Colombia · Latin America

Cartagena & Colombia's Caribbean Coast

Walled colonial casas and Caribbean nights

Live destinationIn the Latin America journey

Walled colonial casas and Caribbean nights. Below, everything you need here — grouped by the Wells that matter, with vetted providers and straight pricing.

Stay-Well

Where you rest

4 options

Angama Mara

★ Prime

Clifftop tented suites with sweeping Mara views

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Governors' Camp

★ Prime

Front-row tents on the Mara River

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Mahali Mzuri

★ Prime

Sir Richard Branson's tented camp

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Sarova Mara Game Camp

Vetted

Reliable comfort in the heart of the reserve

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Activities-Well

What excites you

4 options

Mara Hot-Air Balloon

★ Prime

Sunrise flight + champagne breakfast

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Maasai Village Cultural Visit

★ Prime

Meet the community, respectfully

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Big Cat Tracking Experience

Vetted

With a resident researcher

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Walking Safari — Olare Motorogi

Vetted

On foot with armed rangers

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Eat-Well

What you savor

4 options

Bush Dinner by Angama

★ Prime

Candlelit dining on the plains

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Emakoko Restaurant

Vetted

Farm-to-table at the park gate

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Talisman, Nairobi

Vetted

A Karen institution before you fly out

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Carnivore Nairobi

Vetted

The famous beast-of-a-feast

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Move-Well

Getting around

4 options

Mara Land Cruiser Safaris

★ Prime

Private 4×4 with expert guide

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Abercrombie & Kent Transfers

★ Prime

Seamless private transfers

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Scenic Air Transfers

Vetted

Fly between camps

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Nairobi Executive Cars

Vetted

Airport & city transfers

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Don't-miss jewels

Walled Old City + rampart sunset (Café del Mar)Premier

cobbled lanes, Plaza Santo Domingo, and a sunset walk on the coral-stone ramparts

Dec–Mar/Apr hotel + city-tour affiliate; wedding via DMC/villa

Walled-city colonial-mansion buyout weddingPremier

take over a restored 17th–18th-c. casa for ceremony + dinners + party

Dec–Mar/Apr MoR villa + wedding DMC ~10–20% land

Rosario private-island wedding (yacht/speedboat)Ultra

DMC + island villa MoR

Islas del Rosario + Barú (Playa Blanca)Essential

reef snorkel in Corales del Rosario NP, beach-club lunch, hammocks on Playa Blanca

Dec–Mar/Apr GetYourGuide/Viator affiliate; island villa MoR

Cabo San Juan, Tayrona NPEssential

Dec–Mar/Apr Santa Marta DMC + park fee pass-through

Palomino river-tube + beachEssential

coast DMC + boutique-lodge affiliate

Getsemaní (street art, Plaza de la Trinidad, Café Havana)Essential

year-round walking-tour affiliate + boutique lodging

Castillo San Felipe de BarajasEssential

the largest Spanish fort in South America, on a hill over the city

Dec–Mar/Apr city-tour affiliate

Minca (coffee/cloud forest, Sierra Nevada)Essential

Dec–Mar/Apr Santa Marta DMC + eco-lodge affiliate

Ciudad Perdida (Teyuna) 4-day trekPremier

4-day guided-only trek to pre-Columbian ruins in the Sierra Nevada

licensed-operator DMC (mandatory)

Barranquilla CarnivalPremier

UNESCO Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage, largest carnival outside Brazil; 2026 dates 14–17 Feb

Dec–Mar/Apr event DMC + Barranquilla hotel affiliate (fire ~late-Jan)

Mompox (UNESCO colonial river town)Premier

Dec–Mar/Apr specialist heritage DMC + boutique lodging

Good to know

How much does a walled-city wedding in Cartagena cost?

A private-villa wedding for 40–60 guests starts around USD $40,000, including a 2–3-night buyout of a restored colonial casa with pool, rooftop, chef, butler and security. Cartagena's wedding DMCs assemble venue, villa, catering and logistics as the agent-of-record (~10–20% land). · cartagenadreams.com, 2026-07-07

How do you get to the Rosario Islands and Playa Blanca from Cartagena?

By speedboat — about 1 hour offshore to the Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo National Park for reef snorkeling and a beach-club lunch on Playa Blanca (Barú). Book a licensed day-tour; the ~1-hr open-water return chops up in the windy Dec–Apr season, so tours often head back earlier. · tomplanmytrip.com, 2026-07-07

What are the must-do sights in Cartagena?

The walled Ciudad Amurallada is the anchor — most visitors need 3–4 days — with Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, the largest Spanish fort in South America, and Getsemaní's street art and Plaza de la Trinidad salsa nights just outside the walls. · mycartagenatrip.com, 2026-07-07

What's the real risk to plan for in Cartagena?

Scopolamine ("devil's breath") drugging is the headline traveler risk — colourless and tasteless, slipped into drinks or offered items to incapacitate and rob. The US Embassy singled out Cartagena (with Medellín and Bogotá) as a hotspot, often via dating apps. Never accept drinks, food or tabs from strangers, and travel during daylight. · financecolombia.com, 2026-07-07

Safety Card · Level 2 of 4

Exercise increased caution

Exercise increased caution country-wide. The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to named parts of Colombia — border regions and several departments, listed below — while the main cities and the Caribbean coast sit outside every named area. No part of Colombia currently carries a do-not-travel advisory (page read in full 2026-08-31).

Violent crime and express kidnapping occur nationwide; drug-assisted robbery (scopolamine) is reported — do not accept food, drinks or flyers from strangers, and use only pre-booked or authorised taxis.

Terrorist attacks target transit and government sites; protests can turn violent.

Active volcanoes, earthquakes and landslides in some regions.

10 Aug 2026: a magnitude 7.4 earthquake near San José del Palmar (Chocó) affected large parts of the country; Matecaña International Airport in Pereira closed. Follow local authorities and expect aftershocks — re-verify before travel to the west.

Areas of Colombia under a stricter advisory

Essential onlyall of Norte de Santander Department, including Cúcuta

Essential onlyall of Arauca Department

Essential onlythe municipality of Puerto Carreño in Vichada Department

Essential onlywithin 5km of the rest of the border with Venezuela The FCDO separately advises against all travel to Venezuela's side of the border — do not use any Colombia-Venezuela land crossing.

Essential onlyChocó Department — except the department capital Quibdó, the towns of Nuquí and Bahía Solano and Capurganá, which sit at the country level

Essential onlythe western part of Valle del Cauca Department, including Buenaventura

Essential onlythe municipality of Jamundí, Valle del Cauca

Essential onlythe South Pacific, Sanquianga and Telembi regions of Nariño Department

Essential onlythe southern part of Córdoba Department

Essential onlythe Urabá and Bajo Cauca regions of Antioquia Department

Essential onlythe southern part of Bolívar Department

Essential onlyall of Guaviare Department — except the department capital San José del Guaviare, which sits at the country level

Essential onlyCartagena del Chairá, San Vicente del Caguan, Puerto Rico, El Doncello, Paujil and La Montañita in Caquetá Department

Essential onlythe Ariari region of southern Meta — except Caño Cristales, which sits at the country level If travelling to Caño Cristales, the FCDO advises travelling by air from the town of La Macarena with a reputable tour company.

Essential onlywithin 5km of the border with Ecuador — except the border crossing on the Pan-American highway at the Puente Internacional de Rumichaca and the city of Ipiales in Nariño Department, which sit at the country level

Essential onlyall of Cauca Department — except the department capital Popayán, which sits at the country level The advisory page nests Cauca inside its Ecuador-border sentence; we hold it as a restricted department in its own right — the stricter of the two readings, consistent with the FCDO's regional-risks detail.

Essential onlyOrito, San Miguel, Valle del Guamuez, Puerto Caicedo, Puerto Guzmán, Puerto Asis and Puerto Leguizamo in Putumayo Department

The advisory, in the FCDO’s own words

FCDO advises against all travel to Venezuela’s border regions with Colombia .

FCDO advises against all but essential travel Colombia-Venezuela border and northern Colombia FCDO advises against all but essential travel to: all of Norte de Santander Department, including Cúcuta.

FCDO advises against all but essential travel to: Chocó Department, except for the department capital Quibdó, the towns of Nuquí and Bahía Solano and Capurganá the western part of Valle del Cauca Department, including Buenaventura the municipality of Jamundí, Valle del Cauca the South Pacific, Sanquianga and Telembi regions of Nariño Department the southern part of Córdoba Department the Urabá and Bajo Cauca regions of Antioquia Department the southern part of Bolívar Department Central Colombia FCDO advises against all but essential travel to: all of Guaviare Department, except for the department capital San José del Guaviare Cartagena del Chairá, San Vicente del Caguan, Puerto Rico, El Doncello, Paujil and La Montañita in Caquetá Department the Ariari region of southern Meta, except for Caño Cristales If travelling to the tourist site of Caño Cristales, travel by air from the town of La Macarena with a reputable tour company.

FCDO advises against all but essential travel to within 5km of the border with Ecuador except for: all of Cauca Department, except for the department capital Popayán the border crossing on the Pan-American highway at the Puente Internacional de Rumichaca the city of Ipiales in Nariño Department FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Orito, San Miguel, Valle del Guamuez, Puerto Caicedo, Puerto Guzmán, Puerto Asis and Puerto Leguizamo in Putumayo Department.

FCDO advises against all but essential travel to: the Catatumbo region of Norte de Santander Department all of Arauca Department, except for the department capital, Arauca the municipality of Puerto Carreño in Vichada Department, except for the department capital, Puerto Carreño within 5km of the rest of the border with Venezuela, except for the city of Cúcuta FCDO currently advises against all travel to Venezuela’s border regions with Colombia .

FCDO advises against all but essential travel to: Chocó Department, except for the department capital Quibdó, the whale-watching towns of Nuquí and Bahía Solano and the tourist site of Capurganá the western part of Valle del Cauca Department, including Buenaventura the municipality of Jamundí, Valle del Cauca the western part of Cauca Department the South Pacific, Sanquianga and Telembi regions of Nariño Department the southern part of Córdoba Department the Urabá and Bajo Cauca regions of Antioquia Department the southern part of Bolívar Department The Pacific coast of Chocó is a popular eco-tourist destination.

FCDO advises against all but essential travel to within 5km of the border with Ecuador except for: the border crossing on the Pan-American highway at the Puente Internacional de Rumichaca the city of Ipiales in Nariño Department FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Orito, San Miguel, Valle del Guamuez, Puerto Caicedo, Puerto Guzmán, Puerto Asis and Puerto Leguizamo in Putumayo Department.

FCDO advises against all but essential travel to: all of Guaviare Department, except for the department capital San José de Guaviare Cartagena del Chairá, San Vicente del Caguan, Puerto Rico, El Doncello, Paujil and La Montañita in Caquetá Department the Ariari region of southern Meta, except for Caño Cristales If travelling to the tourist site of Caño Cristales, travel by air from the town of La Macarena with a reputable tour company.

UK FCDO — Colombia travel advice, page updated 2026-09-03 · quoted complete and unedited.

Medical: Yellow-fever vaccination is recommended for lower-altitude/jungle regions (verify per region).

Nearest hospital surfaced via the Emergency Button

Local emergency: 123 / 112

UK FCDO — Colombia travel advice (page updated 2026-08-18; read in full 2026-08-31)Verified 2026-08-31

Check it yourself before you go

Our reading of Colombia was verified 2026-08-31. Advisories change between our checks — read the official one before you travel.

UK FCDO United Kingdom
CDC Travel Health Notices United States · health

If your government isn’t listed, check its advisory too — levels differ between countries for the same place.

At a glance

CountryColombia

RegionLatin America

GatewaysMEX · LIM · GIG

StatusLive

When to go & when to book

PeakDec–Mar/Apr (dry); true peak mid-Dec → mid/late-Jan

Off-season dealsAug–Nov (rates ~half of peak); Jul–Aug veranillo del Niño = best weather-to-cost

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Cartagena & Colombia's Caribbean Coast

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