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Things to do in Cartagena

Explore labyrinthine cobbled alleys and walk past historic city walls while visiting this Caribbean gem.

Our most recommended things to do in Cartagena

Cartagena: Rosario Islands Catamaran with Lunch and Snorkel

1. Cartagena: Rosario Islands Catamaran with Lunch and Snorkel

Set sail for the Rosario and San Bernardo Corals National Natural Park on a full-day tour from Cartagena. The catamaran departs from the Muelle de la Bodeguita pier in front of the walled city. After your welcome drink, enjoy the journey to the Rosario Islands, sailing and motor sailing on the catamaran. The vessel is equipped with comfortable seats, where you can sit both in the shade and in the sun. There is a bar service on board, so you can enjoy a variety of soft drinks throughout the excursion.  Experience paradise with a stop in front of an idyllic beach of turquoise waters and white sands, where you can swim and play with fun inflatables. Practice snorkeling, if you wish, and admire the fascinating underwater life with colorful tropical fish and various types of coral. The crew will prepare a delicious lunch for you to enjoy on board while you sail back to Cartagena at the end of a relaxing day.

Cartagena: Rosario Islands Day Tour with Snorkel & Lunch

2. Cartagena: Rosario Islands Day Tour with Snorkel & Lunch

Experience clear blue waters, white sand, and awesome corals on a day tour to the Corales del Rosario National Park. Discover the group of islands on the coast of Colombia, a perfect natural environment to have fun and relax. Start the day from the meeting point and after a speedboat ride, explore the fortress on Bocachica island. Continue to a relaxing private island where beach chairs and umbrellas await you. Spend time in the sun and have a seafood cocktail or lemonade in one of the most beautiful places you will visit. Afterward, continue to Cholon to enjoy a mini party in the water with music, drinks, and people from other boats. Finally, stop at Playa Blanca in Barú Island, where there will be a more private space waiting for you away from the main concentration of boats and vendors. Here, eat a typical island lunch and spend the rest of the day on the beach, relaxing and swimming, before returning to Cartagena.

Cartagena: Totumo Mud Volcano Experience

3. Cartagena: Totumo Mud Volcano Experience

Discover the natural landscapes of Colombia on this guided excursion. Visit Santa Catalina, and bathe yourself in the purifying mud of the volcano. As the minivan leaves town, hear some curious facts about Cartagena's history and some tips to ensure a better experience at the mud volcano. The trip to Santa Catalina, another beautiful Colombian city and the location of the volcano, lasts around 45 minutes. Upon arrival at the volcanic zone, be greeted by the owner of a small nearby restaurant. Then, prepare for a unique experience as you climb the 50 steps that surround the volcano; remember to wear old clothing as the mud can be rough on delicate materials. Immerse yourself in the volcanic mud, reaping the health benefits for your skin from the millions of minerals. Some people say afterward, you'll appear 10 years younger. Inside the volcano, you can float thanks to the high number of minerals present. There will be some locals around offering massages for an extra price of 2 USD. Outside of the volcano, pay to get your photo taken for another 2 USD. When the soaking is over, head to the lake for a shower.  Before continuing back to the city, enjoy a typical snack in a rustic restaurant. Get dropped off at your hotel.

Cartagena: Sunset Cruise with Open Bar

4. Cartagena: Sunset Cruise with Open Bar

Discover Cartagena in a unique way. Sail around the bay while you enjoy the bar and restaurant on board the Sibarita Express Yacht. Benefit from an open bar with a nice musical background and the services of the lovely crew. Sit back and relax as your boat comes to a stop on the open water so you can watch the sunset. You will be welcomed by the lovely crew and set sail a short while later. Take in a panoramic view of the modern area of Bocagrande and arrive at the lighthouse. From there, head to Castillogrande, the most prestigious area of the city, to see the sunset on the ocean. Once the sun has set, head back to the inner bay where you can enjoy the night views of the modern area of Bocagrande and the residential neighborhoods of Manga and Getsemani. Finally, prepare to be welcomed back to the pier with a breathtaking view of the old city at night.

From Cartagena: Day Trip to Playa Blanca with Lunch

5. From Cartagena: Day Trip to Playa Blanca with Lunch

Enjoy a paradisiacal day relaxing on the white sand beach of Baru Island's aptly-named Playa Blanca. After getting picked up from the los Pegasos dock, take a 1-hour journey in a comfortable air-conditioned minivan to Baru. Begin the day with pickup at the meeting point at 6:40 am. Be accompanied by a bilingual who will provide you with a fruit salad for you to snack on along the way. Ride in a climate-controlled vehicle and arrive on Baru Island at around 8:00 AM. Take a 5 minute walk along the shore of the beach until we get to the Mambo Beach Club restaurant which is located in front of the beach. Upon arrival be welcomed by the Mambo team. Be provided with beach chairs, huts, bathrooms and lockers (subject to availability). In the afternoon, savor a delicious lunch with several options including vegetarian and meat dishes. If none of the options take your fancy feel free to order anything else on the menu and only pay the difference. Head back to the beach after lunch to relax for another few hours before beginning the journey back to Cartagena in the evening.

Cartagena: Private Boat Tour Around the Islands

6. Cartagena: Private Boat Tour Around the Islands

Explore the beautiful and stunning islands along the Caribbean coastline with this private boat hire in Cartagena. Choose from a variety of yachts and speedboats ranging from 29 feet (8.8 meters) to 62 feet (18.9 meters) long that accommodate up to 10-18 people. With the help of your captain, plan your own personalized itinerary based on your interests and sightseeing wishes. Cruise along the islands on your private boat and combine relaxation, pleasure, and fun. At any time, feel free to request to stop for lunch, visit beaches, or be taken to a secluded area to enjoy some time for swimming in the sea. Play your favorite tunes on the boat's fully equipped sound system to ensure the perfect soundtrack to your day. With your own private boat for just you and your group, what you see and what you do is entirely up to you.

Cartagena: Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour & Optional Attractions

7. Cartagena: Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour & Optional Attractions

Located on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, few places on Earth are as beautiful as Cartagena. Sightseeing in this astounding city is a hugely enjoyable experience, offering both modernity and history. There is something to suit all tastes. From beautiful architecture to striking monuments, there is plenty of inspiring sightseeing opportunities while on your City Sightseeing bus tour. Discover all of beautiful Cartagena in 14 bus stops, as you explore the city's beautiful architecture and striking monuments in the most flexible and enjoyable way. Visit key sites in the city, such as the Clock Tower, the San Felipe Fortress, the walled city, the Rafael Núñez House, Rio Casino, and much more. With the many stops along the way, there are things to suit all tastes, including a complimentary walking tour inside the walled city, starting every day at 4:00 PM in front of the clock tower (stop 4). Choose between a 1-day pass and a 2-day pass. Take advantage of adapting your day along the routes between 9:00 AM and 7:30 PM. If you prefer, remain on the bus tour for the entire loop, listening to the informative audio commentary. You will see palaces, monasteries, plazas, and beautiful overhanging balconies, as well as Colombia's major seaside resorts, where you can enjoy beaches and scuba diving opportunities. Stops 1. Muelle de la Bodeguita 2. Centro de Convenciones 3. San Sebastian del Pastelillo 4. Torre del Reloj (Clock Tower) 5. Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas 6. Rafael Nunez Museum 7. Boquetillo (entrance to the Walled City) 8. San Francisco (entrance to the Walled City) 9. Plaza Bogrande 10. Avenida San Martin 11. Casino Rio 12. Hotel Caribe 13. Hotel Hilton 14. Iglesia de Castillo Grande

Cartagena Airport: Private Arrival or Departure Transfer

8. Cartagena Airport: Private Arrival or Departure Transfer

Start or end your time in Cartagena stress-free with a reliable private transfer service between your accommodation and the airport. The transfer service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is organized to coincide with your flight's departure or arrival, making your transfer as convenient as possible. For departing flights, you will be met by a representative at the lobby of your hotel. For arrival flights, collect your luggage and make your way to the arrivals hall to meet your driver and relax while enjoying a convenient door-to-door service. When making your booking, please provide your flight details as well as the details of your hotel in Cartagena. Your transfer will be confirmed instantaneously and you will be provided with a travel voucher to present to the driver.

Cartagena: Walking Tour of Historic Center and Getsemaní

9. Cartagena: Walking Tour of Historic Center and Getsemaní

Cartagena, a city that bewitches, welcomes you to the best tour of the beautiful and magical city of Historic Cartagena full of stories, sayings and fascinating myths of its walls, streets, convents and houses of the walled downtown and San Diego that transcends the city limits. Discover the secrets, customs and legends of the tradition inherited from the Spaniards and popular from our Caribbean miscegenation, among which Gabo (Nobel Prize for Literature) accompanies us through his writings, such as his book "One Hundred Years of Solitude", one of the most read in the world. We start, at the agreed time, the shared tour, in the Camellón de Los Mártires - Plaza de Cervantes where we will learn about the indigenous people who were before and during the arrival of the Spanish. We move to the "Golden Key of Cartagena" or Clock Tower entering the Plaza del Ecuador, before the Plaza del Esclavo, a prelude to continue part of the enslavement route through Porto Carrero and Candilejo streets. But first, Pedro de Heredía welcomes us. We continue to the Portal de Los dulces, a symbol of female activity in times of slavery and that their descendants still continue their traditions. The process of commercialization of merchandise, including that of the enslaved, in the old "Plaza de la Aduana", has been historically important. In "Plaza de la Aduana" we will see important buildings such as the Municipal Hall. Of course, art is no stranger to the tour, the Museum of Modern Art, an exponent of Caribbean and Latin American art from the 50's, the Gold Museum opens its doors with samples of indigenous pieces from the Colombian Caribbean and the Emerald Museum, stones of beautiful considered the most beautiful in the world, worn by celebrities. Religion is present with San Pedro Claver, Slave of the Slaves, we will see the Architecture of the Church and Museum-Monastery that bear his name and is the Headquarters of Human Rights. Then we go to the San Ignacio Bastion which was built to defend the "Bay of Souls" from any pirate attack. On this tour we will see the history behind the walls of Cartagena. Do you like the feats of pirates and corsairs? We count them when visiting a Bastion, as a sample of Spanish military constructions and strategies, we continue to Plaza Bolívar, in homage to the precursor of Independence, a place to refresh ourselves. Do you know the sloths, the squirrels, the iguanas? You will see them in one of the most important Lungs of Cartagena, Centennial Park, former Railway Station, which is a relic of the Tropical Dry Forest where we refresh under the shade of beautiful trees. We will enjoy one of the most important and colorful cultural corridors of Getsemaní, due to the umbrellas (symbol of the advertisement), the graffiti and the unique architecture. Finally, we enter the Callejón Ancho, to reach the end of the route at Calle San Juan to the sound of salsa and the African champeta.

Cartagena de Indias: 2-Hour Sunset Cruise

10. Cartagena de Indias: 2-Hour Sunset Cruise

For the most romantic evening, this sunset cruise excursion is ideal. Leave at 5:00 PM from the Muelle de la Bodeguita pier in front of the walled city. Enjoy the relaxing but at the same time exciting sailing through the Bay of Cartagena de Indias. Accompanied by good music, enjoy a non-alcoholic cocktail or a soft drink and a delicious appetizer in a magical atmosphere. Watch the sunset and the lighting of the spectacular skyline of the city of Cartagena while you sail into the night.  The itinerary of the tour includes departure from the Bodeguita Dock/Pegasos Dock, located in front of the walled city of Cartagena. First sail between Manga and Bocagrande neighborhood. Then continue sailing between Castillo Grande and Manzanillo Island. Enjoy the sunset while sailing between El Laguito neighborhood and Tierrabomba Island. Then sail back to the departure point.

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What people are saying about Cartagena

Overall rating

4.5 / 5

based on 2,619 reviews

We were hesitant to book this experience, but glad we did. Yes, it is a very touristy activity, but being in the mud is an experience that's hard to describe, therefore you'll have to experience it for yourself. Being in the mud feels incredible! It's about a one-hour drive to the area, you leave your bags with the guide and head up to the mud pit. Once inside you'll spend about 20-minutes getting massaged and hanging out in the mud, then it's to the lake to get cleaned up. After that, you'll be served a beverage and an empanada. Plus, you can give your phone to one of the guys and he will take a ton of pictures of your group. A very nice service. Overall, it was an inexpensive, unique activity.

Best excursion we had during our stay in Cartagena. Don't be fooled by tourist trap excursions that involve any type of shared speedboat transportation to the Rosario Islands. The Catamaran Bona Vida is the best option. Professional, organized, beautiful, fun and so much more. An absolute 10/10! Thank you Equipo Bona Vida for such a wonderful and memorabile day.

This was one of the best things I did during my stay in Cartagena. The staff were all very friendly, and they definitely kept the rum with lemonades coming! Very relaxing sail to the end of the peninsula, where you watch the sunset, and sail back to the pier, looking at Cartagena's buildings lit up. Highly recommend, especially if you drink rum.

Exactly as advertised. Romantic, beautiful views, party vibe on the boat, don't miss it. If you're single though, try to get friendly with a group as the seating is set up for small groups.

Einer was an excellent guide and the tour was a great start to our day! Recommended for sure!!