Northern Colombia
Destination: Cartagena, Colombia
Duration: 5 Days (Early March)
Airfare: $300
Housing: $10 per night
Food: $3 - $5 per meal
Adventure/Transportation: $130
Duration: 5 Days (Early March)
Airfare: $300
Housing: $10 per night
Food: $3 - $5 per meal
Adventure/Transportation: $130
Cartagena
The northern port town of Cartagena is a beautiful city full of rich history and sprawling industry. The old town dating back to the 1500's is vibrant with color and scattered with amazing architecture. I stayed near downtown in Barrio Getsemaní, which was full of colorful buildings and quiet little streets perfect for staying. There are plenty of hostels to stay in for about $10 per night. Read up on reviews before booking. Things to check out include, Torre de Reloj (entrance to the walled city, spend a few hours in the city), Convento La Popa de la Galera, & San Felipe de Barajas Castle. I had a moto taxi driver pick me up right from the get-go and he took me all over the city.
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| Iconic picture of the walled city of Cartagena |
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| View of Cartagena from Convento La Popa de la Galera |
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| Local fish market |
Cartagena is a great place to launch for day trips to various islands and beaches along the Caribbean coast. Top locations include; Rosario Island, Barú Island/Playa Blanca, and Totumo Volcano mud bath. My moto taxi driver took me out to a little island close to Barú Island and we enjoyed fresh fish, fun company, and some relaxing time in the water. Look up each of these places and see what appeals to you.
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| My boat driver on the way to Baru Island |
Santa Marta
Santa Marta is a four-hour bus ride from Cartagena and only costs about $36 USD one way. There are multiple bus companies that will take you or you can work a deal with a taxi. I went with Berlinas and had a great experience. They have buses leaving every few hours going out and every thirty minutes or so coming back.
Santa Marta is the gateway to Tayrona National Park, which includes amazing beaches, hikes, and stunning scenery. There are easy day trips or week-long excursions that all take off out of Santa Marta. I took a day trip with Vergel Tours to Concha Beach filled with an authentic lunch, cliff jumping, snorkeling, and relaxing on the beach. This day-long tour was the highlight of my trip and only cost about $50 USD. I highly recommend doing a tour with Vergel Tours.
The city itself isn't spectacular, especially coming from Cartagena, but I spent some time wandering the downtown area and eating the delicious street arepas and empanadas. There are many beautiful beaches along this northern coast and I recommend checking out some of the areas in between Cartagena and Santa Marta.
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| Concha Beach |
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| Local fishermen hauling in the days load of fish |
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| Typical street in the neighborhoods of Santa Marta |
Budgeting Tips
Housing: Poke around on Airbnb for cheapest housing that will work for you. If you are a first-time user on Airbnb, click on this link for $40 off your first stay. Most hostels are clean and friendly but read reviews.
Transportation: Taxis and moto drivers are the best way to get around. Moto drivers have some limitations on where they can drive but are generally cheaper. I would recommend using them if you are traveling solo and don't have much luggage, otherwise, take a taxi. Everything is relatively cheap around $2-$5 USD.
Airfare: I traveled to a few other places around Colombia using one-way flights but got from Salt Lake City, UT to Cartagena for about $210 one way on JetBlue. Look for occasional deals.
Food: The food is cheap and amazing! I ate street food nearly the whole trip and didn't get sick. Be careful and use judgment in deciding which street vendors to buy from. There are a lot of empanadas and arepas and they are delicious. I drank bottled water the whole trip and it's available everywhere. There are also fruits found in Colombia that you can't find in the US. Try them!
Currency: The National currency is the Colombian Peso. Check here for current exchange rate. Credit cards are not accepted everywhere and I actually ran out of paper currency. I ordered about $100 worth of Colombian Peso from my local bank and ran out about day five. There are currency exchanges in the downtown area and certain banks that will exchange money. Bring plenty of cash beforehand.
Transportation: Taxis and moto drivers are the best way to get around. Moto drivers have some limitations on where they can drive but are generally cheaper. I would recommend using them if you are traveling solo and don't have much luggage, otherwise, take a taxi. Everything is relatively cheap around $2-$5 USD.
Airfare: I traveled to a few other places around Colombia using one-way flights but got from Salt Lake City, UT to Cartagena for about $210 one way on JetBlue. Look for occasional deals.
Food: The food is cheap and amazing! I ate street food nearly the whole trip and didn't get sick. Be careful and use judgment in deciding which street vendors to buy from. There are a lot of empanadas and arepas and they are delicious. I drank bottled water the whole trip and it's available everywhere. There are also fruits found in Colombia that you can't find in the US. Try them!
Currency: The National currency is the Colombian Peso. Check here for current exchange rate. Credit cards are not accepted everywhere and I actually ran out of paper currency. I ordered about $100 worth of Colombian Peso from my local bank and ran out about day five. There are currency exchanges in the downtown area and certain banks that will exchange money. Bring plenty of cash beforehand.
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