Practical Guide to Taking the Bus in Cartagena, Colombia

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If you’re coming to Cartagena, Colombia, you might be wondering if using the bus is an effective and safe way to get around while also saving a few pesos.

In my 11 years living in the city, I took buses in Cartagena countless times all over the place.

However, in more recent years, I took it less and less.

That’s because a new system that replaced the legacy Cartagena buses, while better and more organized, was less useful for me, and I think that’s the case for most visitors the city too.

In this post, I’ll share why I think using the buses in Cartagena are not the best option for short term visitors and share some alternatives, but I’ll also give some tips on how to take the bus in Cartagena if you do want to use it.

Buses in Cartagena: An Overview

I see questions about whether taking buses in Cartagena is a good way to get around and save some money, if the Cartagena buses are safe, and wondering how to take the bus in Cartagena come up a good bit

It’s a good question.

In most of Colombia buses are a cheap and mostly effective way to get around. Not to mention, Cartagena’s taxis, already among the most expensive in the country, have a bad reputation for overcharging.

I’ll talk a bit below about how the Cartagena bus system evolved, but the short answer is that for most tourists, the current bus system in Cartagena, known as the Transcaribe, is not all that useful, in my opinion.

Transcaribe’s Cartagena buses require purchasing a card and loading it with credit.

The geography of Cartagena, or more specifically, the waterfront tourist areas, make it hard to connect all the tourist areas by bus as well. Plus, the routes that cover most tourist areas are often slow and crowded.

The buses in Cartagena are a very cost effective way to get around outside the tourist areas and in some niche cases, can work pretty well for tourists, especially those staying a bit longer, where the savings outweigh the hassle of dealing with buying a card and waiting for the bus.

So, I’ll cover using them in detail below.

However, for most people in Cartagena for just a few days up to a week, taking a taxi is just easier, it’s a lot quicker, and it’s not all that much more expensive in the scheme of things.

Of course, if you read my best areas to stay in Cartagena guide and take my advice to stay in Centro or Getsemaní, you can walk to tons of places as well. This lets you keep your spend on transportation, taxis or otherwise, low.

Do be sure to consult my guide to Cartagena transportation to compare all ways of getting around.

You can also take a look at my guide to the taxi prices in Cartagena and my guide to using Uber in Cartagena. I also recommend InDrive as a good Uber alternative.

Cartagena collective taxis are also a good budget friendly alternative and cost around the same as a bus.

The Hop on Hop Off Tourist Bus, especially the 2 day ticket, is a pretty good value if you use it for multiple trips to or between the 11 designated stops too.

Finally, if you’d like the most convenient and safe option, you can book private transportation sold by our partner travel agency.

From Unorganized to Organized But not So Useful for Tourists

When I arrived to Cartagena back in 2011, there were a hodgepodge of colorful buses, or busetas, that was a very disorganized, but, once you learned it, pretty effective system.

Maybe system is the wrong word, but if you put in some effort, possibly with some trial and error, and learned the routes, the old busetas could get you where you needed to go pretty cheaply.

Most of these legacy Cartagena buses had the name of their destination neighborhood painted at the top of the windshield, which was the name of the route so to speak.

Thing is, there were multiple buses, with different routes with the same main neighborhood name, and the routes sometimes varied at different times of the day.

Just in case it’s not clear, there wasn’t a central route map or anything either.

There weren’t even set stops! You just flagged the bus down.

When you were ready to get out, you shouted “¡Parada!” and hoped the driver heard you and/or wasn’t in the middle of overtaking another bus in a race for the passenger to be waiting at the next corner.

My favorite part of the old legacy busetas was the sparing though.

These were the guys who stood in the doorway and shouted out the route. I often felt like they were trying to convince you to get on their bus, whether it went where you needed to or not.

More impressively, these guys always remembered who had and hadn’t paid and who needed change.

I also appreciated the creative names, not to mention colorful lights, loud sound systems, and, when you were lucky, comfortable, cushiony seats on lots of the old buses in Cartagena.

However, the opening of Transcaribe, which took years and years to complete and get online, spelled their doom.

The old busetas were gradually phased out.

Only a few that serve very specific areas where Transcaribe doesn’t go still operate today.

Transcaribe is meant to be akin to an above ground metro, and it’s modeled on Bogotá’s Transmilenio.

Along Cartagena’s major thoroughfares, it has dedicated lanes and only stops at stations, where you can transfer to other buses at no additional cost, just like you would on a subway. This allows for much quicker transit time than the old buses or even taxis.

For those who live in Cartagena’s residential areas outside the tourist sectors and close to a station or a stop for one of the “feeder” buses that travel normal roads, it’s a pretty good system.

The geography and layout of the tourist areas just doesn’t lend itself very well to using it though.

I guess that was true of the old buses too, but I felt like there used to be more options to get around the tourist areas, and you could just pay cash and didn’t have to worry about having the card.

Using the Transcaribe Cartagena Bus System

However, you can still make use of the Transcaribe buses in Cartagena to save some money on transportation if you’re willing to buy the card and add credit to it.

I’ll cover some basics on the main routes you might want to know and getting between common places below, but first let’s just talk basics of the system.

How to Take The Cartagena Transcaribe Buses

Unlike the old legacy busetas, you have to use a special card you add credit to, and you can’t pay with cash.

You can get a Transcaribe card and/or add credit to it at:

• The main Transcaribe stations
• Some shops around town. Consult a map here. SuperGiros stores and stands should also let you recharge and may have cards.

The card does have a cost, and there was a long period where there was a shortage and they didn’t have any. To be honest, I probably wouldn’t count on that map on their website, but you should be able to get cards at the main stations, and then use those places to add credit to it.

As of the most recent update to this post in March 2026 a standard Cartagena bus fare costs $3,900 COP, according to this press release on new rates from the mayor’s office.

The cost of the card had previously been $6,000 COP, and there is no announcement of a cost increase for the card itself, so I would assume it has stayed fixed at that rate.

Fares usually go up incrementally every year, with new prices going into effect some time between January and April each year. So, keep that in mind if you’re reading this in 2027 or beyond.

Also unlike the old buses, the Transcaribe buses have set stops.

Along the main routes with their designated lanes, those stops are at large concrete stations with sliding doors like you’d see on a subway.

On regular roads, you’ll see large white or yellow rectangles painted on the road with the letters SITM (for Sistema integradrado transporte masivo). When riding on these buses, instead of shouting “¡Parada!” there are little red buttons you press as you approach a stop to ask the bus driver to let you off at the next stop.

Keep in mind, when getting the bus on the street, you’ll need to enter by the front door and scan your card as you get in, and get off through doors near the center or back that have steps down. These doors are on the right hand side of the bus. You can find the little red square stop request buttons near these doors.

If getting on or off at a station, you enter and exit via doors on the left hand side of the bus, and you’ll scan your card when entering the station, like a subway.

Different routes have slightly different operating hours, but generally they operate from 6 am to 9 pm, with some routes starting a bit earlier and some operating a bit later.

Transcaribe Routes

Let’s talk about the routes.

Look for orange lights above the windshield and on little screens on the sides of the buses that signify which route it is running. It should have a route with a letter and numbers and the name of the start and end of the route.

In stations, you should see signs for what routes stop at each door.

Some of the stations don’t have them marked so clearly, and some larger ones have two sections, so if you’re not sure, look for the security guard who should be able to help you or just ask a local waiting.

There are several types of routes:

• The Rutas troncales, or main central routes that only run on the main avenues and only stop at the stations there. They begin with the letter T.
• The Rutas pretroncales, which circulate in certain neighborhoods, and then follow the main central routes, usually stopping at only a handful of stations. Some of them break off again to serve other neighborhoods. They can connect people to the main Rutas troncales or take them to their final station. They begin with the letter X.
• The Rutas alimentadores, or “feeder” routes, circulate in specific neighborhoods and only stop at one specific station to connect people to the Rutas troncales. They begin with the letter A.
• The Rutas complimentarias, or complimentary routes, that go to certain areas that are not served by the main routes. The begin with the letter C.

This site is primarily geared towards tourists, and maybe to a lesser extent, foreigners living in Cartagena. For the overwhelming majority of both of those categories, a couple of the Rutas troncales and a few others are going to be the only buses they are likely to use.

So, I’m only going to discuss a few of those in detail here, and I’m not really going to discuss the Rutas pretroncales or alimentadores at all. I will mention a few of the Rutas complimentarias though, and you can see the full map of all the routes at the link below.

Consult the entire Transcaribe system map here.

Summary of the Main Routes By Bus #

I’m going to cover the routes most likely to be used by travelers first by the bus numbers/routes themselves, but I’ll also cover some specific use cases on getting from point a to point b below too.

T103: Portal-Bocagrande (and X105: Ciudadela-C/Luque-B/grande)

The T103 is likely the most useful Transcaribe bus for tourists.

It does a loop through Bocagrande and can be used to get between Bocagrande and the Walled City.

It goes from Centro up the main Avenida San Martín (Carrera, or Cra. 2a), the street one block off the beach, to Calle 4, just before the Hotel Caribe.

Then it circles back towards Centro along the Avenida Tercera (Cra. 3a) to get on the main Ruta troncal, where it goes to the end of the line at the Patio Portal terminal, making stops along the way.

Click the link to the system map above and see the stops it makes in Bocagrande when you scroll down to the smaller T103 map. Be sure to note the stations along the Ruta troncal where it stops listed in the lower left hand corner of that map or listed on the system map at the top of that page.

It’s worth noting that it stops at the La Bodeguita station, just across from the tourist docks where most boats to the Rosario Islands depart and a stone’s throw from the Clocktower. This is where you should get off for Centro and Getsemaní.

It doesn’t stop at the Centro station but does at the Chambacu station across from Mall Plaza.

The X105 Pretroncal route follows the same route as the T103 in Bocagrande. However, it does stop at both the Bodeguita and Centro stations but not the Chambacu station. It also only follows the Ruta troncal until the Bazurto station.

T104: Portal-Crespo

This is the other bus that I think is most likely to be used by tourists.

It does a loop through Crespo (including near the airport), passing through Marbella and El Cabrero on its way to and from Centro and the main Ruta troncal.

The most important caveat for taking this bus is that it follows a different route around Centro depending on if it’s headed towards Crespo or away from Crespo.

When heading towards Crespo, it runs along the main avenue in Centro and stops at the Chambacu (outside Mall Plaza) and Centro stations. It does not stop at the La Bodeguita station.

When returning from Crespo, it does not go back to the Centro station.

Instead, it bypasses Centro entirely and goes to the Chambacu station. There is a small street stop outside the entrance to the wall in San Diego, near the Exitó supermarket. This is where you’ll want to get off for Centro and Getsemaní if going this direction.

Once again, you can consult the system map and scroll down to see the stops it makes going each direction in El Cabrero, Marbella, and Crespo as well as the stations it stops at along the Ruta troncal.

T101: Portal-Centro and T100E Portal-Centro

These two routes only run along the main avenida, or ruta troncal.

The T101 stops at not all but nearly all of the stations.

Meanwhile, the T100E, E for express, stops at only a select handful.

Because there’s no bus that stops at absolutely all of the stations, if you are going to a specific station, just be sure to double check on the system map if the bus you’re on stops there or if you need to transfer to another bus at a station they both stop at.

Transferring to the T100E can also be faster in some cases since it makes fewer stops.

C016: Portal-Terminal de Transporte

This route connects the Transcaribe terminal (the Patio Portal) to the main bus terminal, where buses to and from other cities arrive and depart.

Keep in mind it does make stops along the way in either direction, and it only runs on weekdays.

You can consult the map by clicking on the link to the system map above and then scrolling all the way down.

Remember as well, that once at the patio, you’ll need to get a T route that takes you to your final destination.

C017: Bodeguita-Zona Norte

This route runs from the La Bodeguita station through Caberero, Marbella, and Crespo, and then it continues farther north, going past Hotel Las Americas, on through La Boquilla and up past Manzanillo to the swanky gated communities of Barcelona.

It only runs on weekdays.

If you’re only going to La Boquilla/Las Americas from the city, note that the last stop before it heads over the causeway over the swamps is in front of the Hotel Las Americas, and it is a long, long loop back around.

Getting from Point A to Point B Examples

That covers the main routes I think tourists are likely to make use of.

Let’s talk a few specific common actual trips though.

This list certainly isn’t exhaustive, but once again, you can consult the system map linked above to figure out how to get to and from other places on the Transcaribe bus in Cartagena.

Bocagrande to Centro and Getsemaní and Vice Versa

Grab the T103 or X105 along the Avenida Tercera (opposite way from the beach from the main strip). Get off at the La Bodeguita station (the first main station).

If you miss this stop, you’ll need to get off at Chambacu if on the T103. The X105 stops at the Centro station.

Return to Bocagrande from the La Bodeguita station, and press the red button near the doors as you approach your stop along the Avenida San Martín (main strip).

If you accidentally go into the Centro station, you can hop the X105 there or take one of the other T routes up to La Bodeguita to get the T103.

Airport/Crespo/Marbella/Cabrero to Centro and Vice Versa

The T102 is your best bet here, but you may also be able to make use of the C017 on weekdays.

The T102 runs both directions along the Calle 70 in Crespo and then the Cra. 1a, or Avenida Santander along the waterfront in Marbella and Cabrero. So, make sure you’re on the right side of the street depending on the direction you want to go.

If you’re coming from the airport, note that you’ll need to go out to the main avenue (Calle 70) and cross the street. The closest stop is near the corner of Cra. 4a in front of the Drogas Super Economica.

If going to Centro, you’ll want to make sure you press the button for the bus to stop by the entrance to the wall in San Diego.

As you approach Centro from the waterfront, you’ll turn left and the wall will be on your right. As you go around the next curve to your right, press the button.

If you’re going from Centro towards Crespo, you can get the T102 from the Centro station. It doesn’t stop at the La Bodeguita station, so if you’ve entered there, you’ll need to hop another bus over.

If you’re going to the airport, you’ll need to get out in front of the church just across Cra. 2a, just past the Kokoriko.

You can take the C017 from either the Centro or La Bodeguita station.

While it follows the same route along the waterfront through Cabrero and Marbella, it bypasses Crespo and the airport on its way north.

To the Castillo San Felipe

The closest station to the Castillo San Felipe is the Chambacu station, in front of Mall Plaza.

It’s about a 5-10 minute walk from there.

The T101, 102, and 103 all stop here (the T100E does not), so you can use any station in Centro or any T route you board from Bocagrande or the Caberero/Marbella/Crespo side without transferring. Keep in mind the X105 does not stop here.

From Airport/Crespo/Marbella/Cabrero to Bocagrande

You’ll need to take the T102 heading towards Centro.

Remember, from the airport you’ll want to look for the stop in front of Drogras Super Economica near the corner of Calle 70 and Cra. 4a.

If you’re coming from elsewhere in Crespo or along the route, consult the above instructions to get to Centro and the system maps for where to catch the T102.

Perhaps the easiest is to ride to the Chambacu station. There, you can catch the T103 to Bocagrande.

Or you can get off on the street at the entrance to the wall in San Diego (see above instructions from Crespo to Centro).

From there, you can walk to the La Bodeguita station and catch the T103. Or you can walk about half that distance to the Centro station and hop on any bus besides the T102 to the La Bodeguita station and take the T103 (all the T and X routes stop at La Bodeguita except T102).

From Bocagrande to Cabrero/Marbella/Crespo/Airport

Remember, you’ll need to catch the T103 towards Centro along the Avenida 3ra.

Again, you have some choices, and again, the easiest is just to ride until Chambacu, get off there and catch the T102 and follow the above instructions from Centro.

You can also get off at La Bodeguita and then take any bus over to the Centro station and get on the T102.

Much like the T102 is the only bus that doesn’t stop at La Bodeguita, the T103 is the only bus that doesn’t stop at Centro.

To be honest, it’s an example of why I think the system isn’t as tourist friendly as it could be.

Anyways, remember if you’re going to the airport, you’ll need to get out in front of the church just across Calle 2. Press the red button when passing Kokoriko.

From Centro to the Terminal de Transporte

If you’re planning to travel to a different city in Colombia, you might need to go to the Terminal de Transporte (more on intercity travel below, by the way).

Honestly, I recommend just paying up for a taxi, because the Transcaribe routes don’t offer a super easy or quick way to get there.

On weekdays, you can take the C016 between the Patio Portal and the bus terminal. Keep in mind any of the 4 T routes will end at the Patio Portal.

On weekends, the easiest thing to do is to just ride a T route to the Patio Portal and then take the short taxi ride to the main terminal.

The X104, which makes stops at the La Bodeguita, Centro, and Chambacu stations (its last top on the ruta troncal is Bazurto) but also makes many more stops along the way once it leaves the ruta troncal, also does stop at the Terminal del Transporte.

Legacy Busetas in Cartagena

There are hardly any busetas left.

There are gray/whitish and red Vehitrans buses that go into La Boquilla, even running along the beach. If you read my guide to the beaches in Cartagena, you’ll see La Boquilla is one of my favorite beaches in town.

If you want to go farther up past where Hotel Las Americas is located, it could be an option. The SB100 route runs along the Avenida Santander in Cabrero and Marbella, through Crespo and past the airport, and up into La Boquilla.

There are a few busetas that still serve Bocagrande and some other areas as well, but I’m not very well versed on their exact routes as so much has changed since Transcaribe came online. If you’re feeling adventurous and confident in asking about the routes in Spanish, they could be an option though.

Their fares will generally be comparable to the Transcaribe fares, but some of the routes may cost a little more.

Collective Taxis

I’d like to close with another possible budget friendly alternative to taking the bus in Cartagena: collectivos or collective taxis.

These taxis have fares that are considerably cheaper than taking regular taxis. They take 4 passengers, and usually go when full, but sometimes they also pick up passengers along the way.

Fares do vary based on route, but going just one or two neighborhoods over generally is just as quick and around the same price as taking a bus in Cartagena.

Hop on Hop Off Tourist Bus

Ok, sure, these buses are kind of cheesy and have all the looks of a tourist trap.

While that’s sort of true, they aren’t a bad value if you take full advantage of it. The two day ticket option, in particular, is a great value.

If you’re going to go to several of the 11 stops, you’ll spend much less than you will on individual taxis and be much more comfortable than the standard Cartagena buses or collective taxis.

You could also use it as a more traditional tour bus one day and then use it just as a “free” bus ride you’ve already paid for the next day too.

You can buy tickets for the Hop on Hop Off Bus in advance here.

Getting to and From Cartagena by Bus

Ok, to really close this guide to using the bus in Cartagena out, let’s talk about intercity travel in Colombia to and from Cartagena.

If you’re going to Santa Marta (or using it as a jumping off point to visit places like Minca, Tayrona, or Palomino), you’re better off doing the charter bus services of Marsol or Berlinas, which leave from Cabrero and Marbella, respectively.

Those offices are located a much cheaper and quicker taxi ride away from the tourist areas than the main bus terminal.

Even if you take the Transcaribe out to the main terminal (remember you’ll have to transfer), the amount of time you’ll save is worth the nominal extra cost of taxing and buying the slightly more expensive ticket, in my opinion.

Read my post on getting between Cartagena and Santa Marta for more details.

If you’re going farther north, like say to Riohacha, south, or into the interior, you will need to go to the main Terminal del Transporte (see above for getting there by bus, but you can also take a taxi).

I would encourage you to at least compare the cost and time of flying, as bus rides into the interior to cities like Medellín or Bogotá often aren’t much cheaper and take much, much, much longer than flying.

While there are many more options at the terminals, you can get an idea of prices and travel times and even reserve some buses on BusBud.

Read my posts on traveling between Cartagena and Medellín, and between Bogotá and Cartagena for more considerations on getting to Cartagena by bus from either of them.

Did you take the bus in Cartagena?

Now you have a complete guide to taking the bus in Cartagena, Colombia.

While I think most tourists are better off just paying a bit more for taxis, if you do use the bus in Cartagena, I hope you found this useful.

I’d love to hear about your experience and any tips you’d like to share for others in the comments!

Cheers and Happy Exploring!