Live a Life of Luxury in Colombia | Cartagena Edition

This is a guest post from Jake, a travel blogger at Nomadic Hustle.

Cartagena…

Colombia’s second most visited city after Bogota. But what makes Cartagena such an attractive location?

Mmmm… Let me think.

Great weather, beaches, great hotels, and tours. Yep, there’s a lot to love about this unique beach city in Colombia.

And what if I told you that you can live a life of luxury in Cartagena for a couple of days for a reasonably cheap price.

Even more to love!

It’s true! You can see Cartagena and indulge in a little luxury all on the cheap these days. So let’s dig into it:

3-Day Cartagena Itinerary

When it’s time to take on Cartagena in style, you’re gonna want to plan things out a bit. Luckily, I’ve been to Cartagena more than a few times and can help you out with that…

Day 1

Comfortable Place to Stay

This is the most important thing on any trip. Especially if you want to experience that luxury life. Luckily, Cartagena is chock full of luxurious hotels and apartments for dirt cheap.

I’m talking private pools, king-sized beds, luxurious bathrooms, daily maid service, and most importantly, ocean views.

Generally, a high-end boutique hotel in the ‘Old City’ or a modern ocean-view Airbnb apartment in Bocagrande will run you around $50-80 bucks a night.

Sunset & Chill with Style

It’s your first day here, and you just came from an exhausting flight. You’re going to take relatively easy.

Catching an amazing sunset in Cartagena will suit you perfectly and what better place to do that than Café del Mar — a well-known restaurant bar located on ‘La Muralla del Centro Historico’ which will be on your to-visit list later on.

This is a great place to hang out and chill. Here, you’ll be able to eat delicious meals while you enjoy amazing music. The sunset views are world-class.

You can have a few drinks o cervezas if you want — but take it easy with the booze because on day two you’re going on a boat trip.

High-End Clubs

Now, some of you may not want to take it easy during your first night in Cartagena. I get that. So why not check out some Cartagena nightlife.

Here’s a few of the better high-end clubs and bars in the city:

Eivissa Rooftop Club
Fragma Club
Tu Candela Gastro Bar

Day 2

Luxury Breakfast

First thing first.

Wake up and enjoy your beachfront ocean view while you have a nice delicious breakfast because in a couple of hours it’s time to head to a near white sand beach.

Yes, I’m talking about Islas del Rosario.

Your gonna love this place. Te lo juro.

Exciting Diving Coral Reef Experience

Once you’re in Islas del Rosario, you MUST have a dive and see the spectacular world underwater. If you have a waterproof action camera, photos possibilities are endless!

Underwater shots here are just incredible.

Later on, test out the delicious fresh fish for lunch. I’d go with a Pargo Rojo, but is all up to you. All the fish here is insanely fresh.

Many of the tours include lunch too.

A Cartagena’s Caribbean Night

Once you’re back home from your white-sand crystal water beach experience, get some rest.

Then throw on your best outfit ready because you are heading to Plaza de los Coches.

This is a zone full of terraces overlooking the bay of Cartagena, where you can chill and have a nice talk while enjoying a couple of mojitos.

If you want to experience some Colombia Salsa, you can go to Cafe Havana. This is the spot where you show off your best salsa skills.

But let’s say you’re not into Latin music that much. Than Mister Babilla is your choice. This is another great place to go very less of traditional music and more of a modern club.

Day 3

The Castle in Cartagena

I saved the best for last…

This castle is one of the most visited attractions in all of Colombia. Hell, even all of South America. It is the largest defensive war infrastructure created in the Americas by the Spanish.

So you can already imagine the number of photos that must exist with the Hashtag —

#CastilloSanFelipe

It has a wonderful view since it was built on the hill of San Lazaro. This allows you to have an overview of the entire city of Cartagena and get a killer photo.

Don’t miss this spot when coming to Cartagena!