Where to stay in Cartagena: a neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood guide
Cartagena isn’t one destination, it’s five, and each one attracts a different kind of traveller. Picking the wrong base doesn’t ruin a trip, but it does mean more
Getting around Cartagena: flights from the UK, Transcaribe, taxis and apps
Cartagena doesn’t need a complicated transport plan once you’re there. Getting there in the first place takes a bit more planning than a short-haul European break, so i
3 to 5 days in Cartagena: a practical itinerary
This is the plan that ties the rest of the guide together, where to spend each day, and in what order, so the heat, the history, and the food all land at the right moments. Day 1:
Cartagena on a budget: what things really cost in 2026
The price of anything in Cartagena depends heavily on where you buy it. The same arepa de huevo can cost 3,000 COP from a street stall or 15,000 COP a block away in a tourist zone.
Barú vs. Tierra Bomba: Cartagena’s two day-trip islands, compared
Cartagena’s own beaches are fine. Its best beaches are on two islands just offshore, and they’re built for completely different days out. Isla Barú: the accidental isl
What to eat in Cartagena: a food guide to the Caribbean coast
Cartagena’s food didn’t come from one place, and it shows. African heritage brought the double-frying technique behind the city’s fried snacks and a deep reliance
The history of Cartagena de Indias: from Puerto Hormiga to UNESCO status
Cartagena earned its nickname the hard way. La Heroica, the Heroic City, isn’t a marketing line, it’s a scoreboard. Pirates, a 23,000-man invasion fleet, and a fifteen-
Castillo San Felipe de Barajas: visiting the largest Spanish fortress in the Americas
Most fortresses defend a city. San Felipe Castle was built to make sure Cartagena never needed defending twice. What it is Castillo San Felipe de Barajas sits on San Lázaro Hill,
The walled city and Getsemaní: a guide to Cartagena’s historic core
Everything most people picture when they think of Cartagena, the coral-stone walls, the flower-draped balconies, the narrow streets that dead-end into a plaza, happens inside about
DAMARTES: the coconut-shell workshop turning a Cartagena fishing village into a story of independence
Walk along the beach at La Boquilla, an Afro-Caribbean fishing village about 15 km up the coast from Cartagena, and you’ll see coconut shells everywhere, split open, drained,
The Peñol Stone: the rock that started a war, drowned a town, and became Colombia’s most surprising climb
The Peñol Stone (also called Piedra del Peñol or El Peñón de Guatapé) is a granite boulder the size of a skyscraper, sitting in the middle of a Colombian lake full of islands,
Things to do in Guatapé: the colourful lake town that turned tragedy into art
Guatapé is the kind of town that photographs better than words can describe it, and somehow still undersells itself in every photo. Every wall is painted. Every building has a sto
Cartagena de Indias: the complete travel guide
Cartagena de Indias doesn’t ease you in. You land on Colombia’s Caribbean coast and within an hour you’re walking inside 16th-century coral-stone walls, past balc
Comuna 13: how Medellín’s most dangerous neighbourhood became one of its most inspiring
Comuna 13 is not a place that eases you in gently. You ride an escalator built into a hillside, past murals of elephants with broken tusks, past breakdancers performing on a landin
Best national parks in South America to witness the beauty of nature
The best national parks in South America allow us to witness the true beauty of nature. From thundering waterfalls to snow-capped glaciers, this continent is a haven for lovers of
Best Caribbean islands to visit on holiday
The best Caribbean islands offer unlimited sunshine, tropical landscapes and to-die-for beaches. As a region, the Caribbean is an eternally popular holiday destination. After all,
How to travel on a budget: tips & destinations
Trying to travel on a budget? It can be tricky to save enough money to visit the places you dream of. After all, with the rising costs of living, putting cash aside to fund your tr
Tours of the Amazon Rainforest: Best destinations
Looking for tours of the Amazon Rainforest? Stretching across an area of more than 6.7 million square kilometres, the Amazon rainforest is the single largest remaining rainforest o
The most exotic holiday destinations to travel to in 2025
Searching for the best exotic places to travel? Perhaps you’re looking to relax on a tropical beach or embark on an adventure through wildlife-rich rainforests? If you want to br
Where to travel in February: Top 6 destinations
Don’t know where to travel in February? The month of February is often associated with the romance of Valentines Day, but it’s also a brilliant time to plan a holiday.
10 best places to visit in South America: most beautiful cities
When it comes to the best places to visit in South America, the continent’s capital cities truly shine. Brimming with culture and offering a varied mix of cityscapes, if you’re