An Excitingly Slow Day in Cartagena, Colombia

For me, one of the highlights of this trip, aside from a full Panama Canal transit, was to visit Cartagena, Colombia. What I’d do there for the day was yet to be determined.

I was aboard Crystal Serenity, my first Crystal cruise ever, in my 60 years of cruising. The 21-day voyage was supposed to begin in Charleston, South Carolina. However, winter storm Grayson had other plans.

With the East Coast buried under snow and ice, embarkation shifted south to Fort Lauderdale. I had planned to take Amtrak to Charleston, but now I had to make the three-hour drive to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.

The storm followed the ship. For two straight days, the ship rolled and pitched its way toward South America. Gale-force winds. Heavy rain. The kind of sea days that warrant holding handrails and results in empty dining rooms. My other favorite kind of weather.

Despite the storm, the ship arrived in Cartagena on schedule.

This was my second visit to South America (the first was an Amazon river cruise to Manaus, Brazil) but the first time to Colombia. I knew very little about Cartagena beyond an old reputation for being unsafe and a vague memory that parts of Romancing the Stone had been filmed here.

What I encountered felt far removed from those impressions.

First Impressions of Cartagena

From the ship, Cartagena’s skyline looked nothing like I expected. White high-rise buildings stood shoulder to shoulder along the waterfront in Bocagrande neighborhood, curving along the shore. It looked more like the Chicago or Miami skyline than any Caribbean port. Nothing like I imagined for Colombia.

The ship docked in an industrial port area, dusty and functional and not particularly memorable. Small shuttle vans relayed passengers back and forth for the short distance to the actual cruise terminal. Unexpectedly, that terminal would become one of the most memorable parts of my day.

Shore Excursion or Wander Solo?

Normally, I avoid group shore excursions. I prefer to wander at my own pace, stop when something catches my attention, and just go exploring. Cartagena felt different. Plus, all the stories I heard about it in the past made me a bit over-cautious.

If you’ve read any of my city guides, you know I’m not a big fan of a ship’s group shore excursions. I much prefer to wander around a city, stopping for lunch or a drink in-between window shopping and mindless meandering. But not here.

This was not a place where I wanted to wander alone on a first visit. Safety and instinct matter to me. I booked Crystal’s city tour and accepted the tradeoff for peace of mind. Especially as a solo female traveler.

I scanned the row of tour buses and I dropped back in line in order to get on the bus with the fewest passengers. With only twelve cruise guests on the full-size bus it was a small decision that made the entire tour experience feel calmer and more manageable.

The city highlights tour bus moved slowly through the city. Car horns sounded constantly. Men in wide-brimmed hats guided donkey carts piled high with fruit across busy streets. On nearly every street corner, locals were hawking colorful hats and hatless tourists were eager to buy them.

Cartagena was loud and crowded. The heat and humidity were high. People gathered on sidewalks, talking, laughing, buying cold drinks, with food vendors setting up they carts just about anywhere.

Seeing the City on a Guided Tour

The first stop was the Rafael Núñez House and Museum. Núñez served as president of Colombia in the late 19th century, and the constitution he helped shape was signed in his home. I spent about twenty-five minutes there. Long enough to understand its significance without lingering.

Then It Was Back on the Bus

The route entered the historic walled city briefly for shopping. Passengers were told which shop number to remember and where to meet the bus. The repetition was noticeable. It felt more like choreography than exploration.

Another short ride followed. This time, there were about forty minutes to walk through the old city. Long enough to glimpse colorful balconies, lampposts, and thick stone walls. Not long enough to sit at a café or wander into a boutique.

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I stepped into a Catholic church during mass for a few quiet minutes. Then it was time to move again.

Cartagena felt busy and complex, but the pace skimmed the surface. That is often the nature of cruise tours. Useful for orientation. Limiting for connection.

Experiences like this are why I think of slow travel as paying attention to place and pace, even when a journey begins on a cruise ship.

A Pause Above the Heat

The rooftop terrace at the Art Lifestyle Hotel, across from Castillo San Felipe Fortress, offered a welcome pause.

It would have been nice to have a tour of the fortress, Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, included with the tour. Built in 1639, I’m sure it would have been interesting to see up close. Next time.

At the hotel, I sipped a cold drink made with lemonade and coconut milk and stood quietly for a few minutes, looking out over the city. I took a handful of photos. Finally, we weren’t rushed. It was our last stop on the tour.

The four-hour excursion was over and with enough time for a late lunch on the ship.

Back to the Terminal at Sunset

The ship remained in port until 8:30 that evening.

Late in the afternoon, just before sunset (it was January so an early sunset), I felt comfortable enough to walk alone back to the cruise terminal and the souvenir shops. The path led past the same stacked cargo containers and three Colombian Navy ships.

The setting felt like a movie backdrop, the perfect location for a military or murder mystery to be filmed.

Inside the terminal, signs pointed toward a bird sanctuary. Curious, I followed the arrows.

The noise came first. Then the color.

It was a hilarious cacophony of squawking and screeching by dozens of free-flying, rainbow-colored macaws.

Dozens of beautifully colored free-flying macaws filled the space. Red, blue, yellow, green. Loud and unapologetic for the noise.

Elevated wooden walkways wound through the enclosure. Below, two anteaters rolled in the sand. Small monkeys darted past, alert and quick, searching for fruit.

It was unexpected and oddly joyful. More like a mini-zoo than a bird sanctuary.

I browsed the handicrafts and jewelry shops, picked up a few souvenirs, and headed back to the ship. The day in Cartagena ended with both history and shopping and interactions with birds, animals and some good laughs.

What I Missed, and What I Would Do Next Time

There was one shore excursion I skipped and I still think about it.

An evening walking tour of the old city, limited to a small group. A rooftop cocktail after dark. Dinner at an upscale Colombian restaurant known for its multi-course menus. The excursion price was $209. I passed on that tour. Foolish mistake.

Later, I learned that this was the experience not to miss. Cartagena comes alive at night. Music spills into the streets. Lights reflect off stone walls. People gather outdoors and linger. Who knew?

No matter what cruise ship I’m on, if there’s anything that resembles a nightlife tour, I’m buying it.

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When I return to Cartagena, I will plan differently and with more intent. Now I know to choose depth rather than overviews as I’ve already taken the city tour.

I definitely would book an evening experience that showcases Cartagena’s local cuisine, their dance-driven music and exhuberant nightlife.

That day in Cartagena taught me what I needed to know. That’s what I like about cruises…every port is a sampler. If I want to see it again, I’ll find a ship that includes that port. Plus, I’ll always check the arrival and departure times to fit my plans.

Cartagena deserves more than a few daylight hours and a bus window. It’s truly a unique city and worth a revisit for sure.

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