Around the World in Reality: Cartagena, Colombia

So, this trip is a little different. Only one-half of the Priest household went to Cartagena, Colombia because this trip was only for the ladies.

Cartagena had been on my list for quite some time. When looking at locations in South America, it always seemed to stand out because it was relatively easy to get to, inexpensive to explore and rich with culture. So when comparing locations for a girls’ trip, Cartagena naturally rose to the top, and I’m glad it did.

Day 1 – Saturday, July 30

I was excited about this trip for numerous reasons, and one of those reasons was that I would finally be able to take advantage of my Gold Medallion Status with Delta. I only became loyal to Delta in the last two years, so I had no idea what I was missing. My day started with a hearty breakfast in the Delta Sky Lounge at RDU and an upgrade on the first flight to JFK. It continued with a layover spent in the Delta Sky Lounge at JFK. This was a beautiful location, and I greatly appreciated its wide range of vegetarian and seafood options. Then, I was upgraded again on my flight to Bogota. After landing, I went through immigration and rushed to catch my last flight to Cartagena. Sixty minutes later, I was there.

Our group stayed at Casa Cuero, an AirBnB property in the Walled City of Cartagena. Case Cuero was a 4 BR 4BA house with a rooftop pool. Spoiler alert: We didn’t even use the pool. It had three floors and a unique open concept. I was perfectly positioned and very convenient to many restaurants and shops. After arriving, I was took tired to do too much, so we hung out on the rooftop until bedtime.

Day 2 – Sunday, July 31

HIGHLIGHTS: Amasa Café, Sunset Cruise and Gran Inka

My first full day began with brunch at Roses d’Amour Jardin, a cute French-themed café. Unfortunately, the aesthetic was the most exciting part of this restaurant. I ordered a waffle, side of papas a la francesa, and French 75. The waffle was fine (the ice cream elevated it for sure), the papas didn’t arrive and the French 75 was not a French 75. This was disappointing as all the reviews suggested our experience would be different.

After brunch, we decided to burn some calories and stroll through the city. Though I always have my trips planned out, I do love the opportunity to walk around with no destination in mind and take in the city’s sights and culture. Sometimes I have to remind myself to budget in a couple of hours to do just that.

We took a break and ended up at Amasa. The cafe was slow, so we became fast friends with the wait staff. I became trusted with the music, so we turned it into a day party. After a couple of cocktails, I ordered the crab nachos which were delicious. So delicious I didn’t even get a picture of them. It was such a great place to end our Sunday afternoon.

After our impromptu day party, we headed back to the AirBnb to change for the evening. We made our way to the dock to catch a sunset cruise on the Sibarita Express. This 90 minute cruise included a few different rum cocktails and snacks for purchase and great music. The boat was lively, and the sunset was beautiful. Everyone danced and had a great time.

For dinner, we ate at Gran Inka, a Peruvian restaurant nearby. I loved everything about this restaurant. The ambiance and the food were top-notch. For an appetizer, we had the jalea real. I was excited to try this as I made jalea mixta for Around the World in Quarantine: Peru. I was even more excited to know that I was on par with the authentic version! For my entree, I had the catch of the day which was sea bass. It was cooked to perfection and very flavorful. I was also able to try an authentic Pisco sour, my favorite drink during Around the World in Quarantine, and it was absolutely delicious here!

Day 3 – Monday, August 1

HIGHLIGHTS: Islas del Rosario and Candé

For this day, we had a day trip planned to the Rosario Islands through Experience Real Cartagena, a Blacked owned travel group in city. We took a short bus ride to the dock where we caught our boat. It was about an hour ride to the first island where we were anchored with a few other boats nearby. I was eager to get into the water, and it felt great. After 45 minutes of floating in the ocean, we make our way to our next island, Cholón. This island’s reputation proceeds itself as I heard about this island while I was in Panama in May. The manager of Michael’s shared his experience, and he HIGHLY recommended it. When we pulled up, there were a few boats docked and people were already living their best life on a Monday morning. There were huts in the water with tables underneath where you can lounge and have food and drinks. We had some delicious ceviche. It was definitely top two best I’ve ever had! I also had a pretty good caipirinha.

We left Cholón and headed to our last stop at Playa Barú Beach on Isla Barú. We were really looking forward to this lunch, and I didn’t disappoint. I had fried fish, coconut rice, patacones and a salad. It was ALL delicious! I was pleasantly surprised by the salad as well. While those can be hit or miss, this salad had an absolutely delicious dressing.

There was a DJ at this beach, so we were able to listen to some good music during our time there. For some reason, I tend to be trusted with the aux, and I was able to play DJ again.

The Rosario Islands were an amazing time! I loved being able to spend time on different islands with different activities and vibes. I highly recommend!

For dinner, we ate at Candé, another beautiful restaurant within walking distance of our AirBnb. I loved everything about the aesthetic of this place, and its food and drinks exceeded my expectation. I had the Cazuela de Mariscos Boquillera, a seafood bisque with half grilled lobster tail, prawn, conch, calamari, shrimp and black mussels. This dish was amazing! Unfortunately, I was still a bit full from lunch, so I wasn’t able to eat it all in one sitting, but I did not let it go to waste. To drink, I had the DoÑa Soledad which was a very unique but tasty drink. To add to the experience, Candé had entertainment! Two beautiful dancers made their way through the tables throughout the evening. It was fun to watch!

Day 4 – Tuesday, August 2

HIGHLIGHTS: El Totumo, Townhouse Rooftop and Rum and Chocolate Tasting

Day 4 began with another day trip. This time, we headed in the opposite direction to El Totumo, the Mud Volcano. We met at the clock tower and set off on roughly an hour drive to the mud volcano. Our guide was very knowledgeable and made sure we were well informed on the ride there. When we arrived, I immediately noticed how high El Totumo was. You really needed to be careful making your way up (and down) the stairs, but luckily there were people there to assist. At the top, it was a bit busy, but everyone was able to get in and enjoy. Getting in the mud was such a unique experience. Though the volcano is over 2,000 meters deep, you get in, and you float. It takes a bit of getting used to, but once you have the hang of it, you can relax for a bit. After about 15 minutes, it was time to get out and wash off in the ocean nearby.

Next, we took a short drive to the Arena Beach Hotel. We hung out at the beach for a few minutes until it was time for lunch. I must say after the fried fish the day before, I didn’t think it could get any better, but I was wrong. The fried fish and coconut rice here was the best I’ve ever had. Hands down. It was seasoned so well and the portion size was huge! After lunch, we opted to lounge at the pool. The bartender here was awesome and made a great caipirinha. It was the best one I had the entire trip! I never would’ve expected such delicious food and drinks from this little unsuspecting place. After a few hours here, we packed up and headed back to the city.

For dinner, we walked to Townhouse Rooftop Cartagena. As soon as I saw the waitresses shirts, I knew I was in a good place. This eclectic restaurant paired with perfect weather was absolutely wonderful. Here, I had the tequila mockingbird, a cocktail with tequila reposado, watermelon, habanero bitters, and lime. It tasted like a spicy watermelon margarita, and it was amazing! For my entree, I had the fried seabass bites and truffle fries which were both delicious.

We finished dinner and headed to our Rum and Chocolate Tasting at Caffé Lunático. The experience was led by Renato, a recently named Rummelier®. We had a small intimate class of nine people, and it just so happened that all of us were from the United States. During the class, we learned about different rums and their histories. Renato also recommended a couple of different chocolates to pair with each of the rums. These chocolates here were absolutely delicious. I left with two chocolate bars and wish I had more. We finished the class by making a very easy yet delicious rum cocktail. This was a fabulous experience that I would highly recommend.

Day 5 – Wednesday, August 3

HIGHLIGHTS: Amare Beach Club and Celele

To round our of time in Cartagena, we went to Amare Beach Club. After a ten minute boat ride from Bocagrande, we reached the beach club, and I instantly felt serenity. This was the perfect way to spend our last day. We lounged by the pool, had delicious food and listened to the ocean all day long. For lunch, I had the cano de loro, a bowl of roasted shrimp, rice, tzatziki, zucchini, cauliflower and sesame seeds. I also tried almost all of their juices and coconut water. They were all delicious! What made this experience even better was learning about how Amare Beach Club came to be, the owners’ focus on sustainability and their vision to support local tourism. I will definitely return to Amare Beach Club every time I am in Cartagena!

For our final meal in Cartagena, we ate at Celele. I feel I didn’t get to enjoy this restaurant as much as I would’ve liked because I was very tired. However, I liked the ambiance and small intimate nature of it. I started my meal with some very delicious kombucha. It really made my day to see kombucha on the menu. For my meal, I had the boronia en textures, a breaded eggplant placed over a sweet potato puree surrounded by flowers. It was one of the most unique and beautiful vegetarian dishes I’ve ever seen. It was very good, but unfortunately, I couldn’t finish it all.

On our last night together, I had to call it an early night. I was super tired and had an early flight the next morning. Nontheless, it was a great day and way to end the trip.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Cartagena. It is such a beautiful city that is full of culture. I rarely think about returning to a place twice, but I certainly look forward to coming back with Donnell to continue exploring this amazing city.

Now, what were my favorite things, you ask? I enjoyed almost everything, but if I had to choose, it would be the Rosario Islands tour as my favorite activity, Candé as my favorite restaurant vibe and aesthetic and the fried fish at the Arena Beach Hotel as my favorite dish.

And just like that, my summer of travel comes to an end. With football season on the horizon, you can catch the Priests back in action in November as we continue celebrating our fifth anniversary by visiting five countries this year. In the meantime, we might bring back Around the World in Quarantine again. Stay tuned!