Best Things to Do in Cartagena (by Someone Who Lived There!)

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Are you currently planning a trip and wondering, “What are the best things to do in Cartagena, Colombia?”

I lived in Cartagena for over a decade, and in this post, I’m going to share with you my suggestions for the best things to do in Cartagena.

I’ll include the typical must-dos in Cartagena, but I’ll also share with you plenty of hidden gems that aren’t included in the cookie cutter what to do in Cartagena lists posted elsewhere online.

I’ll even give you some honest opinions on some popular Cartagena things to do that you could consider skipping altogether so you can decide what is actually most worth your time or not.

So, read on to see my insider tips for all the fun things to do in Cartagena, Colombia!

The Best Things to Do in Cartagena, Colombia Overview

I lived in Cartagena for 11 years.

So, I hope this guide to Cartagena, Colombia things to do goes above and beyond the typical top 10 list you’ll find on TripAdvisor, the rundown from a travel blogger or travel journalist who just spent a few days in Cartagena, or whatever AI tool you prefer gives you.

While a lot of what I’ll suggest you must do in Cartagena will overlap with those lists, I hope you’ll find some unique things to do in Cartagena in this post based on my insider knowledge of the city too.

I’m going to go into a lot more detail in the sections below, but here’s a quick run down of the top things to do in Cartagena if you just want a quick list:

1. Explore the charm of the historic districts, including the lovely Walled City, walking the wall itself, and taking in the local vibes of neighboring Getsemaní
   • Book a great walking tour of the historic districts here
2. Escape to the Caribbean paradise of the Rosario Islands nearby
   • Book a private boat with my local partner here (our favorite way!)
   • Book my favorite shared catamaran tour here
   • Book an overnight stay at my favorite hotel here
3. Tour the impressive Castillo San Felipe Fortress
   • Book a tour that includes it, La Popa monastery, and the Walled City here.
4. Catch some nice Caribbean sunsets
   • Book a great sunset cruise here
5. Enjoy some great seafood
6. Enjoy some tasty street food
   • Book a street food tour here
7. Mingle with locals and tourists at the Plaza de la Trinidad
8. Go out Dancing
9. Enjoy some famous Colombian coffee
10. Visit San Basilio de Palenque, a Town Founded by Escaped Slaves
    • Book a tour to Palenque here

That would be my top things to see in Cartagena, but there’s so much more beyond that list.

In the rest of this post, I’m going to try to balance giving you easy to digest details on what I consider to be the must dos as well as cover some hidden gems many people miss without diving too deep.

I will be linking to more in depth guides to many of the Cartagena activities I recommend throughout. So, if you want to dive deeper, do give them a click or give the site a search!

One of Our Absolute Favorite Things to Do: Rent a Boat!

This is one of our favorite ways to spend a day in Cartagena, and one of the things I most miss about living there! There’s no better way to explore the gorgeous nearby islands than at your own pace on your own boat. It’s surprisingly affordable, and booking with my local partner Alyssa will help you get a price locals pay.

Get a Quote Here

The Things You Must Do in Cartagena

If you read my guide to how many days to visit Cartagena, you’ll see I recommend a minimum of 4 days, 3 nights in Cartagena.

That allows you to get 2 complete days to see what I consider the most important things you must do in Cartagena: exploring the historic districts of the Walled City and Getsemaní and getting out to the Rosario Islands.

Throw in a visit to the fort, some sunset drinks, some tasty food, and maybe a bit of dancing, and you’ve hit the highlights of what to see in Cartagena.

Of course, if you read that guide linked above, you’ll see I recommend up to 7 days if you can swing it. That way you can go beyond the Cartagena must dos and see some of the other unique fun things to do in Cartagena I mention below.

Detailed Guide to What to Do in Cartagena

Ok, if you’ve read, scrolled, or skimmed this far, let’s get into the juicier details of what I consider the top things to see in Cartagena.

I’m just scratching the surface here, so do check out the links included below for more details.

Immerse Yourself in the Charm of the Walled City

Cartagena’s Walled City, known as the Centro Histórico in Spanish, and also commonly called the Old Town in English, is the city’s historic heart, the center of the tourist industry, and the city’s downtown center of government and commerce all rolled into one.

It’s an absolute charm to just stroll through the narrow streets, taking in the pretty flower draped balconies, the historic churches, and the mix of locals and tourists as you go.

If you shut your eyes, it’s not hard to imagine being swept back in time!

Sometimes I had to stop and remind myself how pretty it was to live here.

I think doing a walking tour is a great way to learn more about the history of Cartagena, as well as get a crash course on getting around and learning what things you might want to come back and see later.

You can book a shared walking tour here or read my review of that tour here.

If you’re more apt to explore on your own, do read my guide to the Cartagena Walled City here.

Regardless of how you explore Cartagena’s Walled City, guided or not, you absolutely must set aside some time to walk along the tops of the walls themselves. It is one of the most complete examples of colonial era walls left anywhere in the world.

You’ll pass through areas with different heights and different vibes, starting in San Diego, where it’s a bit quieter and circling around along the Caribbean, where you can get great views of the Caribbean on one side and the historic city on the other, before finally having to come down near the Clocktower.

Doing so lets you more completely immerse yourself in the charm of the city and appreciate the scale of what was built here so many years ago.

A couple of my personal favorite highlights include the site of the former Café del Mar, atop the oldest section of the walls that date to the 1600s and a particularly good spot to catch sunset, and the Callejón de la Ronda.

There, you can see where the Jesuits built parts of the San Pedro Claver Church atop the original wall, which set of a dispute that ultimately resulted in a new section of the wall built in front with a short alleyway between.

Learn more interesting facts about Cartagena’s walls here.

Explore the Colorful Streets of Getsemaní

Adjacent to the Walled City, Getsemaní is the second oldest part of Cartagena and was the home of the city’s artisan class, many of them former slaves, during the colonial era.

In fact, the area remained a working class neighborhood up until only a couple decades ago when it started to emerge as part of the tourist scene in Cartagena.

It is now both firmly part of that tourist scene and plenty safe to explore during the day and night.

It still retains a lot of authentic, local vibes though, which is what makes it feel both distinct from and an extension of the historic charm of the Walled City.

In addition to the neat colonial architecture, there is a lot of neat street art here as well as several streets with decorations like colorful umbrellas and flags. That makes this one of the best places for photos in Cartagena.

Again, this shared walking tour includes both the Walled City and Getsemaní and is the perfect introduction to the main sites and their historic background in both neighborhoods.

If you prefer to explore on your own, check out this guide to Getsemaní.

While you should take some time to explore during the day and see all the street art and take those great photos, be sure you remember how to get back here, because you’ll want to come back in the evening for the fun nightlife here too (more on that below!).

Soak in the Sun in the Rosario Islands

I don’t think any trip to Cartagena is complete without some beach time.

You are in the Caribbean, after all!

Here’s the catch though: the beaches in Cartagena proper are just ok, and to get those crystal clear Caribbean waters, you’ll need to get out of the city.

The best place for some sun and sand in Cartagena is in the nearby Rosario Islands, about an hour’s boat ride away.

In my opinion, they are a virtual must do in Cartagena!

For those with 4 nights or fewer in Cartagena, I recommend sticking to a day trip to the islands.

The absolute best way to do an islands day trip is with a private boat rental. It gives you the flexibility to plan the day however you like and it’s surprisingly affordable, especially if you’re traveling as a group or family.

Doing boat days out in the islands was always one of our favorite things to do in Cartagena, and it’s one of the things I miss the most about living in Cartagena.

Get a quote from the site’s local partner for boat rentals here or check out my tips for doing a private boat rental to the Cartagena islands here.

If a private rental doesn’t work for your budget, there are plenty of good shared day pass options too.

For a relaxed day, consider the catamaran tour. For a lively atmosphere, consider the day pass at Bora Bora Beach Club. Or get a mix of chill and party vibes on a multi-island tour.

Compare more options in this post on the best Rosario Islands tours.

If you’ve got more than 4 nights, you could also choose to spend the night out in the islands, just keep in mind a night requires more or less 2 complete days since boats usually leave early and come back to Cartagena in the late afternoon.

Our favorite place in the islands is IslaBela, and I think it is a pretty good value.

For something higher end and luxurious, consider the luxury bungalows at Las Islas or for something a bit more like a modern resort, consider the Sofitel Calablanca.

See more of my picks for the best Rosario Islands hotels here.

Alternative Beach Options

I think most travelers will get the most out of the Rosarios, but there are some other good beach options.

Barú Island also has nice beaches.

However, the main beach out there, Playa Blanca, gets overcrowded. A decade ago, it was an unspoiled paradise, and you might see it mentioned as a must do in Cartagena, but haphazard development and pushy vendors have made it not nearly as nice as it used to be.

I recommend looking at hotels and beach clubs on the far end of Barú near the town that is named Barú instead.

You can also do Tierra Bomba Island, a much shorter boat ride just across the bay. You just won’t get crystal clear waters there.

See this comparative guide to Cartagena’s islands or this guide to the beaches of Cartagena for more info.

Tour the Castillo San Felipe

The Castillo San Felipe is the largest fort built on mainland South America by the Spanish, and it played the decisive role in repelling a British invasion during the 1741 Battle of Cartagena de Indias.

The massive fort also has a unique design for a colonial era fortification since it was built to conform to the shape of the hill it sits on instead of following the more common perpendicular square or rectangular shape of other forts from the time.

You can get some neat views and photos of the city from the top, including the iconic photo with the giant Colombian flag, and take an eerie walk through the tunnels that connect different sections of the fort.

Doing a Cartagena city tour that includes the fort is a good way to pack a lot into a half day, but you can also hop a cab and do it on your own. The hop on-hop off bus also has a stop here.

See my visitors guide to the San Felipe Fort here.

If you’re big into history, I also really recommend taking some time to visit the Museo Naval, the best history museum in Cartagena. It has some great dioramas of the major attacks on Cartagena like Francis Drake’s sacking of Cartagena that help put the geography and the strategic locations of the walls and fort into perspective.

The Inquisition Museum also does a good job covering Cartagena’s history and has some torture devices on display too. Meanwhile, the Gold Museum provides some info on the indigenous peoples that lived in Colombia’s Caribbean and is free to enter.

For the super history nerds like me, the forts at the edge of the bay at Bocachica are some of the best hidden gems in Cartagena. Meant to be the outer defenses of Cartagena, they played a key role in delaying the British attack in 1741. Rebuilt afterwards, they were never tested again and remain wonderfully preserved, if somewhat abandoned.

Unlike the Castillo San Felipe, which gets thousands of visitors a day, the forts at Bocachica feel genuinely off the beaten path. The Castillo San Fernando, in particular, is really well preserved and you can often have it almost entirely to yourself.

They are a bit tough to reach, but this cool pirate ship tour goes to the Castillo San Fernando and also includes some beach time nearby. This ATV tour also includes a stop there and is another of the more unique things to do in Cartagena.

You can learn more about the visiting it and the other two nearby forts, including how to get there on your own, in my complete guide to the Bocachica forts.

Take in the Caribbean Sunset

You definitely need to include sunset drinks on your list of things to do in Cartagena!

Some of our favorite places are the rooftop bar at Hotel Movich and Casa Pura. You can also watch the sunset from the wall, including at a new business where the well known Café del Mar used to be located.

Doing a sunset cruise is also a lot of fun.

You get to see the city from a unique perspective while cruising on the bay and watching the sun set out over the sea.

Our favorite one is this catamaran sunset cruise. We’ve also enjoyed this open bar sunset cruise, and this pirate ship sunset cruise looks like a lot of fun.

Want Some Special Memories?: Do a Cartagena Photo Session!

We love our sunset photos in Cartagena, but we love the professional photos we’ve taken with our local partner photographer Marina even more! You can learn more about her services and get a quote on your own session below.

Get a Quote Here

Sample the Seafood

The fresh, local, and delicious seafood is another one of the things I miss the most about living in Cartagena, and sampling some is another absolute must-do!

I definitely recommend doing the traditional fried fish plate with coconut rice and patacones (fried plantain patties) on the beach, but there’s tons of great seafood (and also not seafood) in town too.

Some of our favorite places that I’d recommend are Buena Vida Marisquería, La Cevichería, and Cande.

Celele offers a really unique, fine dining experience, and Carmen also is great fine dining.

For cheaper, budget-friendly fare, check out La Mulata. For some unique seafood dishes at reasonable prices check out La Vieja Guardia.

Oh, and if you are really into food, you might consider doing this cooking class. My mom and I did this and we really enjoyed it as you can see if you read my review of it here.

A tour to the hectic Bazurto Market can be another good way to learn more about Cartagena’s culinary traditions and get out of the tourist bubble.

For the ultimate experience combine a market tour and cooking class where you buy and prepare your own ingredients!

Those classes are at Lunático, by the way, which also serves terrific food if you want to just pop in to eat!

Sample the Street Food

For really budget friendly fare, get some street food!

You could do a street food tour to get an introduction or you could check out my post on the best Cartagena street food and go in search of it on your own.

Here’s an insider tip: skip the pinchos, or meat on a stick style kebabs, and go for the fried stuff which is more traditional to Cartagena.

The one must try is the arepa de huevo.

A bit different from the standard arepa, this Cartagena favorite is a corn arepa stuffed with egg and ground beef and fried to crispy, golden perfection.

Most fry stands will do one with just egg if you don’t eat meat, and you can find different meat stuffings like shrimp and chicharrón at Donde Magola.

Another favorite of mine is the Carimañola, which are fried yuca fritters, usually stuffed with ground beef or cheese. Their name is derived from Caribe, Spanish for Caribbean, and they are another local favorite that often get overlooked by the average tourist.

My mom and I actually learned to make these in that cooking class I mentioned above, and they also do arepa de huevo on one of the menus.

Even cooler, they now offer a Fritter Fiesta class, where you get to learn how to make arepa de huevo, carimañola, and patacones, all Cartagena staples. In a nice touch, it comes with an ice cold cerveza too!

You can also get great street hot dogs, chorizo dogs, and patacones con todo or picadas, plantain patties or french fries smothered in meats, respectively, at the next place on this list of things to do in Cartagena.

One other spot I’d definitely recommend checking out is the Portal de los Dulces. Located under the archways of the buildings directly across from the Clocktower, stands here sell traditional homemade sweets.

It’s one of those easy to miss spots that can make Cartagena feel so distinctly charming and totally worth taking the time to sample a few things.

My personal favorite sweets here are the cocadas, small coconut patties.

I prefer the classic brown ones sweetened with panela, or unrefined sugarcane (word to the wise: this is the best style of coconut rice, in my opinion too, by the way!), but you can also get ones that include milk or fruits like pineapples.

A variety pack makes for a particularly unique, not to mention affordable, souvenir to take home to friends and family.

Mingle at the Plaza de la Trinidad

The Plaza de la Trinidad, in Getsemaní, is a popular evening hang out spot for locals and tourists alike.

It’s definitely worth including in your plan for things to do in Cartagena.

There are often street performers here, and you can buy cheap beers from the corner store or from street vendors. There’s even a stand that sells pretty solid cocktails.

Some of the best street food stands also set up here, and there are lots of good restaurants nearby too.

I’d also recommend heading over to the Calle Ancho and Callejón Angosto nearby (the streets with colorful flags and umbrellas) where there are tables set up in the evening serving drinks.

Check out that guide to Getsemaní linked above for more info on what to do here in the evening.

Go Out Dancing

Hanging out in Getsemaní is the perfect start to an evening out on the town.

In fact, two of Cartagena’s better nightclubs are just a short walk away on the Calle Media Luna.

Café Havana is one of the city’s longest running clubs and is the place to go for salsa.

Not far away, you’ll find Club Seven 7 Times, one of the city’s newer and trendiest clubs, complete with 7 different rooms, all playing different music.

Inside the Walled City, La Movida and La Jugada are great options too.

However, the one nightclub I’d recommend definitely doing is Bazurto Social Club.

It used to be located in Getsemaní, but closed for a while.

However, it’s got a new location in the Walled City just off the Plaza Santo Domingo and is a bit of a hidden gem.

They play a heavy dose of Champeta music, a music that originated in Cartagena’s barrios when local DJs began blending African rhythms imported on tapes at local dancehall concerts (called picos, a Spanglish form of pickup). Over time, it’s been influenced by reggaeton and has become much more famous nationally in recent years.

They often have live music and throughout the night, they even have mini champeta and salsa dancing lessons too.

If you’re not much of a dancer or just want a more low key place to have a drink, check out the great cocktails at Al Quimico, the cool vibes of Townhouse’s rooftop bar, or have some drinks with a stogie at Ron y Tabaco.

Speaking of ron, a rum tasting is another fun thing to do in Cartagena and another good way to spend an evening. Read about my experience doing that Cartagena rum tasting here.

Sample Some Colombian Coffee

Due to its location at sea level, there isn’t any coffee grown near Cartagena.

If you really love coffee and have the time to add on additional destinations to your Cartagena trip, you can visit coffee farms if you head up the coast to the mountain town of Minca, or you can head to Colombia’s coffee growing region, perhaps to the pretty town of Salento.

However, there are still plenty of spots where you can get a good cup of Colombia’s most famous product.

After a night out on the town, you might need a few!

I recommend stopping in to the Café San Alberto on the Plaza Santo Domingo, where you can try Colombia’s most award winning coffee. The shop here also sells bags to take home, which are one of my favorite gifts to take to friends and family, and also for myself.

If you really love coffee, consider doing the coffee tasting at Café del Mural, run by a former scientist who mixes in a lot of quirky humor into a very informative presentation on the science behind different methods of preparation. It’s one of my favorite unique things to do in Cartagena.

You can also pop in here just to sample one of his unique blends too.

A few more of my personal favorite places to try some coffee in Cartagena include Libertario Coffee Roasters, and Café Quindio. Enjoying a cup of coffee while browsing the Abaco bookstore, located in the Walled City, is another one of the more unique things to do in Cartagena.

You can also check out any of the many Juan Valdez Café locations in town. It’s sort of like the Colombian Starbucks, but with better, non-burnt tasting coffee, at least in my opinion.

If you’re not picky, you can also go for a street or plaza coffee from one of the many street vendors.

It isn’t good coffee, but I know I used to sometimes enjoy the quaint feeling of sitting in the park, sipping some street coffee while gripping the rim of the little plastic cup to not burn my fingers, and smoking a loosie while trying to do crossword puzzles in Spanish.

Visit the Historic Free Town of San Basilio de Palenque

Located about an hour south of Cartagena is the town of San Basilio de Palenque, often just called Palenque.

This village was one of many founded by escaped slaves during the colonial era, who had to continually resist Spanish attempts to hunt them down and destroy them.

In fact, this town was so successful resisting Spanish oppression that it was the first to be officially recognized as a free town by the Spanish crown in a peace treaty.

Traditional West African practices endured here. The Palenquero language, spoken by many of the community’s elders, is the only known Spanish based Creole language and it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Space.

It’s a great chance to learn more about the often under recognized cultural contributions of Afro-Colombians and see a bit of rural Colombia.

While it’s possible to get to Palenque on your own by hiring a driver or via bus, you’ll need to join a tour there, so I recommend booking a Palenque tour from Cartagena. You can read my review of that tour here, by the way.

Learn more about the history of Palenque here.

Additional Fun Things to Do in Cartagena

I’ve covered what I consider the top things to do in Cartagena with some additional ideas for fun and unique things to do in Cartagena scattered throughout, but I want to include a few other ideas for additional Cartagena activities here.

Probably the oddest thing to do in Cartagena is the Totumo Mud Volcano. My experience is people either think this looks like a lot of fun or think it looks like a definite skip. You can read about my experience at that link or you can book a tour to the mud volcano here if it looks like fun to you.

If soaking in a mud bath isn’t your thing, you might enjoy a tour of the mangroves in La Boquilla. Doing a nature hike to see monkeys is another great hidden gem for outdoor enthusiasts.

The Colombian National Aviary in Barú is also very well done and can be combined with Playa Blanca nearby.

What Cartagena Things to Do Will You Include on Your Trip?

I hope this post gave you lots of ideas to plan what to do in Cartagena during your own trip!

I tried to cover the basics of the must dos and highlights while also giving you some more ideas that are a little lesser known.

There’s tons of more content on the site, so do give it a search if you’re looking for more help planning your trip!

I’d love for you to let me know in the comments the things you did in Cartagena and what you did (or didn’t) enjoy.

Cheers and Happy Exploring!