Cartagena Reports

[TheCarlAnthony]

No. Don't "walk" blocks away. It's 25 k to get to Bocagrande. That's about 8 USD. So you're going to save 2 bucks by walking several blocks away hauling your luggage?

Don't do that.

Couldn't agree more. Rather you are 2 blocks away or at the terminal "You are a tourist still". The potential to get upcharged is still there. I have actually did the 2 block walk once and got the exact same price that you was offered when walking through the doors with my luggage. All the taxi guys know the prices. They know what they can get away with. And they also know that they must take what they can get with a minimum number in their head. The trick is to get that minimum number just like they want the maximum number you have in your head. Walk out to the main areas where all the taxis are lined up. Negotiate a price and go. Remember you are on vacation. If you are worried about saving 75 cents to a dollar by walking two blocks then I feel for ya. Best advice I can give is make sure they quote you in pesos!! I had one guy say 20. He purposely said 20 because he wasn't sure if I was going to give him 20 dollars or pesos. When I replied with pesos he smiled and said OK let's go no problem. I passed on him and got in a regular taxi with the prices set. He followed me begging and negotiating all the way until I got to a regular taxi. The guys 2 blocks away could be just as tricky.

[TheCarlAnthony]

Hot water is not a necessity in Cartagena. Its super hot 10 months of the year. The water is already hot just sitting in the pipes, probably 95 degrees.

I have been to Cartagena maybe 10 x in the last two years. I normally make it a buffer before heading to Medellin for the weekend. I've stayed in Air BNBs and Hotels. Bocagrande and the old city. The water in the pipes have never come out at 95 degrees. Hahaha. Now I agree with most the days are so hot that a cold shower is not the worst. But let's be real here. Most apartments are air conditioned. If you are staying in a decently renovated apartment or hotel here you will most likely have your AC on full blast. After returning from the hot day walking into a cool apartment is a must for comfort. That bring said your body will adjust to the air in the apartment within seconds. This negates that comfortable cool shower that everyone imagines. Yes maybe if you do not have AC the cold shower provides relief. But for the average traveler you will hate, and I mean hate the shower. You'll literally be washing one body part at a time. Hahaha. Most apartments have cool showers. Colder than room temperature do expect to get in and out rather quickly. Heated showers are hit or miss in CTG and when you find them, you will appreciate them. Expect cold showers everywhere and if you get lucky with a decently warm one be very happy.

[Kelso1]

Two different views around clock tower. One says all are ugly and old. Other says girls are out of a magazine beautiful. What believe. Planning my first trip there and staying a week. If none to my liking rent a car and drive along the coast to enjoy the sights.

Weather you like CTG or not { I love the place }. It sounds like a great idea to drive along the coast. You will see BAQ, and Santa Marta. Each place has good things to partake in.

[MongerHunger]

Two different views around clock tower. One says all are ugly and old. Other says girls are out of a magazine beautiful. What believe. Planning my first trip there and staying a week. If none to my liking rent a car and drive along the coast to enjoy the sights.

Really man? Ugly and old? WTF? You're joking right? I was there recently and nothing can be further from the truth. You are NOT doing your research apparently. I can verify that the Clock Tower is a good pick up spot and LDV and Space are good hunting grounds as well. Bocagrande during the day if you like the beach. Come to Cartagena and make the best of your visit. Don't let the inaccurate reports discourage you!

[Mojo Bandit]

Two different views around clock tower. One says all are ugly and old. Other says girls are out of a magazine beautiful. What believe. Planning my first trip there and staying a week. If none to my liking rent a car and drive along the coast to enjoy the sights.

I think you should read back a few pages or even a few months and see that the overwhelming evidence is that the chicas are a mixed lot, but I think that overwhelmingly the majority of mongers are more than pleased with the looks of the chicas in Cartagena. I have been visiting Cartagena since 2009. I was there four weeks ago and I am a picky motherfucker, I always saw at least 6 around the clock tower that were stunners and a dozen more that were beautiful. Went to LDV once and it was equally if not more impressive. I saw maybe a few chicas that could have been in their late twenties but I also felt the need to ask a few chicas how old they were because they looked like they could have been under eighteen. I don't even know what to say when someone gives Cartagena a bad review, I just don't. I like latinas, and I may just be ignorant but I am not aware of any place in the world that has the convenience and selection for mongers than that area of walking distance between the clock tower and LDV and I have not even been inside Space. Because I didn't need to. People can complain about prices and services and have very valid points, but not the selection.

[Sean EZ]

Sammon go and see for yourself, it's a nice and beautiful city to visit. I am not sure where you are from and what you are used to.

[Sammon]

Two different views around clock tower. One says all are ugly and old. Other says girls are out of a magazine beautiful. What believe. Planning my first trip there and staying a week. If none to my liking rent a car and drive along the coast to enjoy the sights.

[Sean EZ]

I have been coming to Cartagena for years. I am here now. I have never seen so much ugly talent inside the clock tower square, club Space and Dolce Vita. Ugly, ageing hookers. I don't know what happened to all the young and pretty Venezuelanas from the past few years. Everyone's tastes are different, I am comparing mine to years of coming here, and Tinder dates and beach hookers, I have seen it all. It has gone down significantly and I doubt that any long timers would disagree.

[DogLife]

Eh yes. Arriving from Sex Prison (we live in two different prisons, but both are prisons) the first sight is breath-taking. Dry mouth, speechless, no idea how to handle that overwhelming abundance. A kid in a fabulous (expensive) toy store.

Starting from the next day, one understands that not all that shines is gold and gets used to the sight. But yes, too much to choose, and choosing is not trivial.

True. Kinda like choosing your flavor if Baskin Robbins.

[Black Page]

Holy cow on the clock tower. A lot of the girls there look like theyre straight out of a magazine. Beautiful, and dozens to choose from.

Eh yes. Arriving from Sex Prison (we live in two different prisons, but both are prisons) the first sight is breath-taking. Dry mouth, speechless, no idea how to handle that overwhelming abundance. A kid in a fabulous (expensive) toy store.

Starting from the next day, one understands that not all that shines is gold and gets used to the sight. But yes, too much to choose, and choosing is not trivial.

[JoeqNight]

Excellent report JoeqNight. I will be in Cartagena over the Christmas break. Do you have a hotel, apartment, Airbnb that you recommend? Where did you stay? I'm looking for a place that is chica friendly. TIA.

I stayed in an Airbnb in front of Bocagrande beach. I am sure if you look at the guest policies or ask the host, you will find what your looking for. Good luck.

[OktoberMan1]

I just visited your fine city. Just sharing some things from my experience.

Holy cow on the clock tower. A lot of the girls there look like theyre straight out of a magazine. Beautiful, and dozens to choose from.

Most of the girls are asking for 200 k pesos, or less than $70 US, but I found that most will negotiate a bit. But ask for a tip at the end.

The chicas know where the hourly hotels are. But just know they quote 50 k regardless of where they are going to take you. The nicer hotels are 50 k for the hour. BUT. Some of the hotels are only 30 k. And tip the girl 20 k for bringing them business.

The lesson? If your girl maybe hasnt had a date that night, you might be able to negotiate the room rate as well.

I spent 4 glorious nights there sampling the local fare. Without going to a single disco. Which, I hear, have a lot of beautiful women as well. Maybe next time on the discos.

Around dark, the clock tower comes alive. As well as getsemanni. Especially near Havana club and surrounding area.

Enjoy. I did.

[Tank Not Mt]

Folks,

I will be in Cartagena from 11/29 to 12/06. This will be my first time and thinking to stay closer to Clock Tower. Do you have any airbnb or hotel recommendation that are chica friendly possibly in the Gestemani or closer to clock tower? If you have the name at airbnb.com, I would appreciate it. I am trying to get my full access here and it will take about 8 days to clear my bit coin for the subscription.

I suggest you look at the Dann Hotel. Stayed there a few years ago and its reasonable and clean. Has a Pool on the roof as well.

[Black Page]

She was cruising slowly looking for a parking spot when she spotted some guy waving at us. She cruised over to him and he guided her into a parking spot and she got out and handed him a like ten pesos (about 1 usd). I was a little confused so I asked what that was all about. She said not only did he find her a parking spot but he would watch the car while we were in the restaurant and she would give him some more pesos when we got back to the car. She said it in a way that normalized it to me. The fact that the two of them barely spoke two words to each other, made me realize that this is common.

I am surprised about your surprise. This is common not only in Latin America, but also in Indonesia and many other countries I visited. In Batam we leave a tip (2 k IDR, which is 20 c USD) even to park a scooter outside disco.

[Mojo Bandit]

Yes, the fee is fixed, but your total fee is more at the airport curb because the Cartagena taxis pay an airport fee to pickup and drop customers there, and the taxi drivers pass the added fee on to you. Just like renting a car from an airport, you pay for the airport fee and airport taxes.

The regular taxi drivers a block away are not charged an airport fee nor airport taxes and neither are these fees passed on to you. I always wait for a regular passing cab at the drug store on the corner, 2 blocks away, where I buy my Viagra.

With a roller board bag on wheels it is easy to walk the block or two. Just do not let a Cartagena hustler grab the handles to your bag or roller board, or they will ask/demand for a tip and try to put you in an airport fee cab. "No Moleste!" should be sufficient, and of course they will retort, "I'm working, this is my job!" Or the hustler will tell you, "This is not your country!"

If I have more than just a carry on, I don't even mind giving a "porter" 10 k or even 20 k pesos to throw my luggage on a cart and push it to the taxi stand, in a country with over 10% unemployment these guys get out there and try to make an honest living. While they do seem like hustlers to us, I don't see them that way anymore. I have noticed that in Colombia as well as Mexico these people get out there and try to make their own job so to speak.

I was in Mexico City about ten years ago and had a date with a chica I met online, She picked me up and drove us to the restaurant that was in a crowded area of restaurants and bars and had that old style angled parking along middle of the road. She was cruising slowly looking for a parking spot when she spotted some guy waving at us. She cruised over to him and he guided her into a parking spot and she got out and handed him a like ten pesos (about 1 usd). I was a little confused so I asked what that was all about. She said not only did he find her a parking spot but he would watch the car while we were in the restaurant and she would give him some more pesos when we got back to the car. She said it in a way that normalized it to me. The fact that the two of them barely spoke two words to each other, made me realize that this is common. I have come to think that it is only a "hustle" if you are not getting any service out the deal.