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When our trip to Ecuador fell through, we ended up making a visit to Cartagena. I’m so glad we did (though I still hope to get to Ecuador someday)!

Cartagena is a beautiful city for eating and enjoying life. The walled Old City takes you back in time, with uneven stone streets and historic squares. Colorful buildings and art give it a contemporary vibe.

You probably need three days to get a solid feel for the city and four days to really enjoy. We were fortunate to have nine days total for our trip. We stayed in different parts of the city and took a boat to the Rosario Islands for a couple nights.

Our visit started in the center of the city in the historic district. We enjoyed walking the walls for sunset views over the ocean. We went on a street food tour and got our bearings, learning how to order all the local dishes from street vendors.

The chicken empanada above was my favorite, and arepas de choclo were the most appealing local specialty:

I loved getting to try so many local fruits. The Colombian plums are the best – much smaller and sweeter than in the U.S.

It was easy to get around using a mix of Uber and our feet. The weather was warm, and we were happy to have AC and a pool at our AirBnb. It was a bit too windy and choppy to surf, but we checked out the nearby beaches.

After three nights in the city, it was time for an escape. We took a boat to the Rosario Islands–we chose a tiny island called Coralina and splurged a little to stay at a secluded resort. It was Bryan’s 40th birthday celebration, after all!

We enjoyed a couple of quiet days with that gorgeous view, excellent food, and plenty of time to swim in the turquoise blue waters. It was like living inside a postcard.

When we headed back to the city, we wanted to try a new neighborhood, so we booked an AirBnb in a part of town called Marbella. It’s right on the water, just outside the Old City–too far to walk but only a short Uber ride away.

The view from our window:

We kept ourselves busy, so we didn’t get to spend much time in the apartment. But we had a market tour, a cooking class, and other super-tourist activities to attend to.

Here’s what we made in cooking class. Red snapper with coconut rice and patacones:

For our final nights, we returned close to the city center and stayed in the Getsemaní neighborhood. This part is known for its colorful houses and streets filled with paintings. Bryan found us the perfect artsy Airbnb studio on the most vibrant street:

We were right in the middle of it all, and it was the perfect place to finish off our trip. Bonus that we were one of the only houses on the street with a balcony.

If you’re a traveler and a foodie, I would highly recommend a trip to Cartagena. I can’t wait to return and see more of Colombia.

Cheers!