Why Visit Cartagena Colombia (Reasons Why It Is & Isn’t Worth Visiting)
Planning A Trip To Colombia And Wondering If It’s Worth Adding Cartagena To Your Visit?
I lived in Colombia for a little while to teach English and I got the chance to travel around nearly the entire country during my time here, so I have my personal preferences on what places I think are most worth visiting, but below are the details about what makes Cartagena worth a visit and why it might not be worth adding to your next trip to Colombia.
🇨🇴 Why Visit Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena is one of the most popular cities to visit in Colombia because it’s a coastal city that gets lots of cruise ship travelers. Even from other parts of Colombia, it’s really easy and pretty cheap to reach by plane.
A lot of people really love visiting Cartagena while some aren’t as big of fans of the walled city, but here are all the pros and cons so you can decide for yourself whether or not it’s worth adding to your itinerary:
Why Cartagena, Colombia Is Worth Visiting
Whether they travel by ship, plane, or bus, a lot of people love visiting the coastal city of Cartagena because:
- it’s a beautiful old colonial walled city with a fort and lots of beautiful architecture
- it’s on the coast and has some beautiful nearby beaches and islands
- cruise ships dock here and flights in and out of Cartagena are plenty so it’s a pretty easy place to reach
- the history of the fort and the colonial city are pretty interesting
- it’s pretty easy to get around Cartagena because the old walled city is very walkable
- it’s hot and humid here so it’s the perfect weather for getting in the water to cool off and experience some of the fun water activities here
- there are lots of beach, party, and island activities that are very popular among the tourists here
Why Cartagena, Colombia Isn’t Worth Visiting
Although Cartagena, Colombia is a popular beach and party destination for many travelers, some reasons why it might not be worth a visit are:
- if the party scene isn’t your thing (it’s not mine), then Cartagena won’t be the most interesting place for you to visit
- it’s really hot and humid here so if you’re not getting in the water, you’ll get pretty exhausted pretty fast
- Cartagena is one of the more expensive places to visit in Colombia and no matter when you go, it’s almost always crowded
- if you go outside of the old walled city, Cartagena isn’t the safest place to visit
- Cartagena has a few interesting sites (like the walled city, the fort, a nearby mud volcano, and a few beaches/islands), but other than that, it’s not the most interesting or eventful place in Colombia
- in Cartagena itself, the beaches and waters aren’t very pretty and the surrounding area isn’t one of the most beautiful in Colombia in my opinion
- other than Santa Marta and Barranquilla, Cartagena isn’t very close to any other major tourist destinations in Colombia so you’d have to take a plane to visit them
➡️ Still trying to figure out where to visit in Colombia? here are a few comparisons between Cartagena and Santa Marta, Cartagena and Medellin, and Cartagena and Bogota to help you decide
📆 Is It Worth Visiting Cartagena For A Day?
If you’ve only got time for a day in Cartagena, Colombia, it can definitely still be worth a visit because you can explore the whole walled city area and maybe check out the nearby Playa Blanca for a beautiful beach destination.
I think there isn’t much else to do in Cartagena so a day is really plenty of time in my opinion so you can continue on to other parts of Colombia or the Caribbean.
🔁 Sum Up: Why Visit Cartagena, Colombia
Although Cartagena isn’t my personal favorite destination in Colombia (I think there are just so many other beautiful places to visit around the country), it is a very popular tourist destination because it’s easy to reach by plane from other parts of Colombia and so many cruise ships dock here. It’s a bit of a beach and party kind of destination, but there’s still some interesting history, architecture, and beautiful beaches so it can definitely be worth a visit if you want some Caribbean coastal time during your next Colombia trip.
