Visiting Cartagena, Colombia for New Years Practical Tips

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Are you considering traveling to Cartagena, Colombia for New Years?

With its historic charm, fun nightlife, and vibrant culture, with year round beach weather to boot, bringing in the New Year in Cartagena is a great choice!

However, there are some important things to keep in mind to get the most out of a Cartagena New Years trip.

I lived in Cartagena for over a decade and will give you the full rundown on what to expect if you want to ring in the New Year in Cartagena, Colombia in this post.

Cartagena, Colombia New Years Overview and Quick Tips

I’ll go into more details below, including what special events you can expect for Cartagena New Year’s Eve, but here I’m going to touch on a few important introductory tips.

First, you should expect large crowds in Cartagena on NYE and the surrounding days.

The period around Christmas and New Years Eve in Cartagena, really from about mid-December to mid-January is the busiest tourist season of the year.

Besides it being a frequent time people can get off from work and travel internationally, Cartagena is a popular destination this time of year for Colombians coming from other places in the country to enjoy the warm weather of Cartagena for New Years and Christmas.

The upside of that, of course, is that it’s crowded for a reason: it’s a fun destination!

So, you should make sure to secure your hotel reservations early. I’d suggest at least a few months in advance.

You can take a look at my guide to which area to stay in Cartagena or my picks for the best hotels in Cartagena for all budgets to help with that, by the way.

You should also expect large crowds, especially on the beaches.

That’s all the more reason to plan a trip to the gorgeous instead of the just ok beaches in town.

The best places in the islands do sell out this time of year, though.

So, be sure to book a day tour to the Rosario Islands or your overnight stay at one of the best Rosario Islands hotels well in advance too.

You can compare your options in my in depth guide to the Rosario Islands or see your other options for island escapes in this comparative guide to all the Cartagena islands.

Most other tours and excursions shouldn’t sell out too far in advance, but they are worth booking at least a week or two ahead, especially if you’re not flexible on dates or have limited time.

See my picks for the best Cartagena tours here, by the way.

Finally, you’ll want to consider making dinner reservations ahead of time, including a few weeks ahead at the most popular Cartagena restaurants. That’s especially true if you want to do one of the special New Years Eve dinners and/or parties (more on those below).

As long as you keep all that in mind, you’ll have a great time celebrating New Year’s in Cartagena!

Be sure to read on for more details on what to expect, like where you can see fireworks on New Year’s Eve in Cartagena and where to find the best New Year’s Eve party in Cartagena.

What to Do in Cartagena for New Year’s Eve

Here, I’ll go over what to do in Cartagena for NYE, including where to go out and what to expect.

Enjoy the Christmas Lights

Spending New Years in Cartagena also means you’ll get to enjoy the charm of the city lit up for the holidays.

Cartagena’s Christmas lights are generally lit up from around December 7, the night of the fun tradition of Little Candles Night, until Three Kings on January 6.

So, if you’ll be in Cartagena for New Year’s Eve, try to take an evening to just stroll and enjoy the lights during your visit.

You can read my guide to spending Christmas in Cartagena or read about Colombian Christmas traditions for more info on what to expect around Christmas itself too.

Enjoy a Cena San Silvestre

Many restaurants, hotels, and bars in Cartagena (and the rest of Colombia) hold special dinners and New Year’s Eve celebrations, known as the Cena San Silvestre, Noche de San Silvestre, or Fiesta de San Silvestre on New Years Eve.

These events almost always include a multi-course dinner and a New Years toast.

Some include things like open bars, DJs, or live music. Many restaurants also set up tables in the streets of Cartagena’s Walled City.

Cartagena New Years Eve dinners do usually require advance tickets and reservations.

I’m not going to presume to be able to keep an accurate and up to date list of specific places and details, but I’d suggest googling Cena San Silvestre Cartagena or reaching out to specific restaurants, bars, or clubs you might be interested in via Whatsapp or Instagram for details on what they might be offering.

You can take a look at my list of our favorite restaurants in Cartagena or my guide to nightlife in Cartagena for some ideas.

There are always tables set up outside the Clocktower too. These also require purchasing a ticket but do not necessarily need to be reserved far in advance.

Catch the Cartagena New Year’s Fireworks

To be honest, we never really did any of the special dinners for New Years in Cartagena.

We did, however, always make a point to catch the fireworks!

Well, at least we did when we weren’t traveling somewhere else and actually spent the NYE in Cartagena.

You can get a good view of the fireworks from most spots along the wall, and there’ll be plenty of locals here too, including people bringing their own chairs and things.

So, you might want to post up at a good spot a little before midnight!

You can also get a good view of Cartagena’s NYE fireworks from just about any rooftop bar, on the Calle Arsenal, and, really from much of Centro, Getsemaní, and Bocagrande too.

Go Out Dancing at a Cartagena New Year’s Eve Party

Well, duh!

While many of the most popular bars and clubs will sell tickets for special dinners and parties and may reach capacity, our experience was that there were always places where you could walk in, even after midnight, if you wanted to catch the fireworks first or didn’t want to bother paying for a pricey ticket in advance.

You could also wander around and joing a Cartagena New Years Eve street party, especially in Getsemaní, around the Plaza de la Trinidad, for example.

Eat Your Grapes for Good Luck (and/or partake in other fun traditions)

One of Colombia’s most popular New Years traditions is eating 12 grapes at midnight, one for good luck in each month of the coming year.

Some people also wear yellow underwear.

Out in the barrios, you might even see some stuffed effigies that are set aflame to burn away the bad luck of the old year.

Some locals also walk around the block with their luggage to wish for more travel in the year to come.

Grapes are typically included in Cena San Silvestres in Cartagena, yellow underwear you’ll need to bring yourself though.

You can read about more Colombian New Year traditions here.

Will Things Be Closed on New Years Day?

Yes and no.

Cartagena is a tourist town.

So, most things, including restaurants, beach clubs, and places to go shopping will be open on New Years Eve and New Years Day in Cartagena.

However, many may open later than normal, and some smaller establishments may be closed entirely. Museums and places like the Castillo San Felipe Fort also will likely be closed.

Additional Practical Tips for Cartagena New Years Trips

Here, I’ll cover some additional tips for being in Cartagena, Colombia for New Year’s Eve.

Get Your Hotel Reservations Early

I cannot repeat this enough: this is the peak travel season for both international and domestic travel to Cartagena!

So, I strongly recommend getting your hotel reservations early. That will give you the widest selection at the best prices.

As the holidays approach, you’ll have fewer options and many hotels begin to raise prices.

Most times of the year, you can get hotel reservations a few weeks in advance or even find places with vacancies once on the ground.

That just isn’t the case around the holidays.

I’ll never forget having to sleep on the floor in a hostel one year when I couldn’t find anywhere that had a room or that wasn’t outrageously priced around the holidays.

So, I’d recommend getting your hotel reservations a few months in advance, if possible, and definitely not waiting until the last minute, even for booking Cartagena hostels.

Again, see my tips for finding accommodations in Cartagena here.

Reserve Islands Excursions Ahead Too

The same advice goes for booking excursions to the islands!

Whether you want to do a day trip to the Rosario Islands, a private boat rental (contact our local partner to get a quote here), spend the night at one of the best Rosario Islands hotels, or go to one of the popular hotels or beach clubs on Barú or Tierra Bomba, I’d strongly encourage booking it in well in advance.

Places do sell out this time of year and if you wait until the last minute, you might be stuck with subpar options.

Be Prepared for Crowds at the Public Beaches

Beach clubs and island tours will fill up and many will sell out. So, expect larger crowds than normal.

However, you’ll have even worse crowds at the public beaches, especially on Bocagrande beach and other beaches in town.

To be honest, I’d encourage avoiding Playa Blanca, a popular public beach on Barú, around the holidays too. Not only will there likely be larger crowds than the limited infrastructure can support, but vendors will charge even more than usual too.

You can read my post comparing the best beaches in Cartagena for more ideas for beaches (all of them will be crowded, but you can beat the worst of the crowds at some of them).

Expect to Pay More

That brings me to my last practical tip.

You’ll likely spend more this time of year.

While formal restaurants won’t charge more than their normal menu prices, it’s not uncommon for informal vendors, like those on the beach, as well as tour operators, hotels, and even taxis in Cartagena to charge more this time of year.

You should also always, always, always, verify prices for things you buy on the street or at the beach, and for taxi fares, by the way!

That’s true all times of the year but especially the case around the holidays.

This is another good reason, by the way, to make sure you book your accommodations and priority activities, like island tours, in advance. Some of them will raise prices as they get close to selling out.

For better or worse, it’s just simple supply and demand.

Ready to Spend New Years in Cartagena?

While you will likely face crowds and perhaps have to spend a bit more, bringing in the New Year in Cartagena, Colombia is a lot of fun.

If you do go to Cartagena for New Years, I hope this guide was useful in helping you plan. Most importantly, I hope you have a great time!

I’d love to know what your experience was like and if you have any other tips to share with other travelers in the comments!

Cheers and Happy Exploring!