I will be visiting these three cities (3 days each and 1 day in between to get from one to the other -- flights) in April 2020. I am open to any suggestions for location of our hotel, places to eat, things not to miss, etc. Because of my travel partner we will only stay in three locations during our stay but if you feel it's important to visit somewhere other than Medellín and/or Cartagena please go for it. Bogotá is a must because I've never been there and we already have our round trip tickets.
Posted by
7637 posts
We have only been to Cartagena. Our tour from the ship was private and we visited a monastery that was on a hill overlooking the city. Don't miss doing that.
Posted by
Denver, CO, USA
1555 posts
In Bogota, the changing of the guards was interesting. Definitely take a trip to the top of the peak behind Bogota - you can go up on the funicular and return on the cable car or v/v.
Medellin - I believe this is where the Botero sculptures are located - look them up and visit the square with them. Also, take the gondolas and explore the areas up the hillside - I think they also take you into one of the NPs. Santa Fe de Antioquia (sp) is an interesting town that is an hour or more away from Medellin - makes for a good day trip (should be in your guidebook). Transport on the metro was easy so any hotel should do. Also, I don't believe taxis are v expensive. We stayed at the 4 pts by Sheraton.
Most of my info is from 6-8 years ago. One chain restaurant we really loved is "Crepes and Waffles" - there are a few around Bogota including one in the airport
Internal flights used to be fairly cheap (~$50)
Posted by
681 posts
We just came back from Thanksgiving Week in Cartagena. It was magical...Absolutely loved it. Stay in the Old City. We stayed in an airbnb on Bolivar Plaza. There is so much to do and see. The food was great and reasonably priced. There was music everywhere. It is very safe. Make sure your place has air conditioning as it is very warm all year around. The place we stayed at had concierge services and would get us a taxi if we needed it. They use the same taxi driver a lot so we set up a 1/2 day tour of the city for the four of us. It was great! ENJOY!
Posted by
Dallas, United States
704 posts
In Bogota we suggest the Museum of Gold and the Quinta de Bolivar. Don't miss the orchids and other flowers in Medellin. The Castillo de San Felipe in Cartagena is a must. And what about Cali? Also, there are several movies on Netflix that might give you an idea of history. Have a great trip.
Posted by
54 posts
We did free walking tours in all three cities and they were really well done. In Medellin we arrange two other tours through Toucan Café. We did the Comuna 13 walking tour and a day trip to Guatape. Guatape was one of the highlights of my trip. We also went on a walking tour to a huge fruit market in Bogota which we found really interesting.
We used Uber everywhere we went and had no issues. It was very cheap. The metro in Medellin was easy and cheap to use as well. Be very careful in Bogota especially if you have a phone. I felt very comfortable and safe in Medellin, Cartagena and Salento but not in Bogota.
Have a great trip, I loved Colombia!
Posted by
245 posts
I visited Cartagena during a cruise ship stop, and I loved everything except the heat (it was August).......I wish I had been there at a different time of year (as you are) so I could have enjoyed the old city more. Stop by the Abacus Bookstore and Cafe when you're there.