Here’s how to spend 48 hours in Cartagena

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It was a red-eye flight from Mexico City to Cartagena, with a quick layover in Bogota to rush through customs – and then the flight was delayed. The gay flight attendant matter-of-factly told me I wouldn’t be making the next flight out of Bogota, but they’d get me on the next flight an hour later.

But after the representative from Out In Colombia met me at the airport and dropped me off at my hotel, I had hours to explore the Old City area by myself before I needed to meet my group for dinner.

Pack your bags, we’re going on an adventure

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The Spanish settled the city, and unlike most other towns in South America, the colonizers didn’t subdue and enslave the local population to do it. While the bay made it a perfect location for shipping, and the city eventually became Spain’s “lockbox” for the plundered gold and jewels that flowed out of the continent, there wasn’t a river to provide fresh water; no indigenous people lived there.

The walled Old Town reflects the Spanish influence and is reminiscent of Old San Juan‘s cobblestone streets, architecture, and a sea wall complete with sentry towers. Centuries-old churches compete with small shops and street vendors to capture visitors’ attention, and the sound of would-be tour guides, restaurant hosts, and music reverberates in your ears.

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When I finally returned to the Bastión Luxury Hotel, I grabbed a quick bite at the rooftop pool and snatched a quick nap before heading off for a nighttime tour of Cartagena Bay.

Aboard the catamaran, as the city lights sparkled in the distance, the quiet sound of the waves replaced the busy hum of the walled town. It was relaxing to sneak away by myself to the side of the boat for some quiet downtime and to enjoy the atmosphere before I went back to chatting and drinking with the group.

The crew provided wine and ceviche appetizers as we cruised but outdid themselves by preparing paella while everyone chatted and soaked up the atmosphere. While the group had started out as strangers from Canada, Mexico, the United States, Colombia, and Spain, by the end of the evening, we’d all found things in common and become friends.

The next day, the group headed off to an island in the bay to spend the morning at the Makani Beach Club. With its rustic sand beach and mild waves, it was a great way to cool off for a while, but the resort’s huge pool and outdoor restaurant provided even more opportunities to cool off.

Be sure to grab something to eat at the restaurant and a limonada poolside. Lounging around is hard work, so stay hydrated and keep your blood sugar up.

The afternoon was spent on a tour of the walled town with a local guide who explained the city’s quirks and history. The music followed us throughout our walk—literally. Whether it was rappers or buskers looking to make some extra pesos or a band who marched through the streets with us singing and playing cumbia, the experience was amusing and fun.

The band even offered everyone a shot of aguardiente, a Colombian liquor that tastes like licorice, as we danced beside them past restaurants, tourists, and shops.

As we roamed the streets, we ended up at a small gay bar where Out In Colombia had arranged for mojitos and some dance lessons from a joyous young woman. As the sounds of El Sayayin’s “Paola” took over the venue, she walked folks through the steps, and soon, everyone was joining in with abandon.

Once everyone was sufficiently exhausted, we made our way back through the well-lit streets to dinner and then the hotel, happy and ready to start the next leg of the journey in Medellín.

We spent 48 hours in Cartagena, and thanks to Out In Colombia, a full-service tourism group for LGBTQ+ travelers, we saw several facets of this beautiful old city with a musical heartbeat. Be sure to look them up for your next trip.