I decided to celebrate my 30th birthday last year in Cartagena, Colombia, every birthday after will be out of the country! Cartagena Colombia was an amazing experience with the friendly people, weather, and food! The city reminded me of Miami on a more authentic level. I created lifetime memories and this will be a trip I always remember. I spent 4 days in Cartagena, Colombia and will give you guys the details of my vacation!

WHERE TO STAY IN CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA?

I’m the queen of traveling to connect with the culture and to receive an authentic experience so I try to stay away from resorts. I stayed at The Madisson Boutique Hotel a modern minimalist hotel in the bocagrande area. I booked this hotel on booking.com this allows me to be able to reserve now and pay once I get to the location. I stayed at this location for 4 nights and 5 days paying $289 dollars in April. One thing I really love about this hotel is that it comes with a free full-service breakfast.

The neighborhood was a mixture of tourists and locals. The local beach is a 3-minute walk around the corner from the hotel. The hotel is minutes away from Walled City and Historic Center. The airport is 12 mins away costing me a $5 Uber. I stayed away from taxis and stuck to Uber I was able to see the price upfront and it allowed me to see where the driver was taking me. Ubers are technically illegal in Cartagena but the app is still available. So anytime someone asked me if I needed a ride I just stated “I’m waiting on my driver”. Click here to watch my TikTok showcasing the tour of the Madisson Boutique hotel. 

WHAT I ATE IN CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA?

I have no complaints with the food and I realized Cartagena is the queen of the cutest rooftop bars!

7 CIELO

This restaurant was hard to find because it's located in a random building that doesn’t have much of an aesthetic that gives off its as a restaurant. Once you enter you have to take the elevator up to the top. I tried ceviche for the first time and it was so good! The average drink costs $11-14 and the food ranges from $11-23. They serve a range of fish, shrimp, steak, ceviche, pizza, and more.

Townhouse Boutique Hotel + Rooftop

This was the cutest rooftop with a DJ and a jacuzzi with the best views! They offer bottomless brunch and the food here was around $13 and the cocktails no more than $12.

Restaurant Cande

One of my Instagram cousins suggested I visit this restaurant so I celebrated my birthday dinner here in the heart of the city. I’m a pescatarian and this menu had some seafood options for me so I was smiling from ear to ear.  The seafood prices ranged from $17 to $45

Mirador Gastro Bar

I came to this rooftop bar in the evening for music and pasta! The cocktails ranged from $10 to $12. The food prices ranged from $11 to $15.

Bar Topical Cilantro CARTacho 

I came here for the frozen margaritas. I can’t remember how much it cost but I believe it was happy hour.

WHAT TO DO IN CARTAGENA COLOMBIA

The Chiva Bus

This is a must for everyone visiting Cartagena! The Chiva bus was a good time. I was at Bar Topical Cilantro for happy hour and saw this bus scrolling through the streets with light flashing and loud music. I paid for my drink and immediately flagged the bus down. The Chiva cost $13 and it's an open bar! This bus takes you through the different areas of Colombia its similar to a party bus. 

Visit the beaches

Cartagena is filled with the beaches! I want to go back to visit some of the beaches outside the neighborhood I stayed. The beach I went to was around the corner from the hotel. I received a massage on the beach and ordered food and drinks from the local vendors.

Salsa Dancing on the Boat

This was such a fun experience! It was a DJ, unlimited drinks, and a salsa dancing performance. After the performance was over we got to dance and party with them! This experience was no more than $20.

Taboo Club

The nightlife in Cartagena is a vibe! I went to many bars/clubs and partied with the locals.

Massage 

I can’t come on vacation without booking a full-body massage! I got a massage at URAKU for 60 mins at the price of$30.

If your next vacation is to Cartagena, Colombia I hope this was helpful. Feel free to check out the full vlog of my trip!