Even though Cartagena is considered safer than other cities in Colombia, there are some things you have to keep in mind to make the most of your trip without any unpleasant surprises.
- Cartagena is a big city and not all areas are safe. Keep in mind that you should visit only the touristic zones of the city which are: The city center, Bocagrande, Castillogrande, Manga and the North Zone where the hotels are. When visiting other areas be especially careful with your stuff.
- Keep an eye on your belongings at all times. This means that you shouldn’t leave your stuff unattended. Pickpockets are always alert because they know tourists are distracted and confident, so keep your things at sight.
- Unlike in other cities in Colombia, here in Cartagena you can take taxis on the street, it is not dangerous. There are two kinds of cabs: White cars and yellow cars. White cabs are only provided by hotels or companies, you can not catch them on the street; the yellow ones you can. We prefer the white cars always, but when you are walking around the city you may not be able to catch one. So if you take the yellow car, we suggest that you check the taxi before jumping in, because some of them are a real mess. People get on with wet swimming suits so the seats are sometimes humid, which doesn’t smell good and is not nice especially when you are all dressed up. However, some of them are nice and clean. It’s just a matter of taking a look before getting in. Always ask the fare before taking the cab. Some drivers are very skillful in charging more than they should.
- When in the beach, always ask for the prices of EVERYTHING before accepting any service they may offer to you. Beach beds, umbrellas, food, drinks, etc. Have very clear how much everything costs, so you don’t have any nasty surprises when the check arrives. It has happened that tourists have been charged astronomic amounts of money for a couple of beers and sun beds. Unfortunately this is a very common behaviour here in Colombia, but the police are aware of this situation so if you have any trouble don’t hesitate to call them.
- Don’t receive anything from anyone you don’t know and trust. Try to eat and drink everything from established shops and bottled and packed food when in the street, not from vendors. Here, the quality of the tap water is not good at all so is better to be on the safe side instead of getting an upset stomach, trust us you don’t want to get sick in Cartagena. Don´t drink tap water!!!
- If you have any trouble and need assistance, here are some phone numbers where you can get help:
- At the beach or when walking in the old city, you may find some guys that will chase you with a tape recorder (yes, it still exists!!!) singing rap songs to you. You can always say “no, thank you”. They are very annoying sometimes, so just ignore them if you don’t like them, they will eventually walk away.
- Nothing is free. Some ladies may offer free massages on the beach, but there is nothing true about it being free. Afterwards they will always try to charge you for it, so unless you are willing to pay tell them no from the beginning.
- Please don’t give money to the beggars, this just makes the situation worse. But if anyway you want to help them, is preferably that you give them food or water. Money isn’t a good idea because they will most probably spend it in other substances.
- If you see a fight or people yelling on the street, walk away. Don’t try to see what is going on, it’s better safe than sorry, so don’t get involved or too close, just go.
- Sun in the tropic burns a lot more and faster than in other places. Be very careful and use sunscreen at all times, you don’t want to look like a lobster for the rest of your holidays
- If you need medical care we recommend you go to Clínica Medihelp in Bocagrande. Address: Cra 6 # 5 – 101 Bocagrande Phone: 605 693 78 77 Mail: info@clinicamedihelp.com
If you need any further information, please write us blog@landhotours.com and we will be happy to assist you.
