Why Honeymoon in Cartagena
Few cities in the Americas have kept their colonial core this intact. Fewer still let you sleep inside it. Many of the best hotels occupy restored mansions and former convents, with courtyard pools and roof terraces looking over the domes of the cathedral. You can walk to dinner, to the walls and to the plazas without ever getting in a car.
The food scene adds a second reason to come. Chefs here cook with Caribbean fish, coconut, plantain and fruit from the surrounding region. Several restaurants have built national reputations on it. The atmosphere does the rest. Cartagena moves at a slow, sociable pace. Afternoons are for the pool, evenings for wandering and the nights end on a plaza with music somewhere nearby. It is a city that rewards doing very little.
When to Go
The dry season runs from December through April. January to March is the most reliable stretch, with almost no rain and a steady trade wind that takes the edge off the heat. December and Easter week bring Colombian holiday crowds and the highest rates of the year.
May through September is warmer and more humid with afternoon showers, though most days still have plenty of sun. July often brings a short drier spell. October and November are the wettest months, when heavy downpours can flood low streets for an hour or two. Hotels discount then while the old town is noticeably quieter.
Temperatures barely change through the year. Expect highs around 88 to 90°F and nights in the upper 70s, so plan your sightseeing for early morning and late afternoon whenever you go.
Where to Stay
Stay inside the walls or in Getsemaní. Bocagrande has beachfront towers, but the beach is ordinary and you will taxi into the old town every evening anyway.
The walled center and the quieter San Diego district hold the grand hotels. The Sofitel Legend Santa Clara occupies a 17th-century convent with a courtyard garden. Casa San Agustín joins several colonial houses around a pool that runs under an old aqueduct arch. The Charleston Santa Teresa, another former convent, has a rooftop pool facing the ramparts.
Getsemaní, just outside the walls, is livelier and less polished. It has small boutique hotels in restored townhouses, street art and the best people watching in the city. Couples who want a quiet night should pick a room away from the street, since music can run late. Whatever you choose, a pool matters more here than a view.
Romantic Things to Do
Walk the walls at sunset, starting near the Baluarte de Santo Domingo, where Café del Mar serves drinks on the old bastion. Continue toward San Diego as the lights come on.
Go to Castillo San Felipe de Barajas as soon as it opens, before the heat. The tunnels and ramparts of this hilltop fortress give the best sense of how hard the Spanish worked to hold the port. Later in the week, take a taxi up La Popa hill to the old monastery for a view over the bay.
Spend an evening in Getsemaní. Eat early, then join the crowd on Plaza de la Trinidad, where locals and visitors sit on the church steps. Book a salsa or champeta lesson if you want to hold your own on a dance floor.
For something stranger, float in the warm mud of the Volcán del Totumo, about an hour away.
Getting There and Around
Rafael Núñez International Airport sits about two miles from the old town, so the transfer takes around 15 minutes. Use the official taxi stand, which gives you a slip with a fixed fare, or have your hotel send a car.
Nonstop flights have linked Cartagena with Fort Lauderdale, Miami and New York, though schedules change from season to season. Otherwise connect through Bogotá, Medellín or Panama City. Bogotá to Cartagena takes about 90 minutes.
Once here, walk. The walled city and Getsemaní are compact and flat. Taxis have no meters, so agree on the price before getting in or use an app. Horse-drawn carriages circle the old town at night. Boats to the Rosario Islands and Barú leave from the tourist pier near the walls. It is safer to book through your hotel or the pier office than with touts on the street.
Food and Drink
Cartagena is one of the best places in Colombia to eat. At the top end, Celele in Getsemaní builds tasting menus around ingredients from the Caribbean coast. Carmen is another long-running favorite for a special night. Book both well ahead.
For something simpler, find a corrientazo, the local set lunch of fried fish or chicken with coconut rice, fried plantain and salad. Ceviche is everywhere. La Cevichería near the Santa Clara is the famous name. On the street, try an arepa de huevo, a fried corn pocket with an egg inside. Buy cut mango or papaya from the palenqueras, women in bright dresses who carry fruit bowls on their heads. They expect a tip if you photograph them.
Drink limonada de coco, a frozen coconut lemonade, by day and Colombian rum by night. Many restaurants close on Sunday evening.
Honeymoon Tips
Treat the middle of the day as hotel time. Walking the old town between noon and 3 pm in full sun is miserable. Locals do not do it either.
Touts are persistent in the plazas, selling boat trips, hats and much else. A firm no gracias and steady walking usually ends it. Avoid anyone offering drugs, which is a common setup for fake police shakedowns. Keep phones away from the curb, where they can be snatched by passing motorbikes.
Carry small bills. Change is often short. Taxis and street vendors rarely take cards. Drink bottled or filtered water and use insect repellent in the evenings, since dengue occurs on this coast.
If you are here in December, reserve dinners for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve weeks in advance, since many places run set menus. Wear light, breathable clothes. Linen beats denim every time in this humidity.
