Digital Nomad Diaries: Cartagena, Week 2
Sloths in the city, turquoise water at Isla Barú, and a final ceviche I will never be able to find again.
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I thought my last week in Cartagena would be quiet. A little work, a little relaxing, a gentle wind-down before heading home. I was wrong about all of that.
Sunsets, cheap drinks, and live salsa
My new international crew and I made the most of the week.
We watched the sunset from the old city walls at Baluarte de Santo Domingo, which has decent drinks and slow service, but the best sunset views in the city.
We also found our way into the small streets of Getsemaní for drinks, where the prices are the kind that make you do a double take. Two Cuba Libres for $5.40 US total. Unbelievable.
And then there was Café Havana, which lives up to its reputation entirely. Live salsa music, the right kind of loud, the right kind of crowded. A few of my new Dutch friends turned out to be bachata dancers, so there was some serious skill on display that I was very happy to just watch and appreciate from a safe distance.
Wait, there are sloths here?
Nobody told me there were sloths in Cartagena. Apparently they just live in Parque Centenario, a small park right in the middle of the city, along with monkeys, like it's completely normal. It is not normal. It is wonderful. If you're in Cartagena and you haven't wandered through this park yet, go immediately. Best way to spot the sloths? Look for other people standing still looking up.
Isla Barú
Getting out of the city to Isla Barú* was the highlight of the week, full stop.
The water there is is such an incredible shade of turquoise that it looks edited even when you're standing right in front of it. We spent the day on the beach eating fresh fish, swimming in crystal clear sea, and doing absolutely nothing productive. It was perfect. If you're in Cartagena and you skip this, well I don't really know what to tell you.
Slowing down
By the end of the week, my body started sending signals I've learned to listen to after years of travel. A cold creeping in, that familiar end-of-trip exhaustion. I had to bow out of an island-hopping cruise I'd been looking forward to, which stung a little. But I swapped it for an afternoon in a rooftop hammock, which turned out to be its own kind of perfect.
One last massage, one last ceviche
Before leaving Colombia and its very reasonable prices behind, I treated myself to a final massage at Oasi Spa. And because I cannot leave a country without a proper farewell meal, I found a little hole-in-the-wall place for some ceviche that I have since been completely unable to locate again. No name, no address, no idea how to get back there. Just the memory of very good ceviche, which is honestly enough.
Colombia, you were something else.
Quick guide: Cartagena Week 2
Parque Centenario (free, sloths, monkeys, no further explanation needed)
Sunset at Baluarte de Santo Domingo
Drinks in Getsemaní for prices that will shock you
Live salsa at Café Havana
Day trip to Isla Barú* for the best water you will see in Colombia
Oasi Spa for an end-of-trip treat before you go
This is part of my Digital Nomad Diaries series, where I document life on the road as a full-time traveler. If you want to see the video version, check out my Cartagena Week 2 reel on Instagram and TikTok.
Some links on this page marked with * are affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you purchase at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use. Thank you for supporting Traveling Berri!
