Towards the the second to last week of January, lies my special but sometimes disappointing birthday. If you reside in the Mid-Atlantic, this usually means below freezing temperatures and lots of snow. My past birthday plans have been ruined by January’s inclement weather, and in the past I had been disappointed by others who have used the weather as a quick excuse to not support me on my big day. For the highlight of my 30th birthday, I wanted to travel somewhere warm and tropical with possible access to the beach. I contacted my travel buddy about my idea and asked if she would be interested, which of course she was.
Surprisingly, during the end of winter most of America, including Central America, does not exceed 70 degrees. Many Caribbean islands were very expensive and on most days, temperatures did not reach past 80 degrees. Travel articles suggested traveling halfway across the world for warm weather, but my friend did not have enough PTO to do anything like that and I did not have that kind of money. One article suggested Rio de Genaro which we temporarily agreed on, but the flights were long and costly. My friend then suggested Colombia, and right away I knew this could be a potential choice. One of my friends just traveled to Colombia and told me about how amazing it was. I also have a friend from Colombia, so at that point the wheels started turning.
Cartagena stood out to me when searching Colombian cities. The city had deeply rooted history, naturally bountiful land forms, access to beaches and flights were reasonably priced. And the weather? January was dry season and with temperatures in the high 80s to low 90s. I couldn’t get over how perfect it was as a choice!
To many Americans, Colombia is still seen as just a drug haven. So of course I received so many negative reactions when I mentioned where I was going for my big day. Much of this is of course tied to ignorance. My Spanish was not the best but I figured I would remember enough words for survival purposes. And as a stupid American, I assumed most people would speak English.
The Trip
We stayed 4 nights at the Hotel Estelar Manzanilla resort, which literally reminded me of a tropical Sade song the entire time we stayed on the resort. There were lush palm trees, an ocean breeze, and the chirping of tropical birds in the distance. We quickly realized that only a few people at the front desk understood English, and in fact, most of the people who stayed at the resort were from different parts of South America.
On our first full day, we bought tickets to go to the famous Totum Mud Volcano, which I was so excited about! The tour included a ride from a pick up point, in a tight van filled with other American tourists. The tour guide warned us that once we got to the volcano, pictures, mud massages and a “shower” in the lake would cost 5 Colombian Pesos. Luckily I did my research before booking this event, and read about how pushy the locals were when it came to receiving tips for their services.
We waited on a long line that lead to a stairway to the top of the volcano. Due to the conversation we had with other people on the line, the waiting time went by quickly.
Stepping inside the volcano was an experience! There was a ladder that led into the thick grey pool, and the mud felt so weird yet relaxing at the same time. The volcano was 11 feet deep, however my body instantly floated which was actually a bit scary at first. I was basically forced to have a message, but at that point I was ok with everything.
After being forced to wash off in the body of water, we went back to the van and immediately we were bombarded by the locals who took our pictures, bathed us in the lake, and provided us with “other services” regarding the tips they wanted. When we got in the van, we all discussed how terrible that process was.
Our tour van took us to have lunch at a pool by the beach, which was very pleasant. The pool was very nice but the beach wasn’t the greatest.
Later that evening, my friend and I tried to endure going on a chiva party bus in the Walled City, but it was a little too much noise for us, so we opted out in the middle of the ride and got a cab back to our resort.
The next day, we ventured out to walk around the Walled City of Cartagena. Thankfully, our resort provided their guests with a free shuttle.
The Walled City was exhilarating. I felt the energy from the brightly painted buildings, and although there were many people out and about on the streets, it didn’t feel busy and packed with fumbling tourists like on the streets of Midtown Manhattan. However, lots of vendors were trying to sell us merchandise. I guess we had an American look. We also had a nice cab driver take us to the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas and the Cerro de La Popa.
Walled City
Cerro de La Popa
More from the Walled City
More from Cerro de La Popa
Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas
On the day of my actual birthday, we had planned to visit the Rosario Islands. We purchased tickets to take a one hour speed boat ride to one of the island, to have lunch and relax by the blue waters. The beaches right off the city were not very blue, and visiting Rosario is a very common activity for tourists. However, the boat ride was horrifying! It went way too fast, and I actually had a panic attack during the first 10 minutes of our trip. The boat was going entirely too fast to push through the currents.
The island itself had some beach chairs and hammocks. There was a bar with select cocktails. The island didn’t really have a beach per say. More like chairs by the ocean, and an allocated area for people to swim. When I tried to go for a swim in the beautiful water, I immediately felt rocks pierce through my feet. However, the island was a great opportunity to take pics for the gram. And the hammock was very relaxing with a nice cocktail.
All in all, I’m glad we experienced it. The boat ride back was actually really interesting, because we ended up going through a wooded area closer to the city, and we passed by some really large boats. At that point, I remembered looking up at the sky realizing how thankful I was at that very moment.
Later that evening, we met some tourists from Canada at our hotel, and ended up going out with them to celebrate my birthday. I had a great 30th Birthday!
Hours before leaving Cartagena, I managed to squeeze in a full body message for a ridiculously cheap price! We also went to the beach for a little bit, which I actually liked more than the beach Rosario Island promised. Me and my friend also went into one of the pools at our resort, and at that point we were thinking of ways to extend our trip. Unfortunately reality set in, and we packed our bags to catch our scheduled flight.
My Thoughts on Cartagena
I loved Cartagena! The culture was beautiful and diverse, the climate was amazing, and the people were very kind and patient with my 1st grade Spanish skills. I was however, very shocked that the city was very very black! There were so many Afro Latinos almost everywhere I went. I was pleasantly surprised, but also upset that these people have been erased from the imagery of Latinx culture. It was awesome seeing Black Latinos and learning about their contributions to the culture.
I do wish that I was able to utilize the resort more, and I wish I had a proper beach day where I drank resort beach cocktails and laid on a comfy beach chair. But on the bright side, I can always do a beach day on another trip. I’m glad I was able to take part in new and exciting activities. Especially for my 30th birthday.
It is also important to understand that as an American, you will literally be seen as money when you’re just about anywhere. Especially if you are black. In fact, some of the locals used the fact that we are “family” and because of that, I should contribute some of my expenses. There are not many soliciting regulations, so we were even approached by local vendors on our beach resort.
The city itself is also very very cheap. One United States Dollar is equal to 3,077.65 Colombian Pesos.
Give Cartagena a chance! While I do plan on going to other Colombian cities, Cartagena will always have a place in my heart.