Colombia
Exploring Cartagena & Moñitos
Why Colombia?
Our friends and family were slightly surprised when we said our next trip was to Colombia. Living in the US (particularly through the 80s and 90s) and watching shows like Narcos on Netflix, Americans tend to have a certain view of the country. And, honestly, the US government doesn’t do much to make you think otherwise, even in this day and age. However, while we were in Costa Rica, several locals told us that their go-to vacation destination was Colombia because it is so much cheaper than the US and even Costa Rica, for that matter. So, off we went! A week on the beach outside of Moñitos with two days in Cartagena on both ends of the trip.
South America with Caribbean Flair
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Getsemani
Getsemani is a vibrant neighborhood in Cartagena known for it’s colorful houses, various murals and street art. The neighborhood really comes alive after dark, where you can find a variety of restaurants, shops, street performers, and vendors.
We stayed two nights in Getsemani at the Hotel Trinidad Santa Bárbara. Right outside the door, you’re in the heart of the neighborhood. The hotel features air-conditioned rooms and hot water, which isn’t always the case in Colombia! Plus, they make a homemade breakfast every morning.
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Restaurante Celele
Celele is one of the Top 50 restaurants in Latin America and is by reservation only. The dishes are masterfully crafted, and you can enjoy true gourmet art at a fraction of the cost of what you would spend in the US. Our suggestion is to order at least two from each section of the menu and share as a family. You will not be disappointed! All of the ingredients come from Colombia and are precisely prepared and served. It’s a truly life-changing dining experience. And you can find it right in the heart of Getsemani!
Plan this visit well in advance! We were lucky and able to get a reservation a couple of days out, but there were only two-time options available.
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Relax Beach Colombia
Located in the small rural pueblo of La Rada (near Moñitos), Relax Beach is the perfect AirBnB for escaping the world and enjoying a few days by the sea. This adorable little beach house was built by Simon and Angélica’s own two hands. They have poured their heart and soul into their little piece of Caribbean paradise, and it shows. They are fantastic hosts, helping you to coordinate everything from massages to surfing and fishing to the best restaurants in the area and beyond. They made our trip 1000x better with their help. We enjoyed a week in their beach house by the sea, soaking in nature, the fresh fruit, and the cool breeze from the upstairs patio. This beach house does not have AC, so if that’s a deal breaker - don’t worry, as they have one that does!
It is about a 5-hour drive from Cartagena to the beach house, but totally worth the experience of driving through Colombia and truly experiencing the country’s culture along the way.
La Rada & Moñitos
La Rada is a very small town with a couple of little “tiendas” and other stores, but mostly it’s just homes and a restaurant. It seemed like maybe it was “off-season,” but the truth of the matter is that they work on an “as-needed” basis. If you want to order from somewhere, you can Whats App them, and they can cook for you. Many of the restaurants in Colombia are based out of homes rather than being stand-alone businesses. La Rada’s streets are mostly sand as the majority of people have motorbikes or walk. Many do not own personal cars. So, if it rains, your car won’t be able to get through the streets. It looks like, at one point, they attempted to have a thriving beach area with little food huts and shady spots to sit, but mostly, it’s a little fishing village. We ate at Resaurante Yaneth and at the Hotel Mirador Bahía Rada. The hotel had excellent food, and Yahnet’s is a guaranteed home-cooked meal.
You will also find a smaller mud volcano in La Rada right off the main road before you turn down towards the town. It is 10,000 pesos per person, but when we went there was no one there, so you experience the mud and then walk down to the sea to wash it off! The mud volcano is definitely a “you love it or you hate it” experience!
About 10 minutes away is the larger town of Moñitos. Here, you can find supermarkets and several stores that sell home goods (like brooms, mops, fans, etc.). There are also drug stores, a bank, several restaurants, and bakeries. The town has a big pier that goes out into the ocean.
One restaurant that definitely stands out in Moñitos is Albacora Campestre. They had excellent seafood and burritos. It is set outside under a huge palm canopy roof.
If you head back from La Rada towards San Bernardo de Vicente, you can enjoy an amazing meal at Delicias Caribeñas. The chef, Sara, has cooked for past Colombian presidents. You also need to make reservations with her ahead of time via Whats App. You’ll find an array of delicious seafood to choose from! You park your car at the river and a boat picks you up and brings you to the restaurant.
Delicias Caribeñas
Moñitos Pier
Volcán de Lodo, Dóde Nene
FAQs About Colombia
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Yes, in all reality you need some Spanish to communicate in Colombia. In the cities, you might find some people who speak English but most do not. Download Spanish into your Google Translate app and it will help you exponentially. That way you still have access in case you don't have good cell service.
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If you're going to travel out into other parts of the country, I would definitely get a rental car. It's about a 5 hour drive from Cartagena to Moñitos, for instance. In the city, take an Uber. It's only about $3 USD.
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We exchanged our cash at the airport in Miami, but it was costly. There are ATMs that you can use and that seemed like the better option later in our trip. They do take cards in the city, but out in the countryside it is primarily cash.
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At no point in our trip did we feel unsafe. Just use common sense and you will be fine.
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We used our Travel Pass on Verizon for cell service and it was very good in the wide majority of our travels. There were a few spots on the highway traveling that were more remote and we lost service for a few minutes. All of our accommodations had Internet service. There were times when it was slow, but it was pretty reliable for the whole trip.
