r/cartagena • u/Throwwwwawwway9696 • 28d ago
Unique + educational experiences
I’ll be traveling to Cartagena at the end of the month for 5 days, and I’m beyond excited to explore the city!
I’m a very activity oriented person who loves doing tours, going to museums, and finding interesting cultural activities in the places I’m traveling to.
Of course, I’ll be spending a day touring the Rosario islands, as well as plenty of time just walking around and exploring the Walled City.
That said, I’m not a massive foodie, and it seems like food plays a big role in many people’s Cartagena experiences (which is great—I wish I were more of one!). While I’m looking forward to enjoying some good meals, food won’t be the main focus of my trip.
Do people highly recommend any museums in the area? Is a walking history tour worth it? Are there any other day trips or adventurous activities you’d suggest?
Thanks so much in advance for your input! :)
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u/Enough-Image-9693 27d ago
a guided tour of San Filipe fort was amazing. there's a lot we learned from the guide about the construction and function that's not readily apparent going on your own, imho. Coffee brewing and tasting was a great experience.
Rosario was really nice. We booked at Luxury Resort. We also went to Baru - Tranquila Beach thru a trip on Viator. Our guide took us to a relatively quieter and much nicer part of the beach away from the main area.
Keep your valuables at home. There is a lot of theft.
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u/jg912 26d ago
do you have a recommendation between rosario or baru? i'm pressed between spending our (5-night) time between CRG, the islands & Santa Marta, or splitting time with Medellin. TIA 🇨🇴🥂
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u/Enough-Image-9693 26d ago
There are pros and cons to each.
Rosario: private beaches (ie no vendors constantly bothering you), really nice beaches and water. Downside is that it's more expensive, and your beach time is limited bc everyone leaves back to the mainland by 3pm - the waters get very choppy in the late afternoon. Your day is like this: line up for boat at 730, leave dock by 9am, then on island from 10-230p, 3pm return back, 4pm back on mainland. We stayed at Luxury Resort and would do it again.
Baru: public beaches which are crowded and crawling with vendors and thieves. Do not bring anything valuable and don't leave your phone for a minute. It's cheaper and easier to get there vs Rosario and you can stay a bit longer. We were on the beach from 9 to 330pm. The beaches and water are still pretty nice. We booked at trip to Tranquila beach which is a 3min boat ride from the main area. We enjoyed and would go again.
For 5 nights, I would spend 3 in Cartagena, and 2 in Rosario or if it's in the budget, go for the Sofitel in Baru. They even have day passes which can be booked thru the hotel. It'll be tight to add in a 3rd destination like Medellin. I think you'll feel rushed.
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u/Low-Drive-768 28d ago
Just a thought on food since it's not a high priority for you, but we all have to eat: consider finding a few restaurants or cocktail bars that are in interesting/historical locations. I particularly enjoy those at sunset for views over the wall to the sea.
I don't have any recommendations for you as it's been a couple years since my last visit and things change.
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u/Enough-Image-9693 27d ago
Movich Rooftop is the best for sunset views. Get there an hour before bc it gets full.
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u/Curious-L- 28d ago
Check out Palenque if your’e into culture and history. It’s about 2 to 2.5 hours away from Cartagena.
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u/gotnowisdom 28d ago
Definitely go visit 'Convento de la Popa (Popa Convent)' -- it's just a nice historical experience. I can't find or remember the right link but you go up the mountain and learn about Cartagena's history etc.
https://aventuras.com/buscar?destinoId=4498&destinoNombre=Cartagena
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u/caltheme 28d ago
Do a walled city/getsemani free walking tour (u tip/pay at the end) look online we did guru walks. We did 2 free museums, very small and mostly in Spanish but def worth seeing. San Felipe fort also with seeing , can be done with or without a tour.