I am very passionate about traveling especially when I get to escape the cold in NYC! Most recently in March, I took a family trip to Colombia. I had never been to Baru or Cartagena before so I was very excited to explore these new places. The flight time was about 5 hours from NYC and there was a 1 hour time difference. The weather was in the high 90s, but was very comfortable with the wind. I mostly packed shorts and dresses for the whole trip which was perfect! Also, wear a lot of sunblock so you don’t peel a lot like I am right now!
Baru
For the first 3 days, I stayed on the island of Baru at the Decameron Baru All-Inclusive Resort. Baru is about 1 hour away from the Cartagena Airport, where a resort shuttle picked us up. The resort had several pools and a gorgeous white sand beach. I love that the place wasn’t too packed. The rooms were very nice each with its own balcony. The specialty food here was definitely the seafood, but there was a lot of other great options. There was no ATM anywhere near the resort so I definitely recommend having cash (Colombian Pesos) on hand if you plan on doing any excursion outside of the resort.
As far as things to do here, I spent most of the time lounging and watching the sunset every evening on the beach. At night, the resort offered shows for both children and adults. I also went kayaking and sailing with my family on one day, which was included with the resort. The biggest thing that I recommend here is to check out some of the nearby Rosario Islands (Islas del Rosario). They consist of 27 little islands in the shape of a rosary (hence the name). My family rented a private little boat from about 9:30am to 4pm to take us to some of the best ones. There was so much to see including the singer Shakira’s own island and the island that Pablo Escobar used to own. There was also several quaint little beaches that you could just hang out at. We also stopped along the way to go snorkeling, where you could see schools of beautiful fish. The water here was a gorgeous light blue color and was very warm.
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Cartagena
The next 2 days, I stayed in the lively city of Cartagena at the Intercontinental Hotel, which is a 4.5 star hotel. This hotel was very modern and in a great location. Our room had a gorgeous ocean view. The hotel also had a infinity pool overlooking the ocean. The new part of Cartagena actually looks a lot like Miami.
One of the biggest things to do here is to walk the streets of the Walled City (Cuidad Amurallada). The Walled City was built in the colonial days to keep out pirates that wanted to steal and conquer the city. Everything from the streets to the flowers were very colorful and picturesque. Definitely wear comfortable shoes if you plan on walking the streets a lot. If you don't want to walk too much, you could also take a horse-drawn carriage and learn more about the history. Aside from the annoying street vendors trying to get you to buy things, it was great to take in this fascinating place full of culture and history. A lot of people usually go on top of the wall to Cafe Del Mar, a cute little bar, to watch the sun set over the ocean. The nighttime became more animated with live music and bigger crowds. There are so many great restaurants as well but keep in mind that you do need a reservation for several high end ones like Alma Restaurant.
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Definitely put Colombia on your bucket list! Not only is the country beautiful, but the people are always so friendly and happy.
