Day 1 - Welcome to Cartagena!

Exuberant, colorful, tropical, and beautiful - all beautifully describe Colombia’s crowning destination.

This vibrant port city overlooks the azure blue waters of the Caribbean from fortress walls once used to protect its inhabitants from marauding pirates and buccaneers. Now the walled city is a maze of cobbled streets with colorful colonial houses on all sides, many of which have been converted into stunning intimate boutique hotels around shady courtyards. Its heady mix of sunshine, tropical surroundings, and dazzling painted colonial architecture as well as a vibrant music and dance culture make this Colombia’s most precious jewel. 

Stroll the town by day and explore the museums, galleries, and emerald factories. For some dramatic panoramas of the city and the coast, head to La Popa church and the Fortress of San Felipe. At night you can head to one of many live music venues or perhaps sip a sundowner at a bar overlooking the ocean. Take a boat trip to the archipelago of islands known as the Rosario Islands for superb snorkeling and diving. You can even stay in charming rustic hotels on one of the islands for a day or two for complete seclusion and tranquility. 

Overnight: Casa San Agustín

Meal Plan:

Day 2 - Enjoy a City Tour in Cartagena

The tour begins with a visit to Bolivar Park, shaded by large trees and featuring four fountains and a statue of Simon Bolivar. Stop at the Inquisition Palace, which has a magnificent baroque entrance hall and torture chambers where presumed heretics were tried and executed, and visit the 16th-century cathedral. Continue the tour with a visit to the church of Santo Domingo and the city walls, which are over 15 meters thick in places.  Then visit San Felipe Castle, a masterpiece of Spanish colonial military engineering, the fort was built and reinforced during the 16th and 17th centuries to defend the city from pirate attacks. Walk around the fortress to learn about its construction and explore the underground galleries, tunnels, and passageways. 

Overnight: Casa San Agustín

Meal Plan: B

Day 3 - Street Food

Cartagena is an open secret among travelers and celebrities. Within its walls there is a history of Spanish, African, Arab, and Chinese arrivals, and where their traditions and influences are seen each day. The most obvious is within the city’s food. Discover brilliant dishes showcasing the heritage and pride of these cultures served in small stalls on every corner of the old city. What you are going to experience and learn is that travelers from all over the world came to Cartagena from separate colonies bringing recipe books that blended into an eclectic gastronomy. Discover street food havens unnoticed by outsiders, but cult by locals. There, on the street, let yourself be seduced at each stop by the melting pot of influences that each bite contains and the original versions of the recipes that have inspired the new Colombian cuisine.

Overnight: Casa San Agustín

Meal Plan: B

Day 4 - Rosario Islands Tour

Departing by speedboat from the city you will travel through the Bay of Cartagena and past the twin forts of the San Jose and San Fernando forts out into the Caribbean Sea. The Rosario Islands are an archipelago of small coral islands 35km from Cartagena. Surrounded by clear waters and some of the best coral reefs in Colombia, the area is now a National Park. You will have the opportunity to relax on the white sandy beaches or swim before the arrival at Sofitel Baru Calablanca in the afternoon.

Overnight: Sofitel Calablanca

Meal Plan: B

Day 5 - Welcome to White and Smooth Sand

Day at leisure in Baru.

Overnight: Sofitel Calablanca

Meal Plan: B

Day 6 - Departure

This day you will be at your hotel and transferred by land to Rafael Nuñez international airport to take the international flight.

Overnight:

Meal Plan: B