My Trip to Colombia

Hi friends! Dave and I went to Colombia (South America, not South Carolina) for my 30th birthday and had the best trip. It’s been towards the top of my bucket list for a while, so I decided the big birthday was as good an excuse as any for the adventure. We flew in and out of Bogota via Delta using miles, and took a regional flight via Viva Air to get to Cartagena. Viva Air was very similar to an Allegiant flight – no frills but efficient. We spent two nights in each destination, which was rushed, but just enough time for us. I’ll be honest, one more night would have been ideal, but we had limited vacation days and it was the only way we could do the trip and I really wanted to do it. Also should note that ATL to BOG is only 4.5 hours so it’s not too bad of a flight!

Cartagena

Cartagena is a port city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. We spent most our time in the walled Old Town that’s filled with squares, cobblestone streets and colorful colonial buildings. It has a tropical climate and is in proximity of several beaches and islands. We stayed at the Nacar Hotel Cartagena, which is a boutique Hilton property we booked via Chase points. It is a beautiful property with great service and centrally located in Old Town.

On our first day we had brunch at Cande, which is maybe one of the most beautiful restaurants I’ve ever eaten in.. I was actually so surprised by the cool interiors of restaurants in Colombia. We then wandered around the Old Town hitting the Clock Tower gate, Portal de los Dulces, Plaza San Pedro Claver, Plaza de la Aduana, and walking the Old Town walls of course. I saved all these places in a offline downloaded Google map so it was easy to get around. We also did a little shopping, Soloio, Darte Bless and Casa Abba were all highlights. It was hot and we needed a drink, so stopped at Soloio cafe for a coconut lemonade (must try when in Cartagena) and margarita. We then ventured for some more traditional shopping at Las Bovedas, a former dungeon where the cells have been converted to a marketplace. We finally headed back to the hotel for a dip in the rooftop pool. Drinks that night were at a cool multi-level bar Alquimico and then dinner at Carmen. Our appetizers and desserts were amazing, our main courses were good but not crazy great.

Our second day, we got pastries for breakfast at La Esquina del Pandebono, which were so good! Then we headed to the Rosario Islands via a day trip to San Pedro de Majagua (a hotel on the island). We paid around $80 a piece which included boat transfer to and from, a day by the beach and lunch at the hotel. I organized this via the concierge at our hotel before we left but you can also book directly with them. A great protip for international travel – find the email for concierge of your hotel to help book airport transfers, activities etc before you arrive. We got back to the mainland late afternoon and walked around the Getsemani neighborhood, which is more local/less touristy. We stumbled upon a really cool boutique hotel, Casa Lola, and had a drink at their rooftop pool. Then grabbed some arepas on the street (walked down Carrera 10) on our way back to the hotel. Dinner that night was at Cevicheria, which is an Anthony Bourdain visited spot.

Bogota

I was shocked by how massive Bogota is! A huge city, over 7 million people and it’s pretty spread out. I struggled with which neighborhood to stay in for that reason, but landed on Usaquen because we wanted to go to the flea market and it made the most sense for our schedule. The other reason I chose that neighborhood was because I wanted to stay at the W Hotel. I love the W brand and it’s a Marriott property so we got upgraded due to my status from my Bonvoy Amex. It was a really cool hotel, had a nice indoor pool and spa, and service was amazing. If it hadn’t been for these circumstances, I probably would have chosen the Chico neighborhood that had a lot of cool restaurants and seemed walkable.

We started our last day in Bogota with brunch at Abasto, which was so so good. Fresh juice, arepas, pastries, and more. We then wandered around the Usaquen flea market and got a few artisan souvenirs and gifts. From there, we took an Uber to the more historic La Candelaria neighborhood. We stopped at Groso Pastelería Argentina for some pastries and the most amazing chocolate torte before heading to meet our guided walking tour. I don’t always love group tours, but it was hands down a great choice for exploring Bogota. I felt very comfortable having a guide and got to see and learn things we wouldn’t have figured out on our own. I wouldn’t have wanted to have to have my phone out to navigate ourselves the whole time on our own. I booked this tour via Viator, my go to for tours when traveling internationally. We finished the evening with dinner at Casa, which was in an old historical house. Food was great, we shared a bunch of small plates.

Overall I loved Colombia and would definitely go back. There’s so much more of the country to discover and I really loved the culture. Obviously we were only there for a short time, but we never felt unsafe or unsure of ourselves. I’d say of the two cities, Cartagena was definitely more tourist-friendly and easier to get around. Feel free to reach out with any questions, you know I always talking travel! Check out my other travel posts below: