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Cartagena, Colombia

I did do a search and read through any posts I could find, including a fantastic trip report from David.

My husband and I will be in Cartagena in February for 5 full days and 5 nights. I'm wondering if that's perhaps too long. I found really cheap flights to Medellin, so we could potentially go there for 2 of the nights as well. It seems a bit more appealing than Bogota to me, if we were to add another city.

For reference- We are seasoned travelers, who like to be on the go. We like historical sights, live music, hiking, shopping (well, I do anyway) and great restaurants, whether it's a dive or multi-course fine dining experience. My husband isn't a beach or pool person, so we tend not to lounge around if it's just the 2 of us. We like spontaneity and are known to book last minute trips if we find good airfare.

Would love any input and recommendations on Cartagena, and possibly Medellin if that sounds doable. Thanks!

Posted by
69 posts

Yes, it was your trip report!! Very detailed and helpful, so thank you!

I did look into day trips out of Cartagena, but honestly there wasn't anything that was really grabbing me. I know people recommend boat tours to some of the islands, but 1- most (all?) include snorkeling, which I'm not a fan of, 2- most don't dock at any of the islands; they just motor in between them, and 3- I worry that they'll be more of a booze cruise, which I am way past at this stage ;)

The only downside is that you will effectively burn most of a day (and you you only have 5 to start with) with the domestic flight and the time lost changing locations

Thankfully we land in Cartagena at 8:30am, so we should be able to get to Medellin by noon. I'll have to check flight schedules, but thought we could spend 2 nights there and leave early the next day to head back to Cartagena.

For Cartagena, be prepared for heat and humidity.

Yes, I think I am fully prepared. We spent 4 weeks in Asia this summer, where with humidity the temps felt like 110-114 in Vietnam. It's the hottest I have ever been in my life. After that trip I said I would never complain about the heat again!

Posted by
1629 posts

I too would think that Medellin is the logical choice that you can get to easily on the cheap flights in country.

I have to ask - is it not possible to change your flights to get more time or is the price diff astronomical? I love Colombia and the more research I do, the more places to visit I come up with.

I'm headed there on my 3rd trip this May - though my main destination is Bolivia. I'm using this opportunity to spend a few days in the coffee country S of Medellin around Manizales and Salento and also get in some bird watching.

Enjoy your time in Cartagena and Medellin.

Posted by
69 posts

I have to ask - is it not possible to change your flights to get more time or is the price diff astronomical?

We had to call the airline this morning because they changed our flight home to one that had a 6.5 hour layover in Panama City. No thanks! So, we actually were able to change our flights and are now flying into Medellin and out of Cartagena. Yay! Now to find a hotel in Medellin.