26 Colorful Pictures of Cartagena, Colombia to Inspire Your Travels

 
Cartagena is a perfect place for travel photography.

There are places about which it has been said and written enough. Cartagena de Indias, the pearl of the Colombian Caribbean coast, is one of those places. Cartagena is one of the most photogenic destinations in Colombia, and travelers love to search for the most Instagrammable places and colorful details in the colonial streets.

Cartagena de Indias. It seems that at the moment, there's not a more vibrant travel destination.

Situated on the Caribbean coast, Cartagena offers so many things to see and do, but it is also known for the unique atmosphere, and more importantly, for the endless photo opportunities. Really.

If you are looking for a photogenic destination, make sure Cartagena is on your Colombia travel itinerary. The streets lined with colorful buildings are simply wonderful.

Add cute balconies, flowers in bloom, small little details, and you will soon realize this is a photographer's dream. Cartagena is a perfect place to visit for all types of travelers, but those of you, who love visually attractive spots will have a blast here.

And it does not matter whether you are an experienced photographer or a newbie. The streets of Cartagena are actually a great practice ground.

Lately, you could probably start seeing Cartagena on Instagram. It indeed has so many Instagrammable spots, whatever this trendy word means.

If you love taking beautiful photos for your Instagram feed, Cartagena might be the right place to visit.

We are terrible Instagram users, as we never found the right motivation to put our time and energy into it, but we can imagine we could post a photo or two that we would be really proud of.

Our piece of advice to you? Forget Instagram for a second, and fully enjoy Cartagena with all your senses!

Here's our visual guide, including our 26 favorite photos from Cartagena, to inspire your wanderlust!

The walls in Cartagena.
Cute balcony in Centro Historico.
Blue balcony in Centro Historico.

WHERE TO STAY IN CARTAGENA

Cartagena is a top-rated tourist destination among locals and foreign travelers alike.

It is quite hard to find budget-friendly accommodation in the city, especially last minute, despite the dazzling number of hotels or hostels.

If you can, we recommend booking the room within the walled city.

This way, you'll always be just a stone's throw away from the most photogenic places, and you can visit them day or night. We recommend you make your reservation as soon as you know your travel dates.

Below, we've handpicked the best hotels and hostels in Cartagena for every type of traveler.

Budget | Hotel La Magdalena - Set in a colonial house, this hotel is a great choice for all budget travelers who seek privacy, clean and well-equipped rooms in the city center. We stayed in this hostel, and it was one of our favorites in Colombia.

Mid-range | Hyatt Regency Cartagena - One of the best rated hotels in the city is reasonably priced, and the service is great. Most of the rooms offer amazing views, and you have to visit the hotel's pool.

Luxury | Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena - Are you looking for the top service and a hotel which will make your stay in Cartagena special? You've just found it. The hotel is located in a former monastery, has a spa, swimming pool, gym, and sauna. Rooms are, of course, excellent.

Colombian flag at the for Castillo San Felipe de Barajas.
Fruit vendor at the city center.
You can walk around the walled city.

How many colors do you know? Let's ignite your wanderlust!

Cartagena is full of colonial architecture.

Cartagena, a major port of Colombia, was founded in 1533 and since then is an important transportation and cultural hub.

Red wall with a window in Centro Historico.

Cute balconies in Centro Historico.

Centro Historico is packed will colonial houses.

Sometimes, it seems that colorful houses, beautifully decorated doors, and shutters hide the dark side of Cartagena's history.

Colonial houses lining the street in Cartagena.

Cartagena. Where colonial meets modern..

Red is a popular color of colonial houses' facades.

The moisture in combination with salt reacts with multicolored facades.

Graffiti is everywhere in Cartagena.

And ubiquitous graffiti give Cartagena a distinctive visual style.

Old colonial house in Cartagena.

Travel Insurance

We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.

Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.

World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.

SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.

Travel smarter and safer!

Cartagena is a popular tourist destination.

The climate is hot and humid.

Cartagena is one of the most colorful cities in the world.

But the sea air is refreshing.

Colorful door in the city center.

And smells of salt and sea spray.

Former colonial houses are now modern hotels.

White and blue, the colors of the sea.

Centro Historico is safer than the rest of Cartagena.

The location on the shore of the Caribbean Ocean determines the laidback way of life here.

Allow yourself at least a day to explore the city center.

Colonial buildings have witnessed many historical events.

Colonial architecture is beautiful in Cartagena.

The walled part of Cartagena is the city within the city, but right behind walls, normal, everyday life of the working class continues...

Cartagena is a paradise for photographers.
One of many hidden courtyards in Cartagena.
Red facade church in the city center.
Its colonial history influenced Cartagena.

WHAT TO PACK

It's hot and humid all year round in Cartagena, and you will sweat a lot in the heat.

You don't need to pack much, only bring clothes that breathe, drink a lot of water and put sunscreen on.

What should you pack?

Obviously, you'll need a proper camera, such as Canon R6. Or at least a smartphone that you normally use to take photos.

If you take it more seriously, consider bringing a tripod as well.

As you'll be wondering the streets of Cartagena a lot, wear something casual.

In case you want to take great photos for Instagram, think of buying a straw hat and a nice colorful dress that will look good in the colonial streets.

You will also need sandals or comfortable sneakers because walking the Cartagena streets can be tiring under the scorching sun.

We've also written an in-depth South America packing list where you will find more useful tips and advice on what to pack.

Cartagena is a port city in the north of Colombia.

Travel Resources

Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.

Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.

Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.

We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.

Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.

Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.

Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.

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