Historic Charm, World-Class Bars, and Pirate Lore: Cartagena Has Everything

By WineBottleMag
November 24, 2025
Bars Cartagena Charm Historic Lore Pirate WorldClass
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A major port city since the 16th century, Cartagena has only recently become one of South America’s most sought-after destinations. Cartagena-born Juan Albarracin, owner of Los Tacos del Gordo, refers to the Colombian city as “flavorful” and “noisy” in the best possible way.

With “very vivid Afro heritage and Latino heritage,” Cartagena is increasingly “absorbing a little bit of culture” from people from all over the world, says Albarracin, as a growing number of expats plant roots. With a rich history and colorful architecture, most notably the Walled City (a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s also called the Old City), it’s no wonder visitors keep falling in love. The cobblestone streets of the historic center are lined with striking Spanish Colonial buildings, and street food vendors can be found on nearly every corner. Its largest and most historic fort, Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, is full of pirate lore. A short boat ride away, an archipelago and designated Natural National Park called Rosario Islands offers sandy beaches and clear Caribbean waters.

David Zapata, who used to be Hotel Casa San Agustin’s concierge and now works in the hotel’s sales department, loves the city he’s spent his life in. Compared to other Colombian cities like Bogota, he finds that Cartagena best embodies the Caribbean “easy way of life.”

Courtesy of Casa San Agustin

It may be hard to pinpoint, but Cartagena natives and expats alike agree that the city is magical. Mike Derry, who owns a cocktail bar in the Walled City called Mondo, first visited Cartagena for a vacation and it changed the course of his life. Derry had been planning to open a bar in New York City, but decided to open one in Cartagena instead. “There is an atmosphere and an energy in the Old City that I can’t put my finger on exactly, but it just draws you in,” says Derry. “Everybody really enjoys life here.”

Derry is just one among many expats who’ve fallen in love with Cartagena. Cocktail bar Alquímico’s owner, Jean Trinh, was born and raised in Paris, but moved to the city in 2013 because of the “its people, its energy, its diversity, its joy.”

The food in Cartagena has always been special, with traditional dishes like coconut rice and crispy mojarra frita (whole, deep-fried fish), but the restaurant and bar scene has really blossomed in the past decade, with particular emphasis on the foodways of Colombia. Jaime Rodriguez, chef-owner at Celele, describes Cartagena’s cuisine as “a unique blend of indigenous, Arab, African, and European influences.” Take the locals-loved breakfast, arepa de huevo, which consists of a deep-fried cornmeal arepa filled with a fried egg. Found on menus all over the city, the dish is believed to have been brought by immigrants from the Ottoman Empire, who came to northern Colombia in the late 19th century.

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When Rodriquez moved to Cartagena 14 years ago, he felt that the local restaurant scene “was turning its back on local products.” Now, he’s wowed by the number of talented new chefs showcasing local produce and pushing Cartagena’s gastronomy forward “I foresee that in a short time we’ll reach the level of major cities like Mexico City and Lima,” he says.

This turning point is largely thanks to the work of Rodriguez himself. “Celele is doing something special,” says Derry. “[It] just shattered everybody’s expectations. It’s really good and really creative.” Rodriguez spent two and a half years traveling around Colombia to research indigenous ingredients, like malanga root and annatto seeds, before opening the restaurant in Cartagena’s hip Getsemaní neighborhood.

David Zapata says that while Getsemaní has seen a rise in new restaurants and hotels, you can still get that neighborhood feel. “You’ll still be able to see people in the corner playing [parques],” says Zapata, referring to the popular Colombian board game.

The cocktails alone are worth the plane ticket to visit. While there’s nothing wrong with spending the day drinking Costeñita beers, Cartagena’s cocktail scene has exploded since Trinh opened Alquímico, which landed on the World’s 50 Best List in 2024 and 2025. “I really saw a huge shift to developing more creative, more intricate, more technical menus across the board,” says Derry. “Everybody was starting to band together and say, ‘Hey, let’s make [Cartagena] the cocktail destination.’”

Where to Stay

The most popular areas for travelers to stay in Cartagena offer two very distinct experiences. Those who come to Cartagena seeking a beach vacation tend to stay in the upscale, modern Bocagrande neighborhood, which is full of high-rise resorts. The historic center, on the other hand, is home to historic boutique hotels and offers a more romantic, timeless feel.

The 31-room Casa San Agustin in the Old City combines three historic mansions joined together by a palm-lined courtyard that houses an L-shaped pool underneath a 300-year-old aqueduct. There’s also Casa Pestagua, housed in an 17th-century Moorish-inspired mansion that once belonged to a prominent count. These hotels preserve many of the original architecture and frescoes in the mansions, but the spacious rooms feature all the modern amenities you’d want, like rain showers and Bose sound systems. Guests of both hotels also have access to a private beach on the island of Barú.

Those traveling with a group can also rent private villas like Casa Santiago Botero, a five-bedroom villa full of museum-quality art, including quite a few of Fernando Botero’s pieces, naturally.

Where to Eat

Celele

Getsemaní

Chef Jaime Rodriguez’ restaurant in Getsemaní might be small in size, but it’s had a large impact on the country’s food scene. Most of the ingredients used at the surprisingly relaxed Celele come from Colombia’s Caribbean coast and the menu showcases the diversity in ingredients and cooking techniques in the region, from the Caribbean flower salad made with cashew nut cream and torch ginger flower to the signature pork terrine, Celele de Cerdo. Rodriguez has moved away from tasting menus to make his food more accessible to a broader audience.

Carmen

San Diego

During his concierge days, Zapata noted that most guests who asked for dinner recommendations also wanted to listen to local music. He would always send them to Carmen, set in an old colonial home with a lush garden patio. “Obviously they have live music, salsa, but the kitchen is 100% Cartagena,” Zapata says.

Alma

Centro Histórico

Chef Rodriguez recommends Alma for its contemporary Colombian cuisine. The elegant restaurant located inside Casa San Agustin is known for its super-fresh ceviche, served with suero atoyabuey, a fermented milk sauce said to be Arab Colombians’ local adaptation of labneh.

La Cocina de Pepina

Getsemaní

Originally founded by anthropologist and cook Maria Josefina Yances Guerra, La Cocina de Pepina is currently run by her nephews and uses locally farmed produce to make traditional dishes. According to Albarracin, the food here “tastes pretty close to what you will get if you go to grandma’s house on Sundays to have lunch.” Take, for example, mote de queso, a Colombian cheese and yam soup that even Albarracin’s mom conceded tasted almost as good as her homemade one.

Plaza de San Diego

Centro Histórico

To really experience Cartagena’s dynamic cuisine, chef Rodriguez suggests exploring beyond the restaurants. Plaza de San Diego is a central square in the Walled City where you can find street food vendors at night. Keep an eye out for traditional fried snacks like patacones and chicharrones.

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Where to Drink

Alquímico

Centro Histórico

Currently ranked 11th on the World’s 50 Best Bars list and named World’s Best Bar at the 2024 Tales of the Cocktails Spirited Awards, Alquimico is the most impressive cocktail destination in Cartagena. The bar is three stories high with a different concept on each floor. The first floor features the most creative, experimental cocktails, each featuring a native Colombian ingredient, like morita chili and mango. The second floor’s bar offers riffs of classic cocktails, while the third is a tropical rooftop bar. Whichever floor you drink at, part of the proceeds benefit a community project.

El Baron

Centro Histórico

“El Baron is the classic cocktail bar in Cartagena,” says Trinh, who believes the bar still sets the benchmark for the city since its opening in 2013. You can sip your drinks (each one comes with a pirate lore) in the cozy yet chic bar, or enjoy them out on the Plaza de San Pedro Claver square, complete with a view of the 16th-century church the plaza is named after.

Mondo

Centro Histórico
A small but energetic bar, Mondo pours some creative and eclectic cocktails contributed by each member of the bar staff, and it plays an equally electric mix of music. On weekends, a speakeasy space opens upstairs called “Slow Death.”

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