Cartagena

From MaxTravelz

Cartagena is a city in Colombia, a country in South America.

Contents 1 Understand 2 Get in 3 Get around 4 See 5 Do 6 Warnings 7 Buy 8 Eat 9 Drink 10 Sleep 11 Get out

Understand

Cartagena is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Considered by many as one of the World's most beautiful, fascinating and magical cities, Cartagena was founded by Spanish conquerors as a main port to bring Europeans and their goods into South America, and transport gold, silver and all sorts of plants, animals, minerals and handcrafts from all over the subcontinent across the Caribbean an on to the Old World.

Today the city hosts intellectuals, such as Nobel Prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and plenty of beautiful refurbished homes amongst exotic, highly attractive and dynamic plazas, waterfronts and other public spaces. One of the most hospitable venues for any tourist looking for a good rest, Caribbean and Colombian magic realism and tropical ambiance or natural wonders.

The city was one of the first sanctuaries of freed African slaves in the Americas and is currently populated by an ethnic mix representative of the country's own variety.

Get in

Located at 1000 km north from Bogota (less than an hour by air), a mere three hour plane-ride from Miami and five hours from New York City. Cartagena's international airport Rafael Nuñez serves international flights from Panama City, Miami and Madrid.

The bus terminal is 6 kilometres east from the old city. Frequent white and green metrocar busses go to the old city and cost C$ 1.000 (0,50 US$). Every hour busses come and go to Barranquilla, and from there you make frequent connections to Santa Marta.

Get around

Loads of busses run all around town without apparent order or logic. Ask the driver or other people who are waiting which bus goes to your destination.

See

• Cartagena's 500-hundred year-old coralstone forts and great parts of its walled city are admirably intact and represent some of the finest examples of civil and military architecture of the Spanish colonial times.
• While you are in Cartagena, don't miss the Castillo de San Felipe, a fortress designed by the Dutch engineer Richard Carr and built in 1657 by the Spanish for protection against pirates while shipping gold out to Europe. Opening hours 8am-6pm, entrance fee $10.000 COP.
• Cartagena's main attraction is its historic old town.

Do

• Nearby coral reefs, powdery beaches, impressive mangroves, and waterways complement the historic and urban beauty.
• If you are interested in beaching it, Playa Blanca is the place to be. You can take either take a ferry from the port near the Centro de Convenciones or go by car (via the bridge to the island of Baru). There is also a direct bus going on Sunday morning. The beaches are far cleaner than those in and around the city. There are a lot of vendors trying hassle you for oysters or massages. You can rent a hammock and stay the night as well, which is a very budget-conscious way to spend a few days.
• Several agents arrange boat tours to Islas del Rosario. A set of small islands out of the coast. Usually the tour include lunch, a visit to an aquarium and a few hours at Playa Blanca. Not included in the price is harbor tax and park entrance (C$8.300 total) and the entrance fee to the aquarium (C$12.000). If you buy your tour at one of the street vendors, don't pay in advance, preferably pay part or all at return in Cartagena.

Playa Blanca , definitely is the best beach of Cartagena, but not that easy to reach. With its white sand & crystal water probably one of the best “playas” in Colombia! After tour-boats are gone its getting as well very peaceful and quiet. It is worthwhile to stay on Playa Blanca for at least one night. There are several places where you can rent hammocks, get food & drinks.We recommend “Wittenbergs place” or , if you want to spent more money ,go to “la sirena” which offers rooms with electricity. On the beach you will be approached to buy massages, fruit platters, sea food and jewelry among other things. Look out for the vendors selling oysters: they will give you an oyster as a present (regalo) to taste. They will quickly crack the shells and serve you a number of oysters, after which you are told that they each cost 2.000 pesos. Avoid this 30.000 peso charge and the subsequent argument on the beach. If you are looking for great seafood and Coco Locos, ask around for Nelson Mandela.

By boat:Take a bus or taxi to “Mercado Bazurto”, the big market of Cartagena about 10 minutes from the Center. From there, every day, except Sundays, small cargo-boats (lancha de carga) leave for Playa Blanca. They don´t have an exact departure time, be there before 9 a.m. to be sure. You will have to pay about 15.000 pesos each way(march 2005) and the trip takes more or less 1 hour to reach the beach.The way back is much easier, most boats (tourboats) will bring you back for the same price. Keep in mind that the last boats from Playa Blanca to Cartagena leave around 2-3 p.m.! More comfortable and safer is taking a roundtrip from the center at Muelle de las Pegasos. You can bargain down a one-way-trip without lunch to about 25.000 Pesos plus 8.300 port tax. The tour takes you to Rosario Islands first until it reaches Playa Blanca in the late morning. You can leave the tour there to stay overnight.

Overland by public transport (2-3 tough hours): 1. Bus to Pasacaballos – 2. ferry or canoe to cross “Canal del Dique” – 3.on the other side you take any kind of transport to Santa Ana (bus,jeep,mototaxi) 4.from Santana further on to Playa Blanca there are buses,jeeps or mototaxis - try to reach Santana until 9 a.m .later on, there could be a problem to find transportation to Playa Blanca in that case you will have to walk about one and a half hours –– fare all together around 3.500 pesos

Warnings

Watch out for the "Money-Changing-Magicians"

Those street vendors offer you a very good exchange rate. After you have counted the money you will recognize that a small amount is missing, and after complaining he will put exactly that amount on top again. In the same move they will take some big notes from the bottom. Most people won't count their money a second time, and first think they made a good deal but in fact got ripped off.

Be careful at your personal safety at Getsemaní, especially at night.

Buy

• Handcrafts are fashionable and sophisticated

Eat

• In addition, Cartagena features a rich fusion cuisine, combining ingredients and methods of the New and Old worlds, as well as of the original African, Arabian and other legacies of its inhabitants.
• Eating set menu lunches and dinners in local restaurants costs around 4000 pesos ($2). The typical plate consists of fried fish (if you are by the beach), chicken or meat, served with coconut rice (arroz de coco), plantains (patacones) and salad.
• There are a few places that sell $1 fruit juices. Colombia boasts a range of exotic fruits that can be mixed with water or milk.

Drink

• One of the most popular watering holes for local Cartageneros is Mister Babilla, located on the Avenida del Arsenal, near the Centro de Convenciones. This place is great on the weekends and is notorious for having people dancing on the tables and the bar late into the night! A great time!
• La Avenida del Arsenal is located along the bay near the Centro de Convenciones. In its heyday it was THE place to be. Now much of the nightlife in Cartagena has moved to the Ciudad Vieja, but this strip of about 10 discotecas is still a raging place to experience on weekends. Entry to most of the discos is 10,000 to 20,000 Colombian pesos.

Sleep

Up-scale hotels can be found in the San Diego and El Centro area of the old city.

Budget hotels and hostels can be found in Getsemaní

• Casa Viena, Calle San Andrés (Getsemaní), 5-664-6242 (hotel@casaviena.com) . Popular backpackers place with several 2 to 4 person rooms some with bathroom and a dormitory with arco. Facilities include internet, personal strongboxes, bookswap and a communal kitchen. Price for a dormbed C$10.000 and around C$11.000 per person for a room.

Get out

• At the 66 kilometre north of Cartagena lies Vulcán del Totumo, with 15 metre Colombias highest mud volcano. You can enter the crater and take a mudbad (entrance C$2.000), which is a highly recommended experience. Afterwards you can wash off the mud in the nearby laguna.

The easiest way to get there is to take a tour, these cost around C$25.000. To go by yourself is quite a hassle, but you find you have the whole volcano for yourself and take all the time you want. To go by yourself take a bus from the city center to Terminal de transporte (C$1.000). There take the hourly bus to Galerazamba and step out at Lomito Arena (C$4.000). From there it is 45 minute walk or take a motortaxi (C$2.000). The whole trip takes about two-and-half hours. The last bus back from Lomito Arena leaves around 3pm.

• Botanical gardens Jardin Botanico de Guillermo Piñeres-

A pleasant escape from the city rush, 18 km out of Cartagena close to “Turbaco”, a small town 20 km from the center of Cartagena.Take a bus to the bus terminal and get of at “la Bomba de Amparo”, a big gasolin station 25 minuits out of the center.from there, are leaving buses to “Turbaco”- get off (ask the driver)a bit before Turbaco and walk to the right,about 20 minuits straight on. Together with your entry ticket you get leaflet which lists about 250 plants identified in the gardens ,among them some varieties of coca plants………..

• Punta Arena

A fishing village 10 minutes by boat on the island of “Tierrabomba”,in front of “Laguito” (Bocagrande).You reach it by boats (lanchas),leaving from “Muelle de los Pegasos” or with boats in “Laguito” next to Hotel Hilton Punta Arena has probably the nicest beaches close to Cartagena. There are restaurants where you can get food and drinks. Enjoy a day, hanging out under palm trees with a fantastic few on the skyline of Cartagena.

• La Boquilla a fishing village (pueblo de pescadores) close to Cartagena.

Take a bus for $900 pesos ( march 2005), from India Catalina (avenida Venezuela), if you get off of the bus at the end of the ride you can rent a canoe which brings you to a nice beach (playa de oro) passing trough lagoons and mangroves – pay for the boat once you are back…..

• Bocachica - a fishing village on the island of “Tierabomba” (pueblo de pescadores)

Bocachica is worth to visit to see its restored fortress (fuerte de San Fernando). The beach isn't really special but o.k to hang out for some hours .you find several open air restaurant serving food and drinks. Local boats are leaving during the day every 30-45 minutes from „Muelle de los Pegassos“. The boat ride takes about 15 minuits. (Tourist?)Guids try to sell you expensive “all included” trips to Bocachica….. but…you should pay just the local fare…. ( in march 2005 - 3.000 pesos – one way ) - Once you ask for the price it will get expensive….