FX Excursions

FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.

Cartagena Sets the Stage for the Return of Travel

by Steve Jermanok

Feb 10, 2021

PHOTO: © JESSE KRAFT | DREAMSTIME.COM

January/February 2021

Travel to Colombia surged since the signing of the historic Peace Agreement in November 2016, ending a half-century-long conflict. A record 4.4 million visitors came to the country in 2018, up a staggering 300 percent from a decade earlier, when reaching 1 million travelers was a lofty goal. This surge in demand led to better international flight options, which should continue to increase visitor numbers from abroad as long as the country remains stable. However, current COVID-19 travel advisories and restrictions greatly reduced the number of visitors, with fewer international flights to the country remaining in service.

While Bogotá remains the business and financial core of Colombia, more meetings now take place in far more picturesque Cartagena, a Spanish colonial city that seems to be built with the traveler in mind. Behind the fortress walls the city boasts narrow streets; large plazas; 17th-century churches; and row after row of charming restaurants, boutique shops and salsa dance clubs. Walking the pedestrian-only streets of the Old Walled City, a UNESCO World Heritage site, compares to strolling the French Quarter of New Orleans. Bougainvillea flows from the terraces of the colorful homes, and under a historic clock tower local merchants sell candy produced from tropical fruits such as guava, mango, papaya and coconut.

As an added bonus, Cartagena sits on the Caribbean coast and serves as a welcome mat to a long stretch of beach and warm waters for swimming. Within an hour by boat from the city lie the Rosario Islands, home to the country’s only underwater national park. Snorkel or scuba dive and be treated to wonderful coral formations and large schools of neon-colored fish. You also have the option of sea kayaking in the mangroves, even spending a night on an island at the secluded Hotel San Pedro de Majagua. But first you have to get that deal done.

Many business meetings take place at Cartagena’s finest hotels. Dress is Caribbean casual; usually men wear a nice short-sleeved collared shirt, slacks and shoes. For women, a colorful sundress is not uncommon.

It’s hard to top the location and enviable space of Cartagena’s first luxury resort, Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena, housed in a former convent that dates back to 1621. Enjoy a lunch of healthy and sustainable cuisine under the shade of palms at the outdoor Restaurant Jardín Santa Clara. In Colombia, the most popular nonalcoholic drink at lunch is coconut lemonade, especially thirst-quenching during the humid summer months.

© ULITA | DREAMSTIME.COM

If you’re looking for something a little more intimate, head down the block to El Santísimo. Owner and chef Federico Vega honed his skills at Le Cordon Bleu in France, and the result is French/Colombian fusion fare that tantalizes the tastebuds. Start with crunchy triangles of Camembert cheese, breaded with toasted sesame seeds over a sauce of sautéed   (Colombian ground-cherries). Then move on to The Lord’s Pardon, large prawns with a mango, ginger and cilantro sauce. For dessert, sample The Envy, a crunchy tulip filled with mango mousse.

For meetings later in the day, don’t overlook the more contemporary Bocagrande section of the city right along the beach. Taxis and Ubers are easy to find in Cartagena, and a five-minute drive gets you from Old Town to InterContinental Cartagena de Indias, where you can have your drink poolside overlooking the expanse of beach and ocean. It’s particularly enticing at sunset, when the orange/ reddish orb practically melts into the sea. Closer to town, the boutique Movich Cartagena offers glorious views of the city from its rooftop bar and pool.

Don’t be surprised if your contact in Cartagena takes you to Club de Pesca for dinner, a local favorite. Dine alfresco near the illuminated walls of San Sebastian Fort overlooking the city’s bayside. As the name suggests, the large restaurant is known for its local seafood, like fried red snapper or seafood stew doused in fresh coconut milk. Prefer entertainment with your meal? Then take a horse and buggy ride in the old walled city to El Burlador de Sevilla, known for its flamenco dance show and Spanish tapas.

Cartagena knows how to throw a party, so don’t expect your day to end with dinner. The salsa dancing at Café Havana starts around 10 p.m. and doesn’t stop until the wee hours of the morning. Couples dance around the bar and small dance floor to talented singers backed by a lively horn section. If you prefer to end the night in relative quietude at one of the majestic outdoor plazas, grab a nightcap at El Barón, a cocktail bar set under the towering San Pedro Claver church.

The options for upscale dining and lodging in Cartagena will only improve in coming years, as both Four Seasons and the Viceroy announced the planned debut of new properties. As long as Colombia holds to the tenets of its Peace Agreement, you can expect the number of top-shelf hoteliers and travelers visiting Cartagena to swell.

Introducing

FX Excursions

FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.

#globility

Insta Feed
Daily
Mar 29, 2023

4 Spring Hotel Openings

With the start of spring, travelers have their choice of new design-centric boutique properties opening in the coming months. Check out these properties for travel inspiration.

Share Your Travel Preferences with Global Traveler in a Short Survey & Win

Learning more about our readers’ travel habits and preferences ensures Global Traveler delivers the content you desire. As the travel industry has adapted and changed over the last few years, it’s more important than ever to connect. To best meet your short- and long-term travel content needs, please help us!

eFlyer Reviews
Mar 29, 2023

Elk Cove Inn & Spa Review

Mendocino County is a self-contained universe of effortless, California-centric joy enveloped within the Redwood Forest National and State Parks, the rocky Pacific Coast and several prime wine production areas like Anderson Valley. If Highway 1 and Route 128 are the ribbons holding this package together, Elk Cove Inn & Spa can be considered the bow. Mendocino Coast’s first vacation destination, established in 1968, is an ideal 16-room gateway to the destination.

eFlyer News
Mar 29, 2023

YOTEL to Open YOTELPAD London Stratford in Late 2023

YOTEL recently announced plans to open YOTELPAD London Stratford at the end of this year, making it the seventh YOTEL property in the United Kingdom and third in London, joining YOTEL London City and YOTEL London Shoreditch. YOTEL currently features properties in the United States and United Kingdom, with hotels in Boston, New York, San Francisco and, more recently, Washington, D.C.

FXExpress Traveler of the Year

FXExpress Traveler of the Year Contest 2023

eFlyer News
Mar 29, 2023

Puerto Rico’s Hotel El Convento Unveils Multimillion-Dollar Renovation

Hotel El Convento, one of Old San Juan’s most popular landmark hotels, recently completed a multimillion-dollar design and architectural renovation to its 81 rooms. The renovation blends Old World charm with Puerto Rico’s vibrant and modern energy.

Daily
Mar 29, 2023

Set Sail on a California River Cruise with American Cruise Lines

Love small-ship cruising and the California coast? You’re in luck: American Cruise Lines offers an eight-day San Francisco Bay excursion, taking in some of the best wine country in the United States. The itinerary for American Jazz — one of 10 new riverboats in American Cruise Lines fleet — includes ports in San Francisco, Stockton, Sacramento and Vallejo. Sailing time takes in San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay and the Napa and San Joaquin rivers. American Jazz reaches the California Coast following a repositioning journey from Mississippi,  including a transit through the Panama Canal.

Enter to Win $500 and Get Six Months’ Free Access to the New GT App

Now through May 8, sign up for a free six-month trial of the Global Traveler app and be automatically entered for a chance to win a $500 gift card of your choice for Amazon, Apple or American Express.

Daily
Mar 28, 2023

Recaro Aircraft Seating CL670 Business-Class Seat Takes Off on Iberia

Recaro’s new CL6720 business-class seat with doors took off recently on Iberia’s Airbus A350 cabin, flying Madrid (MAD) to Buenos Aires (EZE), with a total of 31 of the seats in the aircraft’s business-class cabin. The premium-economy and economy cabins also feature Recaro seats.