Experiencing Cartagena: A Solo Traveler’s Journey

Hey, Rich B. here with Rich Experiences, and today I’m gonna share with you my experiences in Cartagena, Colombia. I took a solo trip to Cartagena, Colombia during the first week in August, up to the first week in September. So I can give you some valuable insight about Cartagena, particularly as a solo traveler. But this information is good information and insight for any type of traveler.

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First Impressions of Cartagena

Okay. But let me tell you my first impressions of Cartagena Cartagena, very nice city and a very hot city. A very hot city, in all that’s happening there and a very hot city in that weather there, that weather will hit you.

Weather and Atmosphere

It is hot and humid there. Make no mistake. The things you hear about that, that’s true. That weather would get you, you can just be standing still and the weather will still make sweat bead up on you, you know, or, or you can just be walking a short distance and start perspiring. And just for the record, I don’t perspire easily and it got to me. So definitely, definitely, definitely be prepared for that hot weather. And speaking of the hot weather, I understand why it’s like a beach town. Why people like to lay out on those playas and go to the beaches all the time because hey, you know, not only is it fun and relaxing, but hey, I think they doing it just to cool down from all that hot weather.

Architecture and History

Now, another thing I noticed about Cartagena, particularly in the Walled City, in the tourist area, it’s just beautiful, beautiful architecture. A lot of history, a lot of historic type of architecture, lot of, lot of eye candy to look at and to take in down there. And, it’s just a lot of nice history and particularly Afro-Colombian history in Cartagena. So definitely, definitely a lot to take in.

Suitability for Solo Travelers

Although I came here on a solo trip, I really think this type of place, Cartagena, is well suited more for couples or group travel, particularly because the couples, a lot of couples here, they have marriages or honeymoons here, and I can understand why because it just has that perfect romantic vibe. A lot of groups come here together to hang out because you can do so many things. Go on so many excursions and island tours and things together. So, I don’t particularly think this Cartagena is the perfect trip or the best trip for a solo traveler per se, particularly a newbie solo traveler, which I’m not.

Safety Measures

Now let’s talk about safety. Gotta be safe, right? Right. I would say overall in Cartagena, I didn’t feel unsafe or threatened at all. Of course, you have to be aware of your aroundings, you have to stay on swivel and everything.

But overall, I didn’t feel threatened or unsafe. You know, there’s a lot of vendors and, and street hustlers and stuff that’s coming at you and they’re really aggressive and sometimes they don’t take no as an answer. But still, that didn’t make me feel unsafe. I respect the hustle. I know they’re trying to make their money, and that’s all I felt. And I do think they need to tone it down, but again, didn’t make me feel unsafe. So, you just want to stay aware of your aroundings and if you feel more comfortable, always stay in that guarded Walled City. Where a lot of tourist are and things like that. And you should be okay.

Accommodation Insights

I mind you, I did not just stay in the Walled City. I did venture out because I don’t like to go to a country and just stay in the tourist area because I just don’t get the authentic feel of the local place enough, you know, with the locals and the really local, authentic feel that I need to feel when I visit a place. Just the tourist area and things like that. That’s not the real Cartagena, that’s the tourist area.

Neighborhood Exploration

Turns out it’s on the opposite side of the Walled City. It’s near the airport and everything. And hey, it worked out for me. La Boquilla, the neighborhood I was in is, is more of a it is more a Afro-Colombian neighborhood more so than other areas in, in Cartagena. Cause Cartagena as a whole has a strong Afro-Colombian culture to it, but La Boquilla in the neighborhood that, that’s more so, more Afro-Colombian. And it was alright with me.

Transportation and Safety Tips

So you don’t want to just take random rides and random taxis flagging and stuff out there. You will get got as a tourist. That’s just a sad fact about it. Okay, now, so the safest thing to do is to use an Uber, use an app, or use an InDriver. Moreso I would say use InDriver. I don’t use. I don’t use Uber in Colombia. I didn’t use it in Colombia because what a lot of people don’t know about Uber, at least in Colombia, is that when you get a Uber, you’re actually renting a car.

Culinary Delights

So the food in Cartagena, One word for me and that is: FLAVORFUL! The flavors just pop here. Now we out here on the coast, they have some of the freshest seafood you can get. The fried and grilled fish. Some of my favorite with that coconut rice on the side “arroz con coco” ensalada everything. I just loved it. Also, you have the pollo, the res, the cerdo. So pollo is chicken, res is beef, cerdo is pork.

So there’s a lot of good restaurants, a lot of variety choose from. Now, let me tell you how to find the best deals. The tip to find the best deals when you’re going out to lunch or something is ask for the Menú del día, which is the Menu of the Day. Because usually every restaurants has a menú del día where they’ll offer you a plate of the day, whatever that is. Also with a drink included and everything. So it’s just a great, great value when you’re going out to a restaurant.

Sightseeing and Activities

Hey, there are no shortage of things to get into in Cartagena. A lot of great things to explore. Now, some things I would recommend that you check out is the Hop On Hop Off Bus tour. Now this is a low cost tour that would give you access to hop on and hop off the major landmarks of the city. It will give you a great, it’s a fast way to get a great overview of the city and the different landmarks.

Cartagena: Life is a Beach! …and then some

So, hey, in Cartagena life is a beach. So check it out. Now what else? Also, you gotta check out the malls. Cartagena has some beautiful malls. And in Colombia as a whole, I find that they have beautiful malls, multi-level malls, and Cartagena is no different. Has some beautiful malls. Definitely check those out. Be sure you have on your walking shoes, cuz you’ll be walking multiple levels and looking at multiple stores. Some malls to check out is Plaza Boca Grande. You got San Domingo Plaza, “centros comerciales” malls, so check those out. And it’s a lot of great stores to get lost in.

Another thing I recommend you do while you’re here in Cartagena is check out a salsa bar or two. You know, there’s a lot of party bars and things like that, but definitely check out a salsa bar or two because you know, a lot of people, they come from the States or other places and they are so into what they’re used to. You know, they travel to South America and they expect for everything to be like it is in the States or somewhere else. Or if it’s not their music that they usually listen to, they don’t want to hear it and they don’t want to explore.

But I recommend whether you like salsa or not, step outside of your comfort zone. Check out a salsa bar, and I’m sure you’ll love it. Hey, I, I went to this, I love salsa. I went to this salsa bar called Cafe Havana, man they had a tight band there. You would have to be a robot not to be able to get into that. I don’t care what kind of music you do. So check out that salsa flavor. It’s a good way to get you into the, the grooves, the sound, and the culture of Cartagena, and I recommend that.

There’s some other salsa bars that I hopped into as well, so there’s no shortage, and there’s some parties, some regular party spots to play some of the other culture tunes too. So, hey, there’s definitely no shortage of things to do in Cartagena. And if you take that trip, hopefully my tips will have given some insight and some things to think about and consider while you’re in Cartagena.

Final Thoughts

Overall in Cartagena, nice city, just use your common sense, practice your general safety practices, and I’m sure that you will have an enjoyable trip.