I’m not sure I’ve ever seen such a split city, one end of the beach hosts a large number of high rise hotels and apartments and on the other end is the ‘old town’, full of rustic houses and more Juliet balconies than I can count!
Surrounding the high rise buildings are a whole bunch of shops and restaurants which don’t seem to fit in with the image of the Hilton for example, however if you walk for long enough you will find a fantastic fruit yoghurt cafe! This is a very nice area of Cartagena however be prepared to be pestered 24/7 by street sellers – the price to pay for tourism!
A Chiva is a fantastic way to see the city and not over heat or burn too much, you can also hear some of the local history from one of their guides.
Despite the annoyance of the street sellers you can get some great bargains. Haggling is always fun and definitely necessary in Colombia!! I managed to get a cuddle and picture with the cutest sloth and picked up a pair of Maraccas as a great souvenir.
eyes abroad 