48 Hours in Cartagena

The Caribbean's rhythm is floating into your ears, surrounded by colours and food, salsa music sweeps you off your feet. You're in the Crown Jewel of the Colombian coast, Cartagena

Where to Stay in Cartagena de Indias

On a budget

If you're a solo traveller on a budget I suggest you book to stay at the Selina Hostel, a travellers party oasis on the edge of the Old City, with layers of indoor balconies covered in hanging plants, a rooftop bar and pool and PLENTY of Instagram opportunities, it's so easy to meet plenty of like-minded people.

There's something about meeting people from all over the world in a foreign place, making memories you'll remember forever for one or two days/nights, and saying goodbyes knowing you'll probably never see each other again as you take transport in opposite directions, ready to do it all again in the next city you visit.

Selina have a reputation for being a party hostel but you'll find cosy beanbags to enjoy if you're needing some time out. The staff are so friendly and will point you in all the right directions of the city.

Link to the website here: https://whatis.selina.com/

Rooftop Bar & Pool area at Selina Hostel Cartagena

Take in the views as you lounge with a cocktail, or take a dip in the pool under the sun!

4 Star Stay

If you’ve a little more cash to splash and looking more romantic couples getaway vibe check out the Hotel don Pedro de Heredia https://www.booking.com/hotel/co/don-pedro-de-heredia.en-gb.html, which is a lovely 4 star hotel, further in the Old City, with a stunning pool courtyard surrounded by greenery.

What to do in Cartagena des Indias

Day 1: Parakeet Eggs, Cabanas and Cocktails

Breakfast

Wake up early! After all, you only have 48 Hours in Cartagena and there's lots to see! It's already warming up so make sure you pack a bottle of water.

Take a stroll around the Old City and stop in literally any cafe for some "Huevos Pericos", typically served with an "Arepa con Queso", this is the perfect breakfast for your first morning in Cartagena. With plenty of protein it will fill you up and keep you going all day. Pair with some fruit to add some sugary goodness and a black single-origin Colombian coffee (the best in the world).

It's no wonder that 'Huevos Pericos' are named as they are (it translates to 'Parakeet Eggs'!) as, much like the rest of Colombia, they're so colourful.. the dish is:

Colombian style Scrambled Eggs, cooked with tomatoes and spring onions.

Writing this blog throughout the week inspired me to recreate them at home... take a look at the results.

After breakfast just have a dawdle back to the hostel, get lost in the old city as it wakes up and take in the fresh salty morning air. The streets are still fairly quiet in the morning, with a few vendors wandering about but most shops are open and it's a really relaxed vibe.

Beach

Grab your swimsuit because we’re going to the beach (and not just any beach).

Book a taxi to Casillogrande Port and jump in a boat to Isla Tierra Bomba, which is a short (10-15min) but exciting boat ride out and has an incredible view of the skyscrapers of Cartagena’s built up District.

Grab a Cabana on the beach, buy yourself a cocktail and RELAX. 

If you're travelling alone I suggest purchasing a waterproof bum-bag ahead of your visit. That way you can take a dip in the sea, and take your expensive belongings with you! (Passport, Phone, Money etc). Mine was super useful and took away ALL of the anxiety of watching my stuff on the beach.

Lunch

Generally, with the heat I don't always feel too hungry so lunchtime for me wasn't too extravagant. I had Plantain Bowls with Guacamole, Sour Cream, Cheese and Salsa from the Bomba Beach Club and well...

LOOK AT THEM!

Head back to the Hostel and shower off the sand and salt; I always make sure to carry around a leave in conditioner when I am travelling in hot countries; I wore minimal makeup and headed to La Cevicheria via a few more shops.

Dinner

Head to La Cevicheria in the Old City for... you guessed it... Ceviche!

My pics of the food 100% did not do the restaurant justice so I pinched this pic from @food_feels on instagram - check out his amazing profile here... https://www.instagram.com/food_feels/?hl=en

Ceviche is a classic South American seafood dish and although it originates from Peru it is served all over the continent. It's made from fresh, raw fish cured in lemon or lime juice and seasoned with onions, coriander and chillies. The name originated from the Quechuan 'Siwichi' which means fresh fish and it's DELICOUS. The restaurant has an extensive menu from seafood platters, whole lobsters to avocado salads and sides. It's definitely a must-do when visiting Cartagena and has been visited by world renowned chef, Anthony Bourdain.

Drinks

Once you've finished your meal head to Cafe Del Mar to catch the sunset with a final cocktail. They have live music and Salsa dancing regularly kicks off! I found a table on the edge of the city wall to enjoy the views as the sun painted the sky orange and pink. It was a perfect end to my perfect first day in Cartagena and I couldn't wait for the rest of the trip.

Photo from https://www.instagram.com/asiescartagena/?hl=en

Day 2: Real Colombia

So we spent yesterday relaxing, soaking in the calm Colombian atmosphere and lulling ourselves into a false sense of quiet… today prepare to face the complete opposite! It’s time to get stuck into the food, colour and music of Colombia, it’s time to meet the amazing people who make the country so colourful and it’s time to bring your walls down. Embrace every sight, sound and smells and enjoy the whirlwind way of life that exists across the country. 

If you are travelling alone I 100% recommend finding a well-reviewed tour guide/group to follow today. This way you won’t get lost, you don't need to figure out your own way and you’ll get to know more about the city and you’ll see it all from a locals’ point of view! Tours aren’t too expensive and usually; include transport as well as your guide - sometimes a little food is thrown in! Today you’re looking for one that takes you to the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas and the Mercado Bazurto. Both historical but one a lot more hectic than the other!

History - Castillo de San Filipe

1810 Colombia gained its freedom from Spain and the flag was created. It was here, at the Castillo de San Filipe, that I learned what the colours of the Colombian flag represented:

Yellow for the sun and for the gold of the country, for independence, justice and freedom. 

Blue for the two seas (The Pacific and the Caribbean) that border Colombia and for loyalty.

Red for the bravery, honour and bloodshed that earned Colombia its freedom.

Authenticity - Mercado Bazurto

Mercado Bazurto isn’t your typical tourist market. It’s authentic and it’s not for the faint of heart, keep your belongings hidden or leave them at home but don’t let your nerves get the best of you, if you give into the maze of the market you’ll have a blast. You'll find local restaurant owners searching for the freshest products and produce sellers lazing amongst their fruit and veg.

Wind your way from section to section, it would be SO easy to get lost so this is where your guide comes in handy- I’m still not sure the people that work there don’t get lost from time to time. The place is massive. You can find here meat, fish, fruits and veg, hot sauces, beer, cooked food… piles of different fruits and veg take up the majority of the space and to work your way around them is a challenge.

Streets of people selling produce

Avo on toast for days

Fishmonger showing off his latest catch

Fresh fruits and veg

Hot sauce for sale

Lunch

It's no wonder Anthony Bourdain visited Colombia twice, claiming "it's almost ludicrous that this place exists and noone wants to live here" - and I couldn't agree more. Just like the famous chef, stop off at 'Cecilia restaurant' in the Mercado. She serves up fresh fried fish with a range of sides and is one of the main hubs of the market.

Tastes better than it looks!

Retail Therapy

Once you're back to the quieter but now bustling Cartagena old city, it's time for some retail therapy.

Shopping in Cartagena is magical, it is full to the brim with unique artisan products; Wiwa "Mochila" Bags, Tairona Gold Replicas, Emeralds ("Esmeraldas"), Indigenous Artwork, Shoes, Sweeties... the list goes on. 

The main attraction in every shop for me was the gold replica jewellery, based on the gold jewellery created by the Ancient Taironas each piece is a must-have but unfortunately I couldn't take it all home with me! I picked up a few pieces including these magnificent frog earrings! Frogs are a symbol of fertility for indigenous peoples in Colombia.

My picks for shoes and bags!

Wander round the “Portos de los Dulces” for homemade sweets.

A stall on the Portos de Los Dulces

Las ‘Palenqueras’ de Cartagena. Originally these women came from San Bassilo de Palenque (a small town South of Cartagena) after gaining independence from Spain, Las Palenqueras would harvest the fruit from their town to walk to Cartagena in order to sell these goods.

Las Palenqueras are now a Cultural Symbol of Cartagena. These women represent freedom, hard-work and resistance. However nowadays they venture into Cartagena for the tourists, they'll require a small fee for a photo but they're so cheerful and guaranteed to make you smile.

Nightlife

Easy peasy solution if you're wondering what to do with your evening in Cartagena.. find a few pals and book some seats on a Chiva bus!

These buses whizz you round the whole city with booze and mixers included, disco lights and an on-board band!

What to expect: Taj Mahal

I've got to start off by saying that you really can't prepare yourself for how you'll feel when you visit the Taj Mahal, particularly if you do what I did and get there for the sunrise (partially to avoid the crowds and partially just to watch the rising sun bounce off the thousands of marble inlays that cover the magnificent building).

Firstly, a bit of background; Located on the bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh province, India, the Taj Mahal took 11 years to construct after being commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, for his favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal.

The Taj Mahal was designated in 1983 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for being: "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage".

The Taj Mahal is of course considered one of the 7 Wonders of the World alongside; the Great Wall of China, Chichen Itza (Mexico), Petra (Jordan), Machu Picchu (Peru), Christ the Redeemer (Brazil) and the Colosseum of Rome (Italy).

We all know about the Taj Mahal, we know it's sinking and we know that a long time ago someone had it built for his wife, some people may also know that there is a mini  version in black, commissioned by the same Emporer. To learn about this architectural masterpiece online, and to see it in magazines is one thing, but to visit it as the morning fog lifts off the surface of the river, as the early sun dyes the haze a soft pinkish orange and as the birds begin to sing, is another thing completely. It's an experience that will remain with you forever, from the moment you round the first corner and see the Taj Mahal in all its perfect glory.

The magic of the site really does hit you in a wave of calm, serenity and profound respect. Tourists shuffle round with hushed voices and awe but you can't get more than 2 steps at a time without wanting to stop and take in the new perspective of the building that those 2 steps allow. All faces point forward upon entry to the magnificent site.

When I first arrived I had no idea that 

1: the Taj Mahal and the gardens in which it sits are completely symmetrical, 

2: the only exception to this is inside - where the tomb of Emperor Shah Jahan sits in the centre of the mausoleum (at Garden level), with his wife, Mumtaz laying to the left of him and 

3: when walking into the complex, the building appears to grow bigger as you walk towards it through the main gate.

Our first glimpse of the magnificent Taj Mahal

Arriving at the Taj Mahal in the morning gives you butterflies, there's an air of anticipation as tourists begin to join the queue to enter the gardens. When we arrived it was still dark, but dawn was certainly on it's way; we'd had no breakfast (not even coffee!) and I was honestly still half asleep, however the excitement of where we were heading was more than enough to keep me awake on the car ride there.  

What struck me was that even at this early hour, Agra was already wide awake! 

Noisy Tuk Tuks' were whizzing past the car window in all directions, sacred cows meandering down the main road, donkeys already carrying loads double their size, men women and children shouting greetings to the folk manning stalls full of brightly coloured bags, shoes, rugs and jewelley.

It was like every square metre of Agra had it's own little micro-world with a million things happening at once.

Eventually the car dropped us off a short walk from the Taj Mahal and it's gardens and so we weaved our way through the makeshift marketplace, dodging eager salesmen, too excited to get in line to be distracted by the stunning products they were offering.

In the queue people generally surprised me with their patience, even as the line got longer and wound it's way away from us, anticipation making the air seem to buzz, people still remained calm, yet a little bit pensive. For most people I assume it was their first visit and therefore they were feeling similar to myself, excited but a little nervous.

We waited as the sky started to brighten, moving slowly forward as the clouds turned first orange, then pink. Before we knew it, we were at the front of the queue, the time had come and we were turning the final corner, handing over our tickets, peering over the heads of people in front of us... and finally there it was... the picture perfect Taj Mahal - you've seen it a thousand times, online, in magazines, on the walls in airports, I thought I knew what to expect, how I would feel, what I would see but all I could do was stop in my tracks and take it all in with a gasp- and I wasn't even through the first archway yet! I think at one point I had to remember to breath.

My mind, for the first time in a long time, was quiet. In that moment I realised how small I was, how completely unspecial in comparison to the world I live in. Yet here I was, lucky enough to visit one of the World's most beautiful sites, on a beautiful quiet morning, watching the sun light up each marble inlay as a pink fog lifted off the River.

It's a moment I'll never forget. I'm here. I made it. I'm standing in front of the Taj Mahal, and it's everything I expected and more. I cried for a minute and took a few more steps.

From here on it just got better, I don't want to spoil it too much and each person's experience is there own. The immaculate gardens, monkeys hiding in trees, the famous bench that Princess Diana once graced - all of it, ALL of it is breath-taking and I wholly hope that you yourself get to visit it at some point in your life.

It is truly an experience like no other.

Evenings in Zadar

Welcome to Zadar, Croatia! - A remarkable city full to the brim with history, music and fabulous sunsets ... (it has been said that Zadar has the most beautiful sunsets in the world.)

It's a city where you can hear the ocean's song melt into a buskers blues. A city where you can dance your heart out amongst Roman ruins and a city where you can find a whole street selling ice cream before the sun comes up.

Here's how I spent my time in Zadar... specifically in the two evenings I was there.

Sunset watchers on the docks of the Old City

Tasting the Maraschino liqueur at Deja Brew

We started off our first evening by wandering round the cobble-stoned streets of the Old Walled City. - Which is a UNESCO world heritage site in itself! Bursting with history, music and the smells and sounds of bars and restaurants beginning to get busy, promising a night of atmospheric calm, with a hint of excitement that blankets the city on an evening.

Not far from the Roman Forum we found Deja Brew, a fabulous little pub snuggled inside a Baroque Palace, whilst the decor still depicts the luxe and history of the palace, the taste of the cocktails has altered. With a wall full of spirits and liqueurs, plenty of draught options and a very appealing hand-crafted cocktail menu, it's no wonder this is where we decided to have our first drink of the holiday... and of course it had to be the famous local drink... Maraschino Liqueur.

Not for the faint of heart the Maraschino liqueur is a clear cherry-flavoured drink made from Marasca cherries - dating back to the 16th century when it was originally made by Dominican monks. For more information about the potent drink see; https://www.tasteatlas.com/maraschino 

  

If you are visiting Zadar, you can grab a glass of this sweet but bitter liqueur at Deja Brew which lives out of an old Baroque Palace; "where the old world meets the new". More information about Deja Brew via their insta here; https://www.instagram.com/dejabrewpubzadar/

Listening to the Sea sing at the Sea Organ whilst the sun went down

The Sea Organ was designed by Nikola Basic; and designed to use natures' power. Consisting of 35 pipes and whistles in the concrete sea wall, it turns the waves' impact into a song. Take a stroll down the waters' edge when the sea is calm and you'll float along to a mellow tune but when the wind picks up so does the music! There have been complaints from local residents who say it keeps them up at night when it's too stormy but this doesn't mean you can't go and join the crowds on an evening to watch the sun go down over the Adriatic. 

Sunset watchers sitting on the steps of the Sea Organ

If you're brave enough - you could even take a dip in the cooling Adriatic, and swim amongst the colours of the sunset, just like these courageous lads decided to do... remember- you will have an audience!

So now that the buzz of the booze is wearing off and we've experienced the overwhelming romance of the sunset of Zadar, it was time to follow the meandering crowds back into the humdrum of the Roman Forum, and the streets that wind away from it... and time for some food!

We stayed in Zadar for 2 nights and ate out both times.

I'm one for a bit of research before visiting a city, that way I make sure that I'm trying the best of what the place has to offer.. however, this time around I allowed myself to go with the flow of the streets, and to let the city guide me...

Dinner at 4Kantuna

... and Zadar did not disappoint! At around 8pm this place was full to the brim with locals (always and good sign), and tourists alike - patrons pouring out onto the street, tables claiming what seemed like miles of pavements, with waiters and waitresses dancing effortlessly between them balancing; Pastas, Risottos, various shellfish platters, perfectly cooked meat-dishes, Pizzas, Salads, Soups... (I could go on but take a look at the menu for yourself... https://restaurant4kantuna.com/jelovnik-vinska-karta/.)

Check out their insta ... https://www.instagram.com/restaurant4kantuna/

Trays of perfectly crafted cocktails and cold bottles of Croatian beers were soaring past our faces and truly the whole vibe sucked us right in and before we could say 'Hvala', we were swept right up and shown to a table for two, right in the heart of the 'Restoran'.

We ordered two pastas; one black truffle and one spicy prawn and tomato... and wow, they lived up completely to the vibe of the place.

                                                    All the pasta is made in-house

Honestly, give the restaurant, food, staff, atmosphere, drinks... ALL of it 10/10 - and there's something for everyone on the menu.

Dinner at Foša

Now, this one was a little more planned. During my research at home we found this 5* Michelin-recommended restaurant sitting right on the edge of the Old City, in a small port called Foša. Perched on a sea wall, surrounded by boats and 16th century walls, looking out across the Adriatic. No restaurant music, just the sound of the waves.

The oceanic theme continues onto the Menu, with all options featuring seafood. 

The most romantic setting I've ever dined in.

Between us we ordered; 

'Scampi' (shrimp) Carpaccio, Grated Oyster, Green Apple Gel, Dill Oil & Flavoured Rice Chips

'Scampi' (Shrimp) Risotto - Velebit Channel Scampi, Carnaroli Rice, Tomatoes, Grana Padano

Tuna Steak, Dalmatian-Style Chard

Fish Trio; Daily Fresh Fish, Crab or Octopus, Mussel Sauce, Potato, Spinach, Parsnip Puree

The wine pairings were all spot on and we got a surprise course before our starters came, which the waiter described as;

Fish Pate w Charred Seaweed, Octopus Croquette and Harissa Mayo and a Puff Pastry gyoza with courgette.

All were amazing. Another 10/10 meal, but a little bit more refined and expensive. Not the kind of place to go if you are on a budget!

One extra bit that I loved was when it got dark they brought out candles and blankets to the table to add a little extra cosiness and romance.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fosarestaurant/

See the menu here; https://www.fosa.hr/en/menu

Where we stayed

I ALWAYS book my accommodation in advance and in no time at all after looking online decided we would stay at the Boutique Hostel Forum, where all of the double rooms look right out onto the Roman Forum.

See a few snaps of the view from our room below...

Boutique Hostel Forum serves a cooked breakfast every morning and in the evenings has a Cinema room and Pool room for games and such! Check out their insta: https://www.instagram.com/boutiquehostelforum/

For more interesting facts about Zadar... https://zadar.travel/news/interesting-facts-about-zadar