGARS I know less than nothing about the Cuban cigars sold here, except that the ones on the street are usually fake and you should probably go to a reputable place like La Cava del Puro to purchase with confidence. Also a great place to buy the best Rum Colombia has to offer.

MUSIC Remember dancing your nights away by purchasing some of the musical mixes from Cartagena - salsa, champeta, cumbia, porro, meringue, reggaeton. There's dozens of street vendors who can't wait to load you up with ripped versions of all the classics.

LINEN Nothing says vay-cay like linen. Holidaying Colombians take great delight in wearing a wardrobe strictly comprised of white linen when they come to Cartagena. Blend in and stock up on this luxe staple. Special occasions and weddings call for a Guayabera; a tailored-button-up shirt.

More? I kept to 10 but there's also a bunch of beautiful artisan-type goodies available around town that deserves a mention.. like the brilliantly bright designs of Alvipop, who takes the stereotypical tourist souvenirs of the palenque fruit woman and the statue of catalina and then paints them in fluroscent make-you-happy colours. 
Other good souvenirs available from the supermarket: Santander Chocolate, Juan Valdez Coffee and Copelia Coco and Arequipe Cocadas. Mmmm...