{"id":19776,"date":"2021-08-10T10:06:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-10T15:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/?p=19776"},"modified":"2021-09-14T16:41:00","modified_gmt":"2021-09-14T21:41:00","slug":"5-amazing-day-trips-from-cartagena","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2021\/08\/5-amazing-day-trips-from-cartagena\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Amazing Day-Trips from Cartagena"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

La versi\u00f3n de este post en castellano aqu\u00ed: “5 escapes de un dia desde Cartagena”<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me start of by saying this: I love visiting Cartagena<\/strong>. Sure, it\u2019s busy and there are a few too many street vendors hawking questionable souvenirs, but the so-called \u2018Jewel of the Indies\u2019 is a magical place to visit on any trip to Colombia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, even the most romantic Garcia-Marquez-ophile (NB. Not a real word) needs a bit of respite from wandering the cobbled streets of the walled city.<\/strong> If you\u2019re planning a 3-day visit to the city, for example, it might be worth considering taking a day-trip from Cartagena to explore the surrounding sights of the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So here are 5 amazing day-trips from Cartagena to help you maximize your time in the Colombian Caribbean:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sexteto
Meeting legendary Rafael Cassiani Cassiani of the Sexteto de Tabala in Palenque<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

1. San Basilio de Palenque<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This<\/strong> <\/strong>UNESCO-recognized village<\/strong><\/a> a couple of hours drive south of Cartagena was the first freed-slave city of the Americas, and retains many of its old traditions, along with its own unique language<\/strong>. The birthplace of many great Colombian musicians, as well as several whole genres of popular Colombian music, such as Palenque and champeta; a visit to Palenque is a unique chance to learn about a slice of Colombian history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s still a very poor place, but low-scale tourism is an important part of their economy, so please, be sensitive to that.<\/strong> You can either get there by public bus from Cartagena (which will drop you at the road turnoff; get a mototaxi from there) or organize a visit with a driver or an agency. When I visited, I was shown around the town by Diover, whose small tourism initiative is named Benkos (after the town\u2019s founder, Benkos Bioho) \u2013 you can contact him at diovercassianicasseres@gmail.com. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A tour includes a guided walk, a history lesson on the town, and the chance to visit the local recording studios and meet some of Palenque\u2019s legendary musicians and hear their stories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to visit San Basilio de Palenque, quote here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mangroves
My Dad enjoying a tour of the mangroves<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2. La Boquilla and Mangrove Swamps<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the road heading northeast from Cartagena towards Barranquilla lies a tiny little fishing village, balanced precariously on the spit of land between the sea and the swamps: this is La Boquilla, a great place to visit to experience a way of life very different from the city.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also take a tour (most hostels or hotels have contacts who can arrange this) on a paddled dugout canoe into the surrounding mangrove swamps. It\u2019s a unique ecosystem and the boatmen and knowledgeable and well-informed.<\/strong> The birdlife is amazing, and there are many species of crabs and plants to be seen also, along with the elusive crab-eating raccoon! Check out JL\u2019s visit to the mangroves in one of our \u20183 Travel Bloggers\u2019 videos<\/a> (2:24).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reserve your tour here!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Playa
Playa Blanca seen from the boat (image: Wikicommons)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

3. Playa Blanca and the Rosario Islands<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The classic Cartagena day-trip: head down to Bazurto Market docks first thing in the morning and get yourself on a boat to Playa Blanca<\/strong>, generally recognized as the best beach near Cartagena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s more touristy now, but for a day (or a night extra in a hammock if you have spare time) it\u2019s pleasant to escape the city, enjoy fresh fried fish on the beach, and relax in the warm Caribbean waters. For those with a bit more time or a sense of adventure, you can head a few hours further along the coast to the Rosario Islands for amazing diving and snorkeling.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is an unmissable destination if you want to relax and enjoy the sea<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Volcan
The Volcan del Totumo<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

4. Volcan del Totumo<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The backpacker favorite! This \u2018volcano\u2019 is a 15 m high mound filled with bubbling hot mud and is said to have curative and healing properties!<\/strong> It holds about 10-15 people at a time and is accessed by a solid wooden staircase to the top. For a little extra, you can enjoy a massage by an attendant at the same time as enjoying your relaxing, muddy soak. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019re done, you head over to a nearby lagoon to bathe and remove all that lovely mud! It\u2019s an odd experience, and maybe not one of those \u2018bucket list\u2019 traveler ticks, but it\u2019s a diverting day-trip nonetheless\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t leave without trying the \u2018Volcano\u2019, we take you there.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Anthony
This guy loved Tierra Bomba\u2026what more do you need!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

5. Tierra Bomba Island<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the closest of these 5 day-trips to Cartagena, but you wouldn\u2019t know it, as it\u2019s arguably the least visited of the lot (except perhaps Palenque). A large, sparsely populated island directly opposite the fancy new developments of Bocagrande, Tierra Bomba<\/strong> is so distinct from the main city that you might find yourself thinking you\u2019re in another country entirely!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A great place to relax by the sea with a cold beer, a plate of freshly cooked seafood, and a panoramic view of Cartagena, Anthony Bourdain came here when he filmed in Cartagena and loved it! You can watch the episode here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or you can see it with your own eyes, reserve here!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

La versi\u00f3n de este post en castellano aqu\u00ed: “5 escapes de un dia desde Cartagena” Let me start of by saying this: I love visiting Cartagena. Sure, it\u2019s busy and there are a few too many street vendors hawking questionable souvenirs, but the so-called \u2018Jewel of the Indies\u2019 is a magical place to visit on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":27676,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[19,3,128,2282,4,70,112,66,109,1],"tags":[2975,2879,2735,2990,2891,2865],"yoast_head":"\n5 Amazing Day-Trips from Cartagena - Colombia Travel Blog by See Colombia Travel<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2021\/08\/5-amazing-day-trips-from-cartagena\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Amazing Day-Trips from Cartagena\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"La versi\u00f3n de este post en castellano aqu\u00ed: “5 escapes de un dia desde Cartagena” Let me start of by saying this: I love visiting Cartagena. 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