Steal my vacation: Cartageña, Colombia

 
I've been in a place recently of: "if not now when?" I think it's about getting older and realizing I'm not getting any younger or any more adventurous. And I've never been to Colombia, so why not? 

Since we were going in February, I wanted to go somewhere warm and beachy. And with a kid, I find beach / pool to be more of a sure bet than a city vacation. My Brazilian friend, Mari, said that I shouldn't go to Cartegena--all of the Colombians go to Santa Marta. I dutifully looked into going to Santa Marta, but let's be real--Cartagena is accessible from New York with a regular direct flight on JetBlue, so that was going to be my choice. 

To stay: I spent a full day panicking about which neighborhood to stay in. Based on my research, the primary "safe" options for American tourists are El Centro, Getsemani, and Bocagrande. (And, fwiw, I felt safe the entire time I was in Cartagena.) For the first time in a new city, I usually go for an known hotel in a touristy neighborhood for safety and comfort. We stayed at the Hilton Cartagena, which seemed to fit the bill with: on-site restaurants, beach & 5 pools and close to, but not in the historic center. Everyone was really nice and I was surprised to meet lots of Colombian tourists staying at the hotel.

To wear: We went in February and it was HOT. Bearable in the morning and evening, but around lunch-time there was really nothing else to do except float in cool water in the shade. I recognize I live in Brooklyn and it was cold here when we left the city, but I tend to think of myself as pretty heat tolerant, having grown up in summers that were "hazy, hot and humid" as the radio would report. Even so, mid-day was only feasible for resting. Put those jeans back on your shelf, you will not need them.

To do: With a kid, I try to schedule one activity a day--anything else is too much, and too many piggy-backs. Here were my picks: 

• Nature hike: I generally try to do as much outdoors stuff as feasible, and to get a better sense of the place. This hike was great--about 45 minutes on a minibus to a simple, delicious outdoor breakfast, and then 15 more minutes to the start of the hike. It was a 4.5 mile hike through the dry forest where we saw cotton-top tamarins in the wild and heard and saw howler monkeys (which sounded bonkers--like a plane or highway in the distance.) We were extensively warned about snakes--my #2 fear in the world, tied with bed bugs--but I didn't see any. Olinto was a great guide--really earnest and knowledgeable with so much love for his country. The hike was moderate and pretty manageable until we got towards noon and a piggy-back ride was requested--then I was dripping in sweat.
  
• National aviary: This was way cooler than it has to be. Apparently, Colombia has incredible biodiversity, and tons of birds you can't see anywhere else. Honestly, I wish it had been slightly cooler because I would have spend more time here. As it was, I had to walk with purpose through the second half of the exhibits because I was melting. Maybe go in the morning, like a smartie. And as for how to get there, there are a lot of tours, but we ended up just getting a car from the hotel to drive us there--it's an hour drive, and I wanted to be on our own in the aviary.
  
• Food tour: I like to start a trip to a new place with a tour, preferably with something to interest a kid, while getting in some history. I found Kristy through her website, Cartagena Connections. She's an Aussie ex-pat who moved to Cartagena, seems to know literally everyone, and somehow looked cool and collected in jeans when I was in a full-body sweat in shorts and a t-shirt. She was incredibly patient with our tired, grumpy kids, and all of the food and drink was delicious. It was kind of like hanging out with your cool friend who happens to live in Cartagena and will take you to the good spots and knows where to find a bathroom for you.
  
• Fishing and crabbing in the mangroves: You want to do this. You get picked up at your hotel, and then drive slightly north of the city to a mangrove lagoon with a translator. The guides load your party into canoes with local fishermen to set crab traps, and try your hand at throwing the fishing net (they make it look so easy). Take them up on the optional trip to the island with turtles and beer.
  
• Mud volcano: This is the best description I read of the mud volcano, and the review that prompted me to try it was from Kristy of food tour fame. I found it incredibly bizarre and magical--there is nothing like the feeling of floating in that mud--you can't sink and THERE IS NO BOTTOM. It is head-spinning.
  

To eat: The food was great--incredibly gluten-free-friendly, since everything is made with corn, beautiful corn. We didn't get to eat out as much as I would have preferred, but I did make a map of everywhere that was recommended to me (as always). 

Cost: Overall, Cartagena was incredibly affordable. Taxis from the hotel to the city center were $5, meals were $20, and the hotel in a fancy room was $200 / night. The most expensive thing, by far, was the flight, so maybe once you get there, stay a while?

There are so many more things I wanted to do in Colombia--take a boat to a private island, spend time shopping downtown, walk around more in Getsemani, but we ran out of time. As my mom says: "we'll just have to go back."