🇨🇴 Cartagena

Our Take

Best for: Couples and solo travelers who want colonial romance, Caribbean vibes, and rooftop cocktails without the resort-town feel

Cartagena's Old City (Ciudad Amurallada) is the most photogenic square mile in South America — bougainvillea-draped balconies, pastel colonial facades, plazas with live music, and rooftop bars overlooking cathedral domes. It's genuinely magical, especially at sunset. Getsemaní, the formerly gritty neighborhood just outside the walls, is now the creative hub — street art, boutique hostels, local restaurants, and salsa bars that don't charge cover. The catch: Cartagena has become expensive by Colombian standards. A cocktail in the Old City runs 35,000-55,000 COP ($8-13), and restaurants inside the walls charge tourist prices. Eat in Getsemaní or the Bazurto Market for the real deal. Rosario Islands are the day-trip beach escape — the city beaches (Bocagrande) are mediocre. The heat is relentless: 32°C+ year-round with high humidity.

“The most romantic city in the Americas — colonial grandeur, Caribbean heat, and salsa music echoing off 500-year-old walls, best experienced with a cocktail on a rooftop at sunset.”