Cartagena de Indias - Tourist Trap?
Colonial cities in Central and South America are treasures for tourists and many have been undiscovered by tourism. Granada and Leon, Nicaragua as well as Cuenca, Ecuador, are some of the places where tourism hasn't taken over. Strolling through those towns will make you feel like you've entered a different world.
Cartagena de Indias in Colombia is a bit of a different story. Yes, it is a beautiful and very special place with ancient walls around an historic center with narrow streets, colonial buildings, romantic squares and colorful bougainvillea growing everywhere. Here's a key statistic for the downside: the tiny historic center of Cartagena de Indias expects to get nearly 500,000 visitors from cruise ships alone in the 2009/2010 season.
The mass tourism has turned the gorgeous town into somewhat of a tourist trap, complete with people trying to sell souvenirs everywhere you walk or sit, pricey boutiques, mediocre restaurants with pushy runners, the obligatory horse drawn carriages and taxi drivers who try to get more money for the short trips you might take.
If you're prepared to deal with those minor hassles and don't mind seeing hordes of slightly overweight elderly people (mostly Americans) who travel in groups, following a guide and take pictures of a butterfly that landed on the hat of a fellow cruise tourist, you will be fine.
Despite the mass tourism, Cartagena de Indias is worth a visit and you will remember the gorgeous historic buildings, squares and streets. If I were to go back I'd plan to stay in the historic center and just spend two nights, with one full day, walking around the town, drinking coffee and snacking on local delicacies.
Here are some impressions of the town:
Cartagena de Indias in Colombia is a bit of a different story. Yes, it is a beautiful and very special place with ancient walls around an historic center with narrow streets, colonial buildings, romantic squares and colorful bougainvillea growing everywhere. Here's a key statistic for the downside: the tiny historic center of Cartagena de Indias expects to get nearly 500,000 visitors from cruise ships alone in the 2009/2010 season.
The mass tourism has turned the gorgeous town into somewhat of a tourist trap, complete with people trying to sell souvenirs everywhere you walk or sit, pricey boutiques, mediocre restaurants with pushy runners, the obligatory horse drawn carriages and taxi drivers who try to get more money for the short trips you might take.
If you're prepared to deal with those minor hassles and don't mind seeing hordes of slightly overweight elderly people (mostly Americans) who travel in groups, following a guide and take pictures of a butterfly that landed on the hat of a fellow cruise tourist, you will be fine.
Despite the mass tourism, Cartagena de Indias is worth a visit and you will remember the gorgeous historic buildings, squares and streets. If I were to go back I'd plan to stay in the historic center and just spend two nights, with one full day, walking around the town, drinking coffee and snacking on local delicacies.
Here are some impressions of the town:
posted by Joris Evers @ 7:47 AM
3 Comments:
At December 28, 2009 6:07 PM ,
annemieke said...
de fruitsalade van die kleurrijke signora was heerlijk. En vegeet de
verrassende massages aan het strand niet.
Annemieke
At January 5, 2010 5:33 PM ,
Christel said...
Léon moet je zeker een keer bezoeken. Het is het minst toeristisch van de plaatsjes die je noemt. Leuk studentenstadje met vriendelijke bevolking, genoeg te zien en leuke restaurantjes.
At January 21, 2010 4:50 AM ,
Anonymous said...
What a great resource!
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