#KBYG – Cartagena, Colombia
Location – Cartagena is located on the northern coast of Colombia located off the Caribbean Sea.
Climate – The climate is tropical with temperatures in the high 80’s F all year. The dry season is from December to April. The rainy season is May – June and again in October – November.
Best Time to Visit – To avoid the crowds, save money and have dry weather the shoulder months of November, February and March are the best times to visit.
How Long to Stay – On average 5 full days is a good amount of time. I had 4 full days and could have used 1 more day although I find myself saying that on most vacations.
Safety – I never felt unsafe while in Cartagena. I was a little nervous to go out by myself since most locals didn’t speak English, but as the days went on I felt more comfortable.
Religion – The majority of Colombians are Catholic while Palenqueians still practice their traditional African religions.
Dress Code – Most people dressed casually as would be expected in a tropical climate.
Vaccinations – In addition to ensuring you are up to date on routine vaccinations, Hepatitis A and Typhoid are recommended since those are diseases you can get from contaminated food and water. Disclosure – I didn’t have either of the recommended vaccines and was fine.
Time Zone – Colombia doesn’t recognize daylight savings time so when the US is in standard time there is no difference between the time in New York and the time in Cartagena.
Flying Time – It takes about 6 hours to get there from NY depending on whether you have a nonstop or connecting flight.
Currency – Colombian Peso (COP), which I found very confusing since the money says MIL, which I didn’t learn until after I returned means thousands. So 50 Mil COP is $50,000 COP, which is about a penny in USD. Bottom line is your money goes a long way in Cartagena. Happy Vacation!
Language – The main language spoken is Spanish, but in Palenque they speak Bantu, Swahili, Spanish and Yoruba.
Local People – All the people I came in contact with were very friendly and trying to ensure you had a good time.
Cuisine – A common dish in Colombia consists of whole fried fish, coconut rice, fried green plantains and a salad. I had this several times while I was there. They also serve a lot of ceviche.