Few cities capture the imagination like Cartagena. This sultry, romantic city on the Atlantic is an open air museum of the best of Spanish colonial architecture and is Colombia’s most popular and beloved vacation destination. The walled city was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, and walking its flower-strewn balconies, elegant plazas and cobblestoned streets might make you feel like you’ve stepped back a few centuries to the time of the conquistadores. Or at least onto a telenovela set. Either way, there’s something magical about Cartagena.

But before you go thinking Cartagena is paradise on earth, there are few things to keep in mind: Sure, being the tourism capital of Colombia is an honor, but this means Cartagena is more expensive than just about anywhere in Colombia. If you want a romantic meal in one of Cartagena’s many plazas, expect to pay at least $20 per person and don’t expect to find too many bargains when it comes to souvenir shopping. Because the city managed to escape most of the violence of the ‘80s and ‘90s, there are plenty of foreigners in Cartagena, which means street vendors and musicians have perfected their trade in multiple languages. In other words, claiming not to speak Spanish won’t help your cause much. If you’re dining in one of the main plazas and want to escape a dinnertime serenade, I recommend you avoid eye contact with anyone holding a guitar. Also, watch out for pickpockets and keep your guard up outside the old city at night.

That said, throw on your sarong, put on your sunglasses, and start exploring!

Tip: If you want to save money, consider staying and dining in Getsemani, outside the walled city. This working class neighborhood has a reputation for being dangerous, but as a woman traveling alone, I never had any problems here. You can find hotel rooms here with A/C, cable TV and a private bath for the equivalent of US$15 and some great restaurants running about 50% cheaper than those in the old city. There are modern lodging option in Boca Grande and el Laguito, Cartagena’s Miami-esque new town.

Day 1

Wake up early and head to the walled city. The best way to get a feel for Cartagena is to simply stroll through its narrow streets, get coffee at one of its outdoor cafes and people watch at one of its many plazas, but those looking for a more formal itinerary can follow the plan below:

Start your Cartagena walk-through at the Plaza de Los Coches, one of Cartagena’s most historic plazas, and stock up on traditional Cartagena sweets at the Portal de Los Dulces. Next, walk toward the Plaza de San Pedro and visit the Iglesia de San Pedro Claver, which also operates as a museum. If you’re into modern art, you won’t want to miss the Museo de Arte Moderno just a couple blocks from the plaza. And if you’re into naval history, you may want to pay a visit to the Museo Naval off of Calle Juan de Dios. After you’ve had enough of antique nautical instruments, take Calle A. Ricaurte to la Plaza de Bolivar, one of my favorite plazas in the walled city (keep in mind that Calle A. Ricaurte turns into Calle Santa Teresa). Here you can visit attractions such as the recently remodeled Cathedral, the Museo del Oro and the Palacio de La Inquisicion. At the Plaza de Santo Domingo, visit the Iglesia y Claustro Santo Domingo. If you’re hungry, this is a good place to grab lunch.

After lunch, walk on toward Plaza de San Diego, one of Cartagena’s prettiest plazas. If you’re in the mood to buy souvenirs, walk down Calle de Las Bovedas to Las Bovedas, an old jail now boasting 23 souvenir shops.

If you’re still feeling energetic and ambitious, ask your hotel to book a tour for you on a chiva, a traditional, colorful wooden bus, to see some of the sites outside the walled city. Your chiva includes a bilingual guide (bilingual being subjective here) and entrance to several attractions such as the Castillo de San Felipe de Barejas and El Convento de La Popa, both of which offer great views of Cartagena. If, for some unlikely reason, your hotel doesn’t offer chiva tours, head to the tourism office at La Plaza de La Aduana, which will be able to book a tour for you.

Next, head back to your hotel for a late afternoon siesta before heading back to La Plaza de Santo Domingo for a seafood dinner on one of the Americas’ oldest plazas. Yes, there are too many vendors and musicians and the food is horribly over priced, but who doesn’t want to say they ate dinner in a 500 year-old plaza?

If you’re feeling particularly festive, I recommend booking a rumba chiva, which will give you a tour of Cartagena at night with a party twist: All the aguardient, rum, fried yucca and fried plantain that you want, before dropping you off at a night club to really get the party started. There’s usually a bilingual guide and traditional Vallenato band on board, and most Rumba Chivas stop to take in traditional Cartagena dances such as the Mapale and Cumbia, which showcase Cartagena’s rich African heritage. Again, most rumba chivas can be booked by your hotel or at the tourism office at La Plaza de La Aduana.

Day 2

Cartagena’s beaches are loud, busy and decidedly unspectacular, so I recommend booking a tour to Las Islas del Rosario just off the coast of Cartagena. Las Islas del Rosario are a small archipelago of islands that offer much nicer, quieter beaches. A day tour almost always includes a dolphin show, snorkeling, a typical Cartagena lunch of fried fish and coconut rice and a couple hours on Playa Baru, an attractive, white sand beach with a lovely jungle backdrop.

You’ll probably be worn out when you get back to your hotel around 5pm, so take a quick nap before heading off to dinner. To celebrate your last night in the city, indulge yourself in a delicious, avant-garde seafood dinner el Club de Pesca, one of Cartagena’s most exclusive and expensive restaurants. Situated in a 300 year-old fort overlooking the Cartagena marina and its many impressive yachts, this romantic, picturesque restaurant is the perfect ending to your Cartagena vacation.

For additional information on Colombia, check out my articles on Bogota’s neighborhoods and Bogota’s cafe culture.

By Patrick Connelly

“You live were!?” is usually the first question I get when I tell North Americans that I live in Colombia.  Yes, Colombia, the land of Pablo Escobar, cocaine, bombs, and kidnappings.  Yes, Colombia, the land of Marxist guerrillas and right wing death squads.  Yes, Colombia, the land that in 1994 had a soccer player shot a dozen times for making a mistake in the World Cup.

But the real Colombia is not like this.  It is far from the violent images seen on television around the world.

The last six years have seen a turnaround in public safety that can only be described as remarkable.  Conservative president Alvaro Uribe, whose father was murdered by guerrillas, has turned a country that a decade ago was disintegrating into one of relative peace and stability.

But what about travel and living in Colombia?  This is a complex question, and since safety is involved, generalizations cannot be made.

The Big Three: Bogotá, Medellin, Cali

Chances are most travellers, and certainly expats and retirees, will end up in one, if not all, of Colombia’s largest three cities at some point.  But are they safe?

Bogotá- The largest city at around 8 million, the capital is the business, government, and education heart of the country.  If common sense is used, it is no more dangerous than any other large city in North America or Europe.  The eastern half of the city, including the main tourist areas, is comfortably safe during the day and common sense will keep the gringo safe at night (stay in groups, no dark alleys, use taxis, etc.).  However, the western half of the city – Cuidad Bolivar – is a sprawling mess of flavelas that is certainly not safe.  Ever. Luckily, there is not much of interest for the gringo here anyway.

Medellin- The city of eternal spring was not too long ago the city of eternal violence.  Murder capital of the world, kidnapping capital of the world, and a host of other accolades no one wants made Medellin (that’s Med-eh-jean) a definite no-go unless you were George Jung, the gringo drug runner played by Johnny Depp in Blow. However, it is now one of the safest cities in South America, with a murder rate of 32 per 100,00 residents.  Thats lower than Washington, D.C. and Detriot.  Plus paisas are incredible people and Medellin is fast becoming a beautiful place to visit.  Again, the same precautions used in any large city apply here.

Cali- The salsa capital of Colombia is, like the other two main cities, a relatively safe and enjoyable place as long as common sense is used.  Wallet in the front pocket, no fancy jewelry or watches, stay with groups during the night…you get the picture.  Always ask around as well for safe and secure areas to visit.

La Costa

This, of course, is Colombia’s tourist, retiree, and expat destination of choice.  And for good reason; whtie sand beaches, Cartagena, and the carefree attitude of Costeños makes a trip here memorable for years.  But where there are tourists, there are most likely pickpocketers..

Cartagena- Widely regarded as South America’s most beautiful city, Carta has been pushed hard as a tourist destination by the Colombian government for some time now.  The result is a good tourism infrastructure, security, and enough people to help if trouble does arise.  That said, small time thieves do target the gringo crowds, and expensive jewelry and watches, large purses, and the like should be left at home.  Also, there are many moneychangers on the streets-its best to avoid them as forgeries are common.  The further out of the city’s center one ventures, the more likely he is to run into trouble.  Many out of work soldiers (from guerrilla groups and right wing militias) live in the area and some resort to petty crime to make ends meet.  That said, Cartagena is a true jewel of the Western hemisphere and with normal precautions is pretty safe.

The rest of the country

Few tourists venture outside the main cities and the Caribbean coast, but those who do are richly rewarded.  However, some areas are dangerous for foreigners, and some are downright off limits.

Boyaca- A popular weekend destination for foreigners and Bogota residents alike, the department of Boyaca is called the heart of Colombia.  Villa de Leyva is its crown, a perfect Spanish colonial city high in the mountains.  And even more, it is a pretty safe place to visit.

The Southern Departments- The mountains give way to pastures and rainforest that stretch beyond the horizon.  This is wild Colombia- and part of the country foreigners should ignore or take extreme caution in.  Pickpocketing at gunpoint is the least of your problems here, as the rebel groups and drug cartels have been pushed into this region and make money by kidnapping gringos and Colombians alike.  If you want rainforest, fly from any  major Colombian city to Leticia, on the border with Brazil.  The town has a well developed tourism infrastructure.  If you want to be brave, go for it, but just about every Colombian I know would think thrice before travelling to departments like Putumayo, Buenaventura, and deep into Meta.

Conclusion

The safety situation in Colombia is very complicated and changes on a daily basis.  But it also overblown in many areas – people seem to reiterate the fact that they got mugged in Colombia!, while if it happened in London it would be written off as just a bad apple in the bunch.  Keeping to the main tourist areas, remaining alert, and staying in a small group should be more than enough to keep the average foreigner safe in the large cities and along the coast.

Colombia is certainly not without major problems, even though the country has improved drastically.  But it is an amazing country with colorful people, top notch attractions, and a real wild side.  Don’t let the horror stories or news programs scare you off; while crime does happen, it also happens in every country in the world.  True, Colombia is more dangerous than, say, Costa Rica, but on the other hand you aren’t coming into an all out warzone like some people would like to make you believe.

One week in Colombia and you will realize how wrong the stereotype is.

Have a different opinion? Additional safety information or updates? Please post them here, we’d love to hear from you.

photo provided by Rob Raincock at http://www.flickr.com/photos/30853953@N03/3033264799/

By Patrick Connelly

Colombia is a country of stark contrasts: Rugged Andes peaks and lush rainforest valleys, modern cities and Spanish colonial villages, hot Caribbean beaches and snowy mountains.  Best of all, much of the country is untouched by the tourist and expat industry because of the country’s less than reputable past.  With so little literature out there about Colombia (Lonely Planet has the only book, and it is an admitted fraud), knowing where and what to do can be challenging.  Throw in the ever present security question, and the planning process is downright frustrating. Here are my top five places to go in Colombia.  I could go on, but gotta keep it short.  If you have anything to add, please do so below.

1. Cartagena – No-brainer.  Every Colombian will tell you the same.  This is a jewel not only for Colombia, but for the entire continent.  Centuries of history (pirates rock), whitewashed Spanish architecture, cool Caribbean breeze, crazy nightlife, beautiful people….I could go on.  A few too many tourists and half of Bogota comes to visit on holidays, but still a place you can’t miss.  Plus it is a good base for exploring the coast (or substitute Santa Marta, if you wish)

Bogota offers tons of sightseeing options

2. Medellin and Bogota- Lumped these two together since time outdoors is time well spent in Colombia.  Bogota is a high-fashion business and education center with ample history, sites to visit, and a nightlife to rival any city in South America.  Check out Candelaria in the city center for museums as well as Andres Carne de Res in nearby Chia for a night you will never forget.  Alse servers as a jumping off point to visit the historic Boyaca department to the north.

Medellin is the city of eternal spring, full of proud paisas and blooming flowers.  Smaller and more asthetically pleasing than Bogota, it can be reached by a short, short plane from the capital or by bus.

3. Parque Tayrona- Nestled against the Caribbean and bordered by small mountains, Tayrona National Park offers deserted beaches fringed by jungle, coral reefs, deep bays, and an established visitors infrastructure. Also within striking distance of of Ciudad Perdida, the Lost City, which every adventure-minded person should experience.

4.Mompos (Mompox)- The town that time forgot, stuck in a giant swamp in the northeastern part of the country.  Famous for hospitality and rocking chairs, this is supposedly the town that Gabriel Garcia Marquez based Macondo off of in One Hundred Years of Solitude. Getting there is an adventure of its own…don’t miss this place!  You will be happily surprised.

The Amazon is a nature lover's dream

5. The Amazon- Definitely not for everyone, the southern town of Leticia offers endless rainforest adventure.  Forget what you saw in Costa Rica; the Amazon is another world.  Truly awe-inspiring.

Honorable Mention: San Andres and Providencia- Wayyyyyy up in the Caribbean by Honduras, these two islands are the sort of funky, mixed-bag cultural paradoxes that you expect to find in El Caribe.  Beautiful, duty-free, and less developed and cheaper than other Caribbean islands.

Front photo provided by Marathoniano at http://www.flickr.com/photos/24462866@N00/3058453915/

second photo provided by Kingstongal at http://www.flickr.com/photos/kingstongal/2133699876/

To find Colombia real estate, you can check out VivaReal. They have Cartagena real estate like beachfront apartments or inland you will find Bogota real estate and medellin real estate.