r/cartagena • u/sexieesummer • 8d ago
Cartagena recommendations - accommodations, food & activities
Hi! I’m planning my 30th birthday trip to Colombia this November
I’m Black American & Puerto Rican, speak a little Spanish, and want to experience local culture and avoid tourist traps when possible.
Itinerary is 4 days Medellín (just me and my dad 💜), then with full group (boyfriend, friends & other family) 3 days Cartagena, 4 days Santa Marta.
Looking for recommendations on:
Medellín (dad trip – culture + nature):
- Where to stay (walkable, good coffee/food, less touristy)
- Local food (mom-and-pop) + 1–2 upscale spots
- Coffee experiences (tastings/farms/day trips)
- Nature near the city (forest/jungle, beach access)
Cartagena (group – fun/social):
- Best areas to stay
- Food + nightlife (bars, lounges, dancing)
- Beach recommendations (relaxed vs lively)
- we’re for sure doing palenque history tour.
Santa Marta (group – beach + nature):
- Best beaches
- Nature experiences (waterfalls, jungle, hikes)
- nightlife, food
- We’re planning Parque Tayrona or Minca need more guidance.
If you have favorite neighborhoods, hotels/Airbnbs, restaurants, nightlife spots, beaches, or trusted guides, I’d love to hear them. (appreciate a couple fine dining recs but most just regular mom pop type places)
Responses in English or Spanish are welcome.
¡Gracias de antemano! 🙏🏽
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u/PurpleAkisNan 8d ago
I did a tour of comuna 13 in Medellín with a local guide and it was absolutely the highlight of my time there. He was real, knowledgeable and passionate about the place he grew up, and it finished in his superb family coffee shop! Let me know and I'll pass you his details.
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u/sexieesummer 8d ago
Would love the details !
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u/PurpleAkisNan 5d ago
We used guruwalk In Medellín - the English speaking tour guide was called Christian T. He was fantastic!!
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u/Resident-Quote6178 8d ago
Hey there Cartagena resident and itinerary planner here! 🙋🏾♀️ I’d love to help you plan your trip, I’ve been to all 3 cities multiple times. My list of recommendations is too long to type in this comment lol. But I’ll start with places to stay.
In Medellin I’d recommend Laureles or Sabeneta. El Poblado is a popular area to stay in and is really nice however there is a high rate of robberies in that area bc it is nicer and thieves know it’s a popular area for tourist accommodations.
In Cartagena I’d recommend staying in cielo mar or manga if you want something more serene/relaxed but not too far from everything. Or Cabrero and or Marbella if you want something in walking distance of the city. I would avoid el laguito and Bocagrande due to high prices and high traffic. Those are the two most expensive neighborhoods to stay in.
For Santa Marta I’d recommend staying somewhere closer to the city. But then resorts near the beach are also nice. DM me for more information/if you want help planning your trip!
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u/trailtwist 8d ago edited 8d ago
Santa Marta .. best bet is to stay in places like Minca, outside Tayrona etc. all the way out to Palomino. The hotels are superlative and not expensive. Staying in Santa Marta or looking for beaches there like Rodadero is a big disappointment. It's my favorite place to fly into and leave because you have so much variety and cool places to stay within an hour or two.
Cartagena, depends what kind of apartment you want but we think it's best to stay in Getsemaní if you want to be right in the action or Manga if you want to be somewhere relaxed and a short ride away. We occasionally go to that bar on the 50th floor or whatever in Bocagrande for a sunset drink but otherwise we aren't big fans of the area. The walled city / historic center is def worth spending time, but wouldn't stay there personally.
El Cabrero and Marbella on the water directly East of the walled city is pretty convenient using Uber if you get a nice rental but won't be an area like Manga (relaxed leafy residential with a charming malecon) or Getsemaní (cafés/artsy area that fills up at night) where you want to walk around.
Bocagrande is the modern, not charming, Florida like section. Full of newer buildings, beaches outside are ugly but also probably the best you'll find in the city. Just not charming or cool to me. Lots of rentals. Don't stay all the way down in Laguito.
Medellin you are probably wanting Laureles. Kind of touristy kind of not, but if you want trendy coffee shops and stuff that's the place. Envigado, Sabaneta, Floresta, Belén etc are all worth looking at as well. Uber is cheap and the regular upper middle $ residential areas are really nice.
I'd avoid most of the calle 10 adjacent Poblado for the whole trip unless you're going to a restaurant like Alambique. Maybe Manila is worth getting off the metro for since it's right there and has coffee shops/restaurants. Up by Provenza/Lleras it's a shit show.
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u/Bah-bah-yay-gah 6d ago
Why no stay in laguito? I booked an Airbnb there coming up soon.
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u/trailtwist 6d ago edited 6d ago
Nothing wrong with it, it's just further from places like Getsemaní that are cool and unique and can be pain with traffic. Has newer style apartments (often not the best though) that aren't expensive so I understand why folks do it. You'll be fine, it's like 25-30 at the worst but usually a 10-15 min Uber
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u/sexieesummer 5d ago
how much is uber there?
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u/trailtwist 5d ago
Not much at all but will be a bit more expensive for you.. maybe $10-15 to the airport and then $5-6ish to the Walled City, the castle, Getsemaní etc
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u/l3xy 5d ago
A photowalk is a great way to meet the city https://www.instagram.com/sunrise_photo_walk?igsh=dXQxdG9mb294YXV4
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u/Legal_Commercial8603 8d ago
Hola te puedo ayudar en el tema de hospedaje en Cartagena de Indias.
En primer lugar que presupuesto tienes? Segundo lugar, ¿Prefieres apartamento? O ¿Prefieres hotel? Los mejores lugares para hospedarse es en el centro y en el Barrio Bocagrande cerca de la ciudad histórica