I was looking for a quick birthday getaway. I wanted it to be a place that was easy to travel to and one blessed with warm weather, sand, beaches, and drinks by a sparkling pool — but that was the easy part. The destination had to be new to me (I’ve already traveled much of the Caribbean). It needed to be a place that was both festive and educational. Filled with adventure, while simultaneously rich in culture. And bonus points if it was affordable, and if it offered me a chance to practice my Spanish.
Increasingly, over the last year and a half, I had noticed Cartagena regularly in my Instagram feed. The pictures were beautiful and evocative of a place that felt much farther away than it actual was. I was taken with the colorful buildings, the colonial architecture, and the cobble stone streets of Old City. I was mesmerized by the brilliant sunshine and the way it gingerly kissed the skin of the people basking in it. And I was intrigued by firsthand reports of how delicious and affordable the (sea)food was.
Last year, when a friend mentioned that she would be celebrating her birthday there, I realized that my general curiosity in Cartagena had heightened and become something more. I had not yet visited South America (although an impromptu trip to Buenos Aires would change that) — and as an avid traveler, that was unacceptable to me. I decided that a tourist-friendly city like Cartagena would be an ideal entry point into an unfamiliar continent. And after some research and numerous conversations, I became hopeful that Cartagena would check every single box on my destination wishlist (as noted above).

Old City, Cartagena.

A mural in the town of Palenque, about an hour inland from Cartagena.

With some of the dancers and performers in Palenque’s dance studio.

In Palenque, African culture, customs and beliefs, and even language still remain largely intact.
When we traveled back to Old City that day, I noticed the palenqueras posing for pictures with tourists and smiled. What I had learned hours before made me keenly aware of my connection to each of them. And they are aware of it too. Lina, the first palenquera I met kept pointing to her skin and ours saying, “tu sangre,” or your blood. I believe she was saying, “your blood is my blood.” And she is one hundred percent accurate. The history of the palenqueras and the African traditions they have maintained for centuries demonstrate that they are far more than mere tourist attractions, but instead, enduring symbols of perseverance, ingenuity and strength.
@culturebykaren blaxploration rating for Cartagena, Colombia: ✊🏿✊🏿✊🏿✊🏿✊🏿 (5 out of 5)

With Lina, a palenquera, in Old City, Cartagena.

Old Town, Cartagena.
Due to overwhelming demand, I include my full trip itinerary below:

Twirling to the sound of traditional Colombian drums.
Saturday, 7am – JetBlue Flight 1533, from New York City: I highly recommend this flight (este vuelo). It is an affordable and direct flight from JFK that gets you into Cartagena (CTG) by 12pm. Especially crucial for shorter trips, this flight schedule allows you to maximize your first day in Cartagena.
Saturday, 12:30pm: Arrival at the Conrad Cartagena. A 30-minute ride from the airport, the newly-opened Conrad Cartagena hotel is breathtaking from the moment you enter its breezy, open-air lobby. Its generous wood doors, adorned with ornate, massive silver knockers will be the first thing you see. The first thing you’ll notice though, are two enormous busts of black women with scarves tied around their heads, which are positioned directly in front of sizable entrance doors. While researching accommodations, I found a discounted rate exactly two months before our trip. With that rate, we secured two ocean-view suites, each with a balcony and two queen beds. The spacious rooms are immaculately decorated, complete with African-themed artwork, wooden benches situated in the ample bathrooms with a full bathtub, shower, and double sinks, and a comfortable lounger on the balcony.
Saturday, 2pm: Pool and Lunch. The Conrad Cartagena has four pools to choose from as well as a jacuzzi area. Waiters from The Sun Bar, the poolside cocktail bar, circulate frequently to take your bebidas orders. You can also order food from Sea Salt Grill, the restaurant directly adjacent to the pool area. The seafood here — for lack of a better word — is scrumptious. We feasted on grilled octopus, garlic shrimp, red snapper ceviche, and even a cheeseburger with yucca fries.
Saturday, 8pm: Birthday Dinner at Donjuán. Our flight was delayed so we ate dinner earlier than anticipated and ended up forfeiting our dinner reservations at Donjuán. We tried to rectify this later in the trip, but we never made it back. This restaurant comes highly recommended so be sure to visit on one of your trips to Old City. And make reservations — due to its popularity, they are known to turn people away in droves.
Saturday, 11pm: Birthday Drinks at Cafe Havana. I’ve never been to Cuba but Cafe Havana in Old Town definitely made me forget I was in Colombia for a quick second. The deliciously strong mojitos are rivaled only by the live salsa music and the festive, energetic crowd.

Celebrating our first night in Colombia with a visit to the famed Cafe Havana in Old Town.
Sunday, 11am-3pm: Freestyle Time. It’s always good to build in some freestyle time to just go with the flow and do what you feel. For us, on this particular day, it was pool, beach, snacks and cocktails.
Sunday, 3:30-8pm: Explore and Shop in Old Town. Within the walled city, there is plenty to do and see on the streets of Old City. The colonial architecture is captivating and there are a variety of shops to choose from — indoor markets, jewelry stores, clothing and handbags and souvenir shops. This is also where you will witness the famed palenqueras in action and snap a photo with them, if you’d like. If you need a quick cool-down, stop by a gelato shop or even better, La Palettería for delicious popsicles of every flavor imaginable. My favorites are passionfruit and anything with lulo (a local fruit that I am currently obsessed with), but a myriad of chocolate, caramel and dulce de leche options also abound.

The tempting view inside of La Palettería is impossible to resist.

Our group arrives in Palenque for a powerful day of history, art and culture.
In Palenque, we toured the classrooms of the elementary school, made a visit to a private home to sample homemade coconut sweets and cake, and best of all, attended a class at the dance studio (el estudio de la baila) with local kids from the village. There, we learned traditional African dances and enjoyed rap lyrics performed by some of the young boys in their native tongue — a creole language derived from Spanish, Bantu and Portuguese. For lunch, which is included in the tour price, I selected deliciously crispy fried fish and plantains, yucca fries and coconut rice. This experience is a must-do as it was an absolute highlight of the trip.
Monday, 4pm: Freestyle time.
Monday, 8pm: Dinner at Biblioteka. Back at our hotel, Biblioteka is its signature restaurant. It carries the library theme all the way through with its decór and the fact that some items are served in hollow, wooden “books.”

Exhilaration as I fell back into the mud of the Totumo Volcano.

Our group, happily stuck in the mud of the Totumo Volcano.
We arrived at the Totumo Volcano before 9am, and ascended the steep staircase until we had reached the very top. One-by-one, we fell gently backwards into the mud pit where men waited for us neck-deep. Once inside the mud, these masseuses offered each of us a lengthy massage, rubbing the mud into our face, skin and hair. It was well worth the $5 charge. The mud of the Totumo Volcano is said to contain various beneficial, natural deposits that are great for skin. After sitting with the mud for a time, we descended the volcano’s peak and waded into a nearby river. The women there patiently washed the mud off of us, leaving no trace (except for whatever they were unable to remove from my braids). That was an additional $5. Afterwards, we ate breakfast (included in the tour price) and visited a museum in Galerazamba.
And then: the pink sea. It is impossible to fully describe this experience and of course, the pictures (while absolutely epic) do it no justice. How can I possibly articulate the feeling of being surrounded on every side by warm, pink sea water that stretches as far as the eye can see? How can I verbally impart the translucence of the water, the frothy foam that sputtered and bubbled up along the shoreline, or the hard, salt crystals that lined the sea floor? I simply cannot. You have to go on this tour and inhale all of this deliciousness (tan mágico) for yourself.
After frolicking and posing for a plethora of pink sea videos and pics, we had worked up an appetite. We drove to a nearby restaurant for a traditional Colombian lunch and a traditional Colombian dance lesson given by a local girl who was about eleven years old. The entire day was a phenomenal and adventurous end to an already unforgettable trip. What I know for sure is…you’ll love it. And when you book, be sure to ask for Charlie.

The Pink Sea in Galerazamba, Colombia.
4 Comments
Dee
March 13, 2019 at 1:03 amDefinitely at the too of my list of destinations to visit.
Karen Francis
March 13, 2019 at 1:16 pmwhen you go, please report back and let me know if you loved it as much as i did!
Michael
May 16, 2019 at 3:32 amI’m going in July. How did you like Alex tour?
Karen Francis
June 19, 2019 at 7:18 amLOVED it! i highly recommend any of Alex’s trips. ENJOY your time in Cartagena