Colombia - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 516

5

Destinations Barranquilla (every 30min 5am-10pm;
2hr); Bogotá (every 2hr 6am-7pm; 22hr); Caracas (1 daily
at 7am; 20hr); Medellín (6 daily 5am-9pm; 13hr);
Mompox (1 daily at 7.30am; 8hr); Riohacha (every 2hr
5am-8pm; 7hr); Santa Marta (every 1-2hr 4.30am-8pm;
4hr).
By boat Sailboats run between Cartagena and Puerto
Lindo or Colón in Panama via the remote islands of the
San Blas archipelago. Trips take 4-6 days and cost around
COP$800,000 per person. Rough seas can make travelling
between Nov and Feb dangerous. Since there are no
regular scheduled departures, ask at your hostel for more
information or check hostel noticeboards.
Tourist information Turismo Cartagena de Indias (daily
9am-1pm & 2-6pm; T 5 660 1583, W www.turismo
cartagena.com) is located in Plaza de la Aduana and stocks
maps of the city.

small leafy square, this compact hostel's chilled vibe is
reflected in its decor - retro posters, hammock in the
indoor chillout area - and the go od bars and re staurants
are just foot steps away. Dorms COP$22,000 , doubles
COP$84,000
Makako Chill Out Hostel C Quero No. 9-54, San Diego
T 5 660 6231. Located along one of the loveliest streets
in the historical centre, this spacious colonial house - all
polished tiled floors and relaxed ambience - is a great
place to kick back and relax. W onderfully tra nquil yet
also close to the action. Dorms COP$25,000 , doubles
COP$90,000
Ì Media Luna Hostel C Media Luna No. 10-46,
Getsemaní T 5 664 3423, W www.medialunahostel.com.
Popular with young travellers, this smart super-hostel
(with 160 beds) offers all the services discerning back-
packers have come to expect. The rooms and dorms all
overlook the central courtyard with pool and have good
beds, there are plenty of tours on offer, and bicycles for
rent (COP$3000/hr). Frequent parties on the enormous
roof terrace - with a bar open un til 4am - go on until th e
early hours. Dorms COP$25,000 , doubles COP$100,000
El Viajero Cartagena C 7 Infantes No. 7-35, San Diego T 5
660 2598. At this sociable hostel, the a/c rooms and dorms,
decked out with comfortable beds, are clustered around a
narrow inner courtyard where everyone meets to socialize,
so don't count on getting much sleep on weekends. The place
is well run, but somewhat impersonal, wi-fi doesn't always
work, and the basic doubles are rathe r overpriced fo r what
they are. Dorms COP$29,000 , doubles COP$140,000

GETTING AROUND
Most visitors will get around by foot, though the streams
of available taxis make a trip to the other end of town after
a long night out easy.

ACCOMMODATION
Budget lodgings are spread out equally over the attractive
San Diego neighbourhood in the heart of the historical
centre, as well as grittier Getsemaní, a short walk from the
Old City. Prices during the high season (Dec-Feb) usually
surge ten to twenty percent.
Ì Blue House Parque Fernández Madrid, No. 38-08,
San Diego T 5 668 6501. For wonderfully friendly,
personalized service, a great central location and supre-
mely comfortable rooms, look no further than this pint-
sized boutique hostel, consisting of just two doubles and
a spacious dorm. The showers are possibly the best you'll
see in Colombia, breakfast is served in the tiny downstairs
café, there are bikes for rent and you certainly can't miss
the bright blu e exterior. Dorms COP$30,000 , doubles
COP$300,000
Casa Baluarte C Media Luna No. 10-81, Getsemaní
T 5 664 2208, E [e-mail]. One of the
more airy and upmarket guesthouses in the area, housed
in an attractive colonial building. The 24 a/c suite rooms
with terracotta flo ors are well k ept and there is a decent
restaurant on-site. COP$82,000
Hotel Casa Villa Colonial C de la Media Luna
No. 10-89, Getsemaní T 5 664 5421, W www.casavilla
colonial.com. Quiet colonial house with spacious en-suite
rooms, friendly staff and attractive communal areas to
lounge around in. Th e small kitchen dispenses free coffee
all day long. Doubles COP$120,000
The Chill House Backpackers C de la Tablada No. 7-12,
San Diego T 5 660 2386, W chillhousebackpackers.hostel
.com. In a wonderfully central location, overlooking a

EATING
Among Cartagena's greatest charms is its array of fine
restaurants catering to all palates, though many are not
cheap.
El Bistro C de Ayos No. 4-46, El Centro W el-bistro
-cartagena.com. German-owned bistro and bakery,
serving a French-leaning set menu of soup and a main
course as well as curries prepared by the excellent
Bangladeshi chef - a fantastic deal at COP$12,000-15,000
per main. Mon-Sat 8am-11pm.
Ì La Ceviceria C Stuart No. 7-14, San Diego. Small, smart
cevicheria with lively outdoor seating, with music from
passing street musicians filling the air. Innovative takes on
ceviche - including shrimp, octopus and squid combos in
coconut-lime and mango sauces. The Vietnamese-style
grilled seafood on brown rice is nothing short of inspired.
Mains around COP$40,000. Daily 5-11pm.
Crepes y Wa es C Baloco, at C Sta Teresa. A variety of
crêpes, sweet and savoury, plus ice-cream sundaes and
sweet wa es with a choice of toppings. Avoid on weekends
when the harried staff find it di cult to keep up with
orders. Wa es from COP$6000. Mon-Sat 10am-10pm,
Sun 11am-6pm.