Do's and Don'ts in Cartagena // Colombia Travel Vlog
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- Опубліковано 24 тра 2024
- There are so many do's and don'ts in Cartagena Colombia and in this video we share the biggest ones with you! Cartagena is one of Colombia's most popular travel destinations for both foreign and local tourists, and that also means it is full of scams that you will want to avoid. There will also be tons of awesome things you will want to do during your time in Cartagena because it is a beautiful coastal city!
Some of the don'ts that we suggest you avoid (unless you are ready to pay) are taking videos of the rappers on the streets, taking pictures of the women with baskets of fruit on their heads (Palenqueras), and not being firm with the people giving massages on the beach who will start massaging you without asking! You may have to be firm because these folks know how to make a buck, but that is all part of the travel experience :)
Some of the many do's of Cartagena include seeing San Felipe Castle in the morning, visiting the beaches (maybe Playa Blanca and the Rosario Islands are better choices than Bocagrande), grabbing a drink from a street cendor near Cafe del Mar, walking around Getsemani, and shopping in El Centro. Cartagena is a beautiful coastal town with lots to offer tourists, but we would suggest learning about the scams and tourist traps before your visit!
If you are looking for all the best places to see in Colombia (remember, it's not spelt Columbia - that's a outdoor adventure brand!) you can click this link to view our Colombia playlist to see all the adventures we got up to during our trip to Colombia: • Colombia Travel Vlogs
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== Chapters ==
00:00 The don'ts of Cartagena
00:27 El Centro (the centre)
01:04 Relentless rappers!
02:45 San Felipe Castle with epic views (if it weren't raining)
05:30 Cartagena at night time
06:13 Playa de Bocagrande (is it any good?)
08:14 Who's touching your feet?
10:05 Getsemani; the hipster neighbourhood
10:34 Photos with the fruit ladies
11:10 Cafe del Mar and the city walls
12:20 Bloopers
#colombia #travelcolombia #southamerica #cartagena
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Hey there! We are Nicole and Mico, full-time travel vloggers searching for adventures all around the globe. In March 2021 we quit our jobs, sold our belongings, and hopped on our first ever one-way flight leaving our home country #Canada. We believe #travel builds understanding that reaches across culture, language, and boundaries, and we want to share our experiences as we create connections all over the world. If you like learning about unique places, new cultures and different foods, then come follow our adventure as we explore all our beautiful planet has to offer.
I'm from Cartagena, I can say that everything you said is 100% legit
I am proud that you guys as tourists can enjoy the good side of the city and share these great experiences
Hey there! Thanks so much for letting us know! It is really awesome to hear from someone from Cartagena that the experiences we had are commonly known about. We still enjoyed our time in the city and would love to go back one day and visit some of the beautiful beaches off the coast!
Bro, I’m from Canada and we are going to Cartagena this week, which club would you recommend to chill? And which private beach would you recommend us to go?
Cheers
@@armenstaubach9276 go to Bocagrande and take a water taxi to Tierra Bomba, rent a hotel, and stay the night.
If I want to go to Colombia and I dont like idiots comming up to me all the time trying to sell me shit than what places in colombia are good for that? Im thinking about medellin but i would also want to visit places close to the ocean
The best way to say no to vendors is to smile, say "gracias!" and then walk away or ignore them.
Who is hugo unruh? Hyatt?
This was very helpful. Most videos I’ve seen about Cartagena are men talking about the partying and women. Your content was more on the level that I’m interested in. I’m going on my first solo trip and I’m excited. I did enjoy your vlog. Thanks!
Was a great video, thanks guys.. I’m going there this week, hopefully I’ll enjoy it like you guys
Even with the not so great things that happen during your travels, you both seem to have a good time. This shows that it’s not where you travel, it’s who you travel with.
Thank you! We totally agree with you. We are lucky that we both love traveling so much that it really is hard to be in a bad mood, making it easy to find the positives in any situation 😊
So true!
We just came back. Last week in August / first week of September. It was extremely hot and only rained once. We were fortunate to be with three native Colombians who spoke and guided us. Thanks for this video
Thank you, the best video I have ever seen till now. Loved you both♥
Glad you enjoyed it!
Such a great video!! We always try to become aware of the scams in the places we’re visiting, so thank you for helping us get there with Cartagena 😊
For sure! Thanks for continuing to follow along guys 😊
@@nicoleandmico of course!! You guys are incredible!
Good video! The city is just beautiful. The weather looks good over there. It's good city to visit. Thank you for sharing. I watch your video from Canada. 🍁
Thanks for watching! It's great to find fellow Canadians here 😀🍁
We went to Isle Baru and it was the most beautiful beach especially the warm blue clear waters. It’s worth the trip. Thanks for the video
So cool! Thanks for the rec!
Did you go to Sierra La Popa? That is the best view of Cartagena. DO go to Playa Bocagrande, however once there, take a water taxi to Isla Tierra Bomba, book a hotel for the night and enjoy the beaches there, which are less busy, I would suggest this over going to Playa Blanca, Playa Blanca can be just as busy as Boca Grande and is very touristy , also seeing Cartagena lit up at night from the Island is beautiful. I consider myself Costeno by heritage and spend a lot of time in Cartagena as it is generally my entry point to the country.
I agree the Sierra del Popa has a beautiful view of Cartagena and the cathedral is amazing
BRAVO NICOLE AND MICO votre vidéo est très instructive un GROS MERCI pour ces bons renseignements !!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I love these kind of videos too. helps not make the same mistakes.
We are so glad you found it helpful!
Thanks for the tips. We will be there in December. Travel well!
Enjoy your trip!!
You both were very enthusiastic about Cartagena and your travel adventures. Despite the weather, you made it look like a lot of fun. I was living in Cartagena for six months and I loved every bit of it. Thanks for a great video!😄
Our pleasure!
@@nicoleandmico Where is the next destination? Or are you there now??
cute video ty for sharing talk about having fun under the rain lol you made the best of it
Glad you enjoyed it! We try to make sure a little rain doesn’t stop the fun of travel 😝
Amazing video.
Loved your good vibes in "travellers daily real life". Keep going.
Thanks so much!
Thanks for the tips, they help a lot 👍
Our pleasure! Enjoy your trip!
Yall are such a cute couple ❤. Thanks for the tips
Here atm, fantastic vlog!
Thanks!
Thank you for this! My friend and I are going to an Air BnB along Bocagrande & we have very little to no Spanish speaking capabilities. We love going out and partying, but it seems we should really try to control ourselves just in case with other videos I’ve seen.
Any additional advice on bars, drinking, things to look out for would be great! Thank you for shedding light on the positives of Cartagena as well! 😊 I know a friend of a friend that lives there, so hopefully as a local we can have a great time with him!
Glad you enjoyed the video! Cartagena is a great place and we look forward to going back one day. We don't have too much advice to offer regarding the night life. I think if you stick to touristy areas that would be good and of course make sure you use Uber and confirm the license plate and name before getting in. Enjoy your time in wonderful Cartagena! ☺
Many choices within Centro to suit everyone. I'm not a night club guy so I usually hang out at a place called Donde Fidel (right next to the Hard Rock). Indoor and outdoor seating, great music, cold beer. McCarthy's Irish Pub and The Clock Pub are okay. Use Google Translate. Lots of police within Centro so it's a great place to hang out. I'll be there in July.....can't wait.
Enjoy!!
Thanks guys ❤
Very good tips for everywhere! I don’t smile, engage, or speak. I act the way I act in the States (East Coast), I don’t talk to strangers or sketchy people.
Haha that's a good way to put it 😋
Can confirm. From near Philly with lots of time in NY, NJ, DC. My default business/travel face is nonverbal "Da fuq you lookin' at?"
@@BOULDERGEEK absolutely! Grew up in D.C. in the 80s/90s. Moved down South in High School and was ready to fight everyone who spoke to me that I didn’t know! Lol
Great video! I want to go there for three weeks in February
Have fun!
Nice video, i really liked your energy. A recommendation is that there are many other better beaches in the city very close to centro that doesn’t have street vendors, they are Castillogrande, Marbella, and Crespo
That is so good to know! Thank you for sharing this information in our comments, we love that future viewers can get this information if they pop down to the comment section!
Love these homies they be like human lightbulbs. Good energy
From what I've learned, many countries take down their flags by sunset because flags are displayed when there's adequate light. It has something to do with flags as a symbol of a country and displaying it in the dark is disrespectful or bad luck or something.
I've seen flags being raised at sunrise and taken down by sunset when I visited countries like USA, Greece, France, Philippines, etc...
Anyway, me, my family, and my close friends are now making plans to go to Peru after watching your videos. Thanks for the inspiration!
Ah yes, that makes sense! We thought they may have taken it down because of the potential for lightning, but sunset makes sense as well. It is so exciting to hear you are planning a Peru trip and our videos have given you some inspiration! We love hearing when we play a small role in someone's travel plans. Let us know if you have any question as you start planning and we will help as bets we can!
Santo Domingo the oldest Spanish city in the America's, 1496 AD
I appreciate the video and i think everyone needs to know the info you mentioned in the video. Unfortunately, i didnt see anything that made me say, wow....i really need to go there asap. I like feeling safe walking around at night and i prefer not being hassled by vendors every few steps. Plus, it just doesnt look like there is a lot to see or do. I think the question is: would you go back?
Bonito lugar con sus murallas y sus calles coloniales. Muy bueno su canal.
Thx for the info 😊
Amazing video
Great video , thanks. Want to travel to Colombia but people here in America are trying to talk me out of it . Seems that as long as you are careful and don’t go out at night , you should be ok .
Maybe u shoukd stop listening to people in the US. Live life and make your own decisions, im going next month for the first time
Definitely give Colombia a go! We loved exploring and we found the country has way more to offer than we initially expected. Yes a certain degree of caution is needed but that goes for anywhere one travels to (even in North America or Europe). Enjoy your trip!
Correction Santo Domingo in the Caribbean was the first city colonized in the americas and the first capital
Nice... did you know my Father and his company he workes for, made the ground around "El Laguito".. That was all water and Dutch like to reclaim land from the see.
I think I as about 10 years old.
We hjad a house in the CastilloGrande.
Cartagena is beautiful, but I found the vendors make the experience impossible. You cannot enjoy anything when someone is pressuring you (sometimes very aggressively) every two seconds to buy something you don't need or want. It's absolutely exhausting and many of the other tourists I spoke with felt the same way. I have been to many developing countries and it is not like that. First and last time to Cartagena.
Exactly. I live in Colombia and won't go.
My exact experience.
Also, trash everywhere.
Thanks for the overview
You can’t get rainbows 🌈 without the rain ☔️ 😊
Great video. What month did you all travel to Cartagena? Wondering about the rain.
We went in August! Hope you had better luck with weather than we did!
yall are soo cute
hope to meet you guys sometime on the road
Thank you!
Nicely filmed tour!
Thanks so much!
When you're in any city with aggressive street venders, learn to move like a person from NYC. Put on your headphones, turn your music up, go on about your business as if they aren't there, and they aren't a problem.
Even in London ....
We went to Cartagena last year. Had a spectacular time. The rappers were the only issue for us.
It is a great spot! But yes, those rappers can be a bit tricky
What was your experience with uber? I heard they ask for more money in addition to the uber fare. Is that you experience? As for the aggressive sellers, i was debating skipping Colombia all together but I already picked up some pesos and my first 4 nights are not refundable. My current plan is for a workcation. 4 nights Cartagena, 4 nights using vacation time for Playa Blanca and another 6 nights probably in Cartagena. I heard the sales stuff is just as bad in San Andreas and Santa Marta which was my initial plan.
We had no problems with Uber and took it MANY times. Not once did someone ask us for more and also the app gives you a reminder that the payment is done via the app and no physical payment is necessary. That notification might be in response to what those issues of drivers asking for more. But it never happened to us.
Absolutely do NOT go to Cartagena for 10 days. Its unsufferable tourist trap. These issues hardly exist in the rest of Colombia. Medellin is way better. Santa Marta or Dan Andres are way better for beaches. Uber is fine, do not give additional cash
@@paulg6274 you are right about that. I ended up 4 nights Cartagena, 7 nights San Andres then another 2 Cartagena. 2 was more than enough.
Can you bring alkohol on board or liquids on each stop?
Just came back from Cartagena. Great place but a few negative impressions and realities.
One:The street vendors can become really annoying. You may be trying to relax or talk to your partner and just can't with the frequent interruptions. Bocagrande beach is good for the beach vibe, not for swimming and again, vendors come out of the sand. I decided to "look at the sunset" in Bocagrande and in a minute I was surrounded by several vendors. For relaxation is better to go to the islands.
Two: Cab drivers was a big "keep your fingers crossed" area. In a few occasions our driver started arguing, car to car with other drivers or bikers. Many drove very fast and overly aggressive. I am from NYC, but this was a different level. Traffic, by the way, is very heavy.
Three: Shopping. Be fully informed when doing shopping. They will tell you at the stores that you can easily get a refund of the tax imposed. But the process at the airport is cumbersome, illogical, slow and bureaucratic. Make sure you ask in a reliable store or go to the official website to get it right. Allow an additional hour at the airport to go to a little, understaffed window with your receipts and merchandise that must be shown. Yes, you must show the receipts and merchandise.
Well everything you say is normal i go to jamaica every year in jamaica they clean your car window. Its just really depends on who you are
My wife and I met on a "Chiva Tour" in Cartagena. I hated the street sellers there
No way! What a great place to meet. That makes for a great story :)
@@nicoleandmico the next day we went on boat trip to Baru Island. We were swimming when suddenly she wrapped her arms and legs around me. I was surprised because Colombianas are "good girls" and I thought I was getting lucky until I realised she couldn't swim and we'd wandered deeper
Haha sounds like you are luckily a good swimmer if you kept both of you afloat
@@MadDogAdventures this was hilarious. You thought she was flirting, but she was drowning instead😂. What a great "How I met Your Mother" story . ❤️
@@19GENESE13 yes. It was the beginning of a happy marriage
What month did you go?
I’m a bit worried about rain! What month did you visit?
We were there in August 😀
My tip (for a photo with the lady) was 2,000 (50 cents)! She actually showed me a cardboard sign that said tips were optional.
St. Augustine, Florida was the first city established in the Americas.
7:30 recomiendo ir a Marbella o a Crespo, las playas tienen menos gente xd
Nice to see a married couple traveling together 😁
Yes 😊
Thanks for the tips. But brotha? You took sand to the beach? Cmon!
How did you guys get from Medellin to Cartagena? Did you bus it or fly?
We bussed to Salento first and then flew from Armenia (town near Salento) to Cartagena. I hope this helps!
Which is the safest area?
As much as I wanted to enjoy Cartageña it was too much. Every 5-10 minutes someone is trying to sell you something. Water, a private trip, rappers, oysters, panqueleras etc. It’s too much and it takes away the vibe from such a great city but it’s nonstop. NONSTOP.
💯😘🤗🍀
Just came back from Cartegena and I'd say the vendors are just a notch down from the Jamaican vendors. Lol. And I had to keep reminding my mom to not engage with the rappers! We're like, stop dancing!!
Haha yeah those rappers can be pretty intense! But yes we agree that sometimes their tunes can be a little too catchy haha Hope you enjoyed your time in Colombia!
I’ve read it’s very difficult to find restrooms. Did you find this was true?
I usually just stop for coffee and use the bathroom at the cafe. Restaurants, and even some shops like bookstores maybe will have as well. Bars/lounges usually don’t notice if you walk in and head straight to the bathroom. If you are not eating at a restaurant but it is urgent I swear I have asked politely and let in for just the bathroom like 95% of the time. I don’t like public restrooms, being from SF I just think they are disgusting. Museums and hotel lobbies often have bathrooms too.
@@kimvictoriaanderson9516 SF public toilets are indeed disgusting, as they are in probably most places in the world
GREAT advice on the vendors. Just say no, and yes be as pushy as them sometimes and they’ll get the hint. I hate anyone who overly complains about it. Grow up. You’re in their world.
When I met my now wife from Colombia, I traveled to meet her from USA to Bucaramanga. I immediately fell in love with the city before falling in love with her lol
Street vendors.... She would tell me, just ignore them... If you say "no gracias", they will insist.
Well I have bought from some of those guys too anyhow 🙂
I learned from a local in Cairo, Egypt. Do not acknowledge the street vendors. There they are even more aggressive, do not engage at all, even though I’m a overly polite person, not even a no gracias is necessary.
I had a fun time......but I won't be going back. Too many hustlers ruin the place, and too many scammers in general.
There really are a lot of scams!
Tacaños!!!!!
Yahoo!
The thing is with the ladies in the colorful dress and everything else , you need to ask how much will it cost because nothing is free in a developing country.
Yes, definitely!
you're wrong. the first city founded by spaniards was Santa María de la Antigua del Darién. and the first city independent from spain was caracas.
Thanks for sharing!
I think you HIT a HOLIDAY MONDAY 🤣🤣
That probably explains it 😂😂😂
I'm from New York and you guys look like two people I would approach. Sorry! I can promise you they would ignore me. 😄
Do not walk around with a GoPro or camera filming for you will look like a tourist. We spent a few hours in the city during a cruise stop. I wore a long sleeve Columbia brand sun shirt, khaki shorts and large military style hat with dark wrap sun glass. No one bothered me or my wife who is Spanish with very dark skin. WE blended in.
In our experience I think they still know who's a tourist 😅
I’m going next week. You don’t have to be vaccinated right? I’m not
How was it?
I’m going next week..
Are you Filipino?
Mico is Filipino :)
Greating from Guatemala ...the massage people was about to rip-off my sisther for a 15 minutes massage ..the vender's will rip you off.....
They do the massage mess in Cabo as well! I had to get real ugly with a lady who touched my wife after telling her no twice! She put this smelly massage oil on her, without any respect to skin issues or nothing!
Awe that's so sad to hear. It would be terrible to have your clothes ruined like that too! Yikes!
This dude brought sand to the beach…. Specially not so good sand lol
Pickpockets and hustlers everywhere, aslo scopolamine girls ready for their single male victims, be careful of the food poisoning and it's super super hot so keep hydrated and avoid heat stroke. It smells like shit and piss everywhere and lots of smog but otherwise it's a beautiful Spanish colonial fortress city. Had a great time besides the food poisoning though 😅
Cartagena is an overrated city, even Colombians are not going to that city because of the problem of the number of street vendors that harass tourists and the high prices, the island of San Andrés and Providencia is better.
We would have loved to visit Providencia! It is definitely on our bucket list!
You're overrated
I dont recommend Colombia if any of you are thinking of going. It was exhausting going to a country where you have to watch your back constantly. I just came back last week and not gonna lie it was probably the worst country I have been to because i could never really relax. food was not worth it either. no seasoning or chiles/pepper. not going back and i don't recommend it. There are better countries in South America with better food and less scams. I recommend Peru and Guyana. both were amazing. Colombia really turned me off. I actually shortened my trip because the food was so tasteless and the people scam too much. I travel solo as a female fyi.
We disagree! Colombia is a fantastic country to visit. Yes you have to be self aware, especially as a tourist but the same can be said in a lot of places around South America. Overall we found the landscapes beautiful, the people are genuinely kind and helpful, and the food was to die for. If you didn't enjoy the food then I recommend joining a food tour next time, they might be able to point you to some great locals eats. Food is 100% the best way to get to know a culture :)
SONRIE JESUS TE AMA , Que el no naciere de nuevo no puede ver el reino de Dios Juan 3-3
They are pushy because they haven't met a Puerto Rican from the Bronx
Sounds too much like hard work pushing people away. No thanks. Too many Colombianos have move to Spain to escape the violence.
Everyone a rapper now a days lol
So true haha
Do's and don'ts: Don't go to this tourist trap. Do go to Medellin instead
sorry to all the Cartagenians but Nicole and Mico you guys could have spent your money on better places...want a nice gorgeous beach , crystal clear water, clean white sand go to Bimini or Bonaire off the coast of Venezuela. Want to see an old city, you can try MOntreal old city and don't forget all of the gorgeous places in Italy. I will stop here.come on!!
this is like watching Blair Witch, I need motion sickness pills! Get a gimble or strengthen your wrist muscles!
Thankfully we didn't run into any witches! 😂
@@nicoleandmico 🤣
One more don’t. Don’t go! Cartagena is a tacky tourist trap
Young Lady, Great info. Slow down your speech, say by 400%. I can barely understand you. Speak every word clearly and much SLOWER PLEASE. I am born American, and can barely understand you. Great content, poor delivery.
Thanks for making the video but at First, Please pronounce Cartagena like CarthaHena! Not with like Gringo slang
Luckily we can use the fact that we are gringos as a very good excuse for not pronouncing Cartagena like a local 🙃
Rap battle
Be fucking careful 😂😂😂 I’m not sure why people think is okay to just have cameras , u are literally the only person doing that people don’t do that over there 😂