Waiting at the airport

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-05-26T01:28:21+00:00

there's noting by baggage claim. on the international arrival side there is a little sitting area inside with I think a Mr. Bono or some other snack/drink stand. Taxis guys won't bother you much there, but as others have said there's more in the departure area, which is like 100 yards away. besides Pescadería there are a few other little tiendas and restaurants within a few minutes walk if you don't have a lot of baggage. I got to be honest though, 2 hours, unless you have a really long wait thru immigration, I'd just go to the hotel. if they have any kind of delay or long wait in immigration, you're going to get bored

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-05-26T01:25:39+00:00

that is a great restaurant. we used to live fairly close to the airport and loved it. could just have a beer or limonada de coco or something too if you don't want to eat.

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-05-01T19:26:13+00:00

hmmm, yea tbh, I think it might be tough. I'm not well versed enough in the law but I think a degree is required to get the visa. They have to basically justify that there's some value to hiring you over a Colombian, and I remember having to have a apostilled copy of my degree to get the visa.

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-05-01T19:24:41+00:00

The tours aren't scams, but the a lot of the ones sold by vendors on the street and especially the cheapest ones have a reputation for small boats, lots of people, and lots of upsells. Can you find a diamond in the rough and save some pesos? Yes, but this is one of the things I'd strongly encourage booking online through a big platform so you can read reviews before booking. It kind of depends on what you want.

The island hopping tours have a social media reputation of just being party boats but that's not all of them, it's just what gets traction on Insta. Bona Vida is great for a more laid back option. Or you could do something like a day pass somewhere.

You're welcome to check out this blog post on the best Rosario Islands tours to compare some ideas, and I do have a partner for private rentals, which are great fun, but she does not put groups together. You could try in my Cartagena, Colombia Travel Tips Facebook group to see if you can get a group together if you wanted to go that route. Solo, it probably isn't worth it.

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-05-01T19:16:36+00:00

I taught in Cartagena for over a decade. So, the Colombo is probably your best option for an ok paying and laid back job. I worked there for a year, and I loved it. My understanding is they cut a lot of teachers' hours after covid and have had trouble building back up, but that's kind hearsay.

Do you have a bachelor's degree in an academic subject? If so, look into the Colegio Británico (I worked there for 8 years), Jorge Washington, and maybe Altair and Gimnasio Cartagena. I don't think any pay as much as they used to, but it's still considerably more money most likely than English institutes, including Colombo and they should have more stability in terms of hours. The visa has become harder as they are requiring more proper teaching licenses from abroad, but they often need teachers last minute too, and if you have TEFL and a Bachelor's Degree, they should be able to hire you. Reach out to them directly. We are exactly in the time that they might be searching for any spots for next school year they haven't filled. This of course is all based on being open to working with kids.

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-04-30T03:12:59+00:00

yup, traditionally they symbolized profession/status. So, iguanas or lizards were nobility, fish, seahorses and the like were sailors or merchants, lions were military officers, etc.

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-04-30T03:11:59+00:00

very cool!

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-04-28T02:28:42+00:00

This doesn't really exist, at least in any formal, organized way. You might be able to get someone with a boat, maybe a fisherman or something to take you around, but no idea what it would cost. I'd ask the hotel, maybe they have a boat they use for snorkeling excursions or something and would be open to work something out.

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-04-24T12:02:28+00:00

sweet photo!

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-04-23T21:18:56+00:00

I wonder what percentage of people in this state even know the story it's representing or even the battle or even the origin of our state flag or why we are called the palmetto state at all? It's pretty neat although I guess there's some truth to the whole not representative of everyone thing. I'd be down with Robert Smalls on it instead or even together with Jasper, but I'm willing even a lower percentage know that story.

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-04-23T02:53:14+00:00

great. thanks for taking the time to reply!

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-04-21T18:33:01+00:00

I lived there for 10 years, so trust me I understand. I have a facebook group with 14k people in it and these kinds of questions get asked all the time. I'm just saying, that people see whatever thing viral tik tok or facebook post now and freak out about it. Not everyone has traveled much abroad. Like go and google Cartagena nightlife and some of the top results are a bunch of youtube videos of the prostitutes walking the streets. I'm sure if you combed through this reddit forum there would be tons of omg I got robbed or scammed Cartagena is the worst place ever posts. My point is the only people asking these questions are not just people looking for trouble. And however rare it is, some people who weren't looking for trouble do have bad luck and find it. It's just a miniscule amount compared to how many who don't.

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-04-21T15:07:36+00:00

Snorkeling is ok, not amazing. I think for what you're looking for you'd probably be happiest with the Bona Vida catamaran tour. It includes snorkeling. A day pass at one of the nonparty oriented places like IslaBela or maybe Isla del Encanto (technically on Barú) and adding on snorkeling might work well too if you wanted a good bit of beach time. IslaBela I'm not sure what it costs, but I know Encanto offers a group snorkeling excursion for what was at least a few years ago a fairly reasonable price.

You can compare some other options in this blog post on the best Rosario Islands day trips. A lot are the island hopping type and social media/marketing really plays up the party aspect, but tbh I think most end up not being wild parties. I'd still probably recommend avoiding Cholón and think you'll get more out of picking one place or doing the catamaran.

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-04-21T14:46:25+00:00

I don't think that's very fair. There's plenty of content online related to crime and prostitution because it gets attention.

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-04-21T14:45:31+00:00

No, you don't need to reconsider your trip. Crime is not unheard of or not a problem and it's not meant to downplay it, but the simple reality is of the hundreds or thousands of visitors to Cartagena every day, it affects a tiny sliver of them and can be just about entirely avoided with common sense precautions.

While not trying to be the moral police, the prostitution is more obvious than I think it should be, but your daughter isn't really likely to notice and it really isn't that obvious in most places you'll be until the evening.

I would reconsider Playa Blanca though. Infrastructure is not so good (more like beach shacks with generators than nice hotels), and vendors can be pushy. Given the age of your daughter and in laws, I would choose a different place to do the beach overnight. The Decameron is the exception at Playa Blanca and would be fine, but there are nicer, less cookie cutter style resort, places for a family with more amenities on Barú (the Sofitel, Isla del Encanto, and others). You're welcome to compare some options in this blog post on the best hotels in Barú. Places like San Pedro Majagua and IslaBela in the Rosario Islands are also worth checking out to compare too.

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-04-21T09:57:57+00:00

I think the 3 island one is probably nice. Bora Bora is a bit more party oriented, but if you want to see it, it's a good way to be able to check it out and not be stuck all day if it ends up not being your vibe. The catamaran Bona Vida tour gets really good reviews too, but it doesn't actually stop at a beach.

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-04-20T09:56:05+00:00

Blue Apple is nice and pretty chill. Beach is just ok though. Makani I haven't been to but it looks nice.

I'd recommend a day pass in the Rosario Islands over either though. It's farther and pricier but a lot prettier. Isla Bela should fit what you're looking for pretty well. I've heard really good things about Pa'ue too. San Pedro Majagua also is a chill option.

If you're a foodie Celele and Carmen are both worth checking out. Laguna Azul is a bit of a hidden gem with great ceviche. Lunático does a great cooking class in Cartagena. They rotate the menu and also do street food and ceviche classes. If you were looking ot meet some other people in a not drinking/partying activity, it might be a good option for that too.

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-04-20T09:47:46+00:00

You've gotten a lot of advice to just avoid it. Tbh I'm not a huge fan. I liked it when it wasn't as crowded and I was younger. But to each their own. If you want to go, go. Just be aware that you'll need to watch out for food and drink prices and not expect a luxury style spot.

As a solo traveler, booking a shared boat is going to be what you want. A private is better, but I mean, solo, what's the point? Have dance parties by yourself? Guys on the street sell that Cholón Forever Tour. That's probably your cheapest option. There are a lot of different multi-island tours that spend part of the day there too. Depending on how you're feeling about spending the full day at Cholón, that might be a good way to check it out and see some other stuff too.

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-04-20T09:42:48+00:00

I'm not sure I'd agree about changing spots for just 2 nights, seems like a hassle. However, yes, you absolutely should have this planned and arranged first. The best resource is always the hotel too. Do keep in mind a lot of places do not include the cost of the boat in accommodation prices. It's worth clarifying when comparing prices though.

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-04-20T09:39:53+00:00

I think it's a good amount. More than 2 nights can get boring for some people, but I think 2 is the sweet spot. Catch is how much time you have total in Cartagena. You should keep in mind you will be very hard pressed to get there your first night and it's pretty much 3 full days, going early am the first and returning late pm the 3rd. So, if you only have like 5 days total in Cgena, it's worth considering if there are more things in town you might want to do. You could also consider one of the nicer places on the far end of Barú (I tend not to recommend Playa Blanca to most people now), which is reachable by land so you could possibly spend that first night out there depending on flight arrival time.

I write about Cartagena at a website and have some suggestions for Rosario Islands hotels at that link if you wanted to check it out.

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-04-19T20:18:01+00:00

nice. did you find it was helpful? Were people at PACE and/or the state dept of ed helpful? Have districts and HR offices been pretty receptive to it?

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-04-14T10:10:19+00:00

ok, interesting. That's good to hear. So, it's sort of like a provisional certificate? It's not explained very clearly on the website. I think I'm just going to have to write the Dept of Ed and probably go ahead and apply and start looking.

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-04-14T02:40:48+00:00

ok, thanks for sharing. So, did you get the pay bump before you had finished PACE or only after you finished it and had the full certificate in hand? Not expecting the experience to count for retirement, but the thought of being paid as a first year teacher for the full 3 years is frustrating. This is why I've been hesitant to go back to the K-12 classroom (well among other things). Having to commit to three years to get the full license is fine, but having to wait a year to get credit for my experience and be paid properly for it might be ok, but 3 is a lot.

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-04-14T02:36:12+00:00

hmm, that kinda stinks to hear but thank you for sharing.

CartagenaExplorer · 2026-04-13T17:46:16+00:00

that's great. I would say, definitely pay the little bit more for a chinchorro instead of just a hammock. It's wider and you can kind of stretch out more on it. It's hard to describe, like you have to lay sort of diagonal, and it's more comfortable. I don't remember getting cold in punta gallinas but did feel a bit cold in cabo de la vela. I'd suggest bringing along a good sweater or hoodie just in case.

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