The Colors of Cartagena......

Not sure if I have ever shared this but one of my travel goals is to visit all 7 Continents as of today 5 down 2 to go .... I just got back from Colombia last week and I have to say it did not disappoint. My bff is getting married in September so a group of her closest friends decided to send her off in style by heading down to Cartagena. My Maxi set above can be found here

1st night out in Cartagena

When to Travel

Cartagena is what I refer to as a hot city !!!!because the weather is hot all year round. They have what you would consider a rainy season however there is not a specific month to avoid travel. We decided to go in May which provided a lot of sunny days. On another note plane tickets to Cartagena are super cheap it cost us about $300 round trip out of Atlanta.

Walking in the old walled city

Where to stay

Location is key to planing any vacation on this trip we decided to rent a Penthouse that we found on Air B and B . It was right on the beach about 10 minutes from the airport and extremely spacious. For 3 nights we paid less than $900 keep in mind this rental sleeps 12 people so it was well worth it.

The Sunset from our balcony was epic snag my earrings here and find similar dress options here

How to get around

From the airport we initially reserved a car ride from Hi Cartagena which I will highly recommend. For the rest of our trip we took Uber and taxi's which are fairly inexpensive ....quick warning if your Spanish is not that great they will hike up the cab fare ....so be prepared to bargain. On one occasion we were quoted 25K in peso after negotiating it ended up being 5K pesos we paid $1.73

Places to eat

The places to eat in Cartagena really depends on how adventures you are. On this trip we did it all from the upscale Carmen located in the old city with entrees starting at about $35 to street food where you can get filled up for about $3 to the beach side cantina serving fresh seasoned whole red snapper served with mouth watering coconut rice and plantains for less than $10 makes the possibilities endless. The beach side cantina was my favorite. As we ate our lunch that day there was a live salsa band playing to our left as the cool beach breeze grazed the front of our faces. The atmosphere and delicious food made this experience memorable for me.

Things to do

Cartagena is a city full of life and colors which makes its super exciting to explore. One of my favorite activity was renting a boat to visit the near by Rosario islands its about a 45 min ride from the city. If you are in the mood for a day party sail on over to Cholon island.

Love our earrings ? you can find them here

Cholon island is buzzing with loud music , local vendors who literally ride up to your boat to sell their goods and freshly prepared seafood . We spent most of our day here which was perfect for the occasion.

Visit the walled city of old Cartagena it encapsulates the quintessential vibrations of the city. Here you will find the best street food ,colonial style buildings bursting with colors that will ensure you snag the perfect instagram worthy photo and delicious fresh fruits from mangos to coconuts.

Earrings can be found here my Hair extensions can be found here

Speaking of fresh fruits in the old city you will instantly notice women dressed in colorful dresses expertly balancing baskets of tropical fruit on their heads they are called Palenqueras and have become a national symbol of Cartagena read more of the history behind their story here .

My blouse can be found here

Explore the small shops. I found a quaint little book store called Abaco they had the yummiest cold iced coffee which offers a pure reprieve from the heat.

When the sun sets make sure to do a horse and carriage ride around the city the lights are so beautiful. Go salsa dancing !!! the night life here is buzzing with live music at every corner.