Welcome to Colombia… My favourite place on earth (other than Melbourne of course). No matter where you are in Colombia you are going to have a good time! Cartegena is a beautiful place where two worlds meet: old and new! The old town is where it’s at though because the new part honestly just looks like the Gold Coast with not as nice beaches. Lots of cool things to do and see in this beach city!
Accommodation: Voltaire Hotel (hostel)
We were supposed to stay at Hostel Mamallena but they didn’t have room for the rest of the gang from the boat so we decided to bail and stay at Voltaire. It’s about AU$11 so it’s super cheap but you are getting what you pay for haha. We took up the entire dorm so for us it was really good because we didn’t have any rules and we drank in the rooms for hours before heading out (a lot of hostels you aren’t allowed to). There is absolutely ZERO vibe though so I wouldn’t recommend this if you are a solo traveller or a small group because there is nothing to do haha. As I said it was perfect for us though because we were a group of about 10. It is located around the corner from Mamallena and other nightlife parts of old town also there’s plenty to eat, see and do near there. It’s about a 5-10 min walk from the clock tower and central old town.
Things to do:
Mud Volcanos: The terms ‘mud’, ‘volcano’, and ‘wash off in the lake’ are VERY loose terms. It’s not mud, it’s some weird stuff that comes from a packet; it’s not a volcano, it’s a pile of human constructed dirt with stairs; and washing off in the lake is actually being scrubbed down by local women who get all up in yo business. It is though, one of the most outrageous and hilarious experiences I’ve done. You are in this “mud” with like 20 other people and you get rubbed down and it’s just so bizarre. I would recommend doing it with other people because it will make the experience that much funnier!
Explore the beautiful old town: there are so many restaurants, markets, and things to see in the old town. The architecture is stunning and there are some amazing photo ops that’s for sure.
Party near the clock tower: the more expensive way to party but you do it with a view. The clock tower is a beautiful old clock in the center of the old town and there are various roof top bars with a fun mix of Latino, dance, and rnb jams. By Aussie standards the cocktails are very cheap but for lots of people it’s quite expensive (especially when traveling for a long time).
Eat street food: it’s incredible and SO CHEAP! Make sure you get this burger from one of the stands outside the square near Mamallena hostel. It is like $2 and has so much stuff in it and is made fresh in front of you.
Go to the beach: we actually didn’t go because compared to San Blas – the beach was shit. However it is likely to be the last chance to go to the beach for a while if you’re making your way down South America and salt water is always the ultimate hangover cure! The beach is quite far from the old town however so public transport or a taxi would be needed to get there.
Journey Quest