LA BOQUILLA Want to see a very different aspect of Cartagena? Check out the tours offered by community based tour operator EcoTours Boquilla, based in the fishing community of La Boquilla just beyond the high rises of the Zona Norte beaches. Get a culture tour, take an informative & scenic canoe trip through the mangroves, learn to fish & dance like the locals, and more! (You can follow director Rony on Facebook or Instagram for great photos of the area & tours.) Alternative Travel Cartagena also has lots of options for exploring La Boquilla.
TOTUMO MUD VOLCANO This is definitely something different! Best to go on an organized tour as it is tricky to get to. Many places, such as EcoTours Boquilla, can get you there. Cartagena Connections has a great description of the experience; read that first, it’s not for everyone (but I have been three times!). The “Pink Sea” of Galerazamba is close to the mud volcano & depending on the time of year (see link), you may want to pick a tour that will also tack on a quick detour to the “Mar Rosado.”
MOUNTAIN BIKE Bomba Bike Cartagena provides bikes, helmets, & a guide for a tour of Tierrabomba Island. You’ll boat out to the island–a 10 minute trip but an adventure in itself!–visit two colonial forts, have lunch & a bit of beach time; tour offered in English, Spanish or French. Alternative Travel Cartagena will take you to south of the city to the area around Turbaco, where you’ll visit the Botanical Garden & small natural mud volcanoes; tour offered in English, Spanish or German.
COLOMBIAN NATIONAL AVIARY Colombia has a new national aviary located in Barú, about an hour from the apartments & very close to Playa Blanca. It is a fabulous 6 acre site housing 2000 birds/140 different species. Entry for non-resident adults: COP$60,000/children 2-12: COP$50,000 Currently there is not an easy way to get to there by public transportation, but tours are offered by groups such as Cartagena Connections, some in conjunction with a Playa Blanca visit and/or a swim with bioluminescent plankton.
SAN BASILIO DE PALENQUE You’ve seen the hard-working “Palenqueras”, or women from Palenque, walk around Cartagena in their colorful dresses, selling fruit and sweets which they carry in bowls on their heads; visit the town they are from! “Palenques” (walled cities) were small towns founded by escaped slaves in the 1600s. San Basilio de Palenque, about 50 km from Cartagena, was one of the first such towns and the only one still in existence in Colombia. Most of the some 3,500 residents are direct descendants of these escaped slaves and have a unique culture reflective of their African roots, including having their own language. The town has been recognized by UNESCO as an important cultural space. It is recommended to visit on a guided tour, as it can be a bit complicated to get to on your own. Travel Palenque (on Facebook & Instagram) is one of few tour companies (perhaps the only?) operated by people from the town; co-founder Ronal Miranda also happens to be one of my former students ☺.
Taroa Adventures offers some off the beaten path day tours via car, boat & foot.
