Why Cartagena?
Why not?! Cartagena, Colombia, is a beautiful, colorful, vibrant and charming city with an amazing restaurant scene, endlessly walkable streets to explore and it is located on the Caribbean Sea. It is also easy to get to from Los Angeles and other cities in the United States with direct flights to Bogota making it the perfect destination for a week or even a long weekend.
How we got there…
Gracias Banco Popular! Though not the easiest credit card to open and close, it was well worth the long waits on the calls to Banco Popular to get the credit cards with the points we needed for this trip.
Here is how we did it, and the points that we used for our trip : We used 120,000 Avianca miles for four round trip tickets from Los Angeles to Cartagena. Rick and I each applied for Avianca credit cards through Banco Popular (based in Puerto Rico), and each card earned 60,000 bonus miles just for signing up. No minimum spend requirement. We have since closed the cards after spending a grand total of about $10 on the cards.
Where we stayed…
We chose to stay in a vacation rental within the historic walled city.
We loved our spot. The location was perfect! The space was a great size for our family of four, and we loved the cool water Jacuzzi and the roof top deck that was used every afternoon to cool down and wind down from our hot and active days. The only complaint was the noise at night from the local roof top bars that were quite loud until 3:30 a.m. We used the sound machine app on our iPhones and the kids fell right to sleep and weren’t bothered by the noise.
What we did…
Exploring the old town, shopping, eating and spending afternoons in the roof top Jacuzzi is the way to spend a wonderful day in the historic walled city. It is hot so stops for iced coffee, mango popsicles, gelato and a cold refreshing craft brew are a must! In the evening the carriage ride around the city is a wonderful way to finish the day.
Just outside of town, we visited the Castillo San Felipe! Make sure to take water, hats and wear sunscreen. It is hot and mostly exposed, but worth the visit especially with children. We took a taxi to the castle and purchased tickets at the base from the ticket counter. We didn’t bother with a tour (though I am sure the history is fascinating) since the kids were excited just to explore. Spencer climbed on every cannon, and Ainsley found every spiral stair case and underground tunnel the castle had to offer. There were some great views of the city from the top of the hill, and some great opportunities for our mini adventurers to explore.
One of the highlights of our trip was venturing out into the Caribbean and the Rosario Islands. We took a private boat tour with Boats 4U. They were fabulous. The boats were in great condition, the captains were excellent (though their English was limited) and our English tour guide was fabulous with our children.
On the boat tour we visited the Oceanario where the kids took photos with dolphins and enjoyed seeing the local fish and sharks feed during the guided tour.
The highlight for all of us was eating lunch in the water in Cholon. The kids loved swimming around the tables, drinking coconut water from coconut and eating fresh fish and lobster. The food was amazing and the setting was unreal. It is known as “party island” but if you go early it was a great spot for our family.
The kids also enjoyed jumping off the boat and playing in the white sand on Playa Blanca.
Where we ate…
Eating is a big part of all our travels and Cartagena didn’t disappoint. Here are out top 5 restaurants and a few other fun spots we found.
Carmen – Cartagena fine dining at its best. We sat in the gorgeous courtyard and had amazing craft cocktails followed by the 5 course tasting menu with the wine pairing.
Maria – Upscale and trendy. The food was very good and the ambiance was vibrant and fresh while maintaining a typical Cartagena feel.
La Cevicheria – The best spot for lunch and the best ceviche that we have had outside of Peru.
El Burlador Gastrobar – Very good Spanish food and wine, and a live flamenco performance.
Don Juan – Upscale regional cuisine.
Café San Alberto – The best coffee in Cartagena.
The Beer Lovers – We love trying local craft brews. The food here was good too!
La Paletteria – The best popsicles on a hot afternoon. Spencer’s favorite: mango!
Ainsley’s corner…
What was your favorite part of the trip? “Probably the boat rides to the islands. Especially Party Island.”
Do you have any tips for other kids going to Cartagena? “You need to check out the castle and the secret passageways. There’s lots of cannons and very excellent views.”
What was your favorite food on the trip? “The fish and lobster we ate at Party Island. We got to eat it while sitting in the water.”
Traveling Lyons 