Please consider travel insurance for your trip.

Visas/entry: Please consult your nearest Colombian consulate to see if you need a visa or any other paperwork prior to your arrival in Colombia. In general, US, Canadian & European tourists do not need visas if staying less than 3 months, but please double check your particular situation. Most Canadians will be asked to pay a COP$256,000 fee on entering Colombia.

Health: check the US Center for Disease Control page or your local health authority/physician to see what vaccinations you may need and to read up on other health issues for the places you will be traveling. Here are resources should you have a health or other emergency while in Cartagena.

Just in case: No matter where you go internationally, it’s always a good idea to register with the embassy of your home country in case of emergency. US travelers can do so here via the State Department’s STEP (Smart Traveler Enrolment Program).

Money: The Colombian peso (COP) is the official currency in Colombia and there are many online sources/apps for monitoring the exchange rate, such as XE.com. You can change money (cash) at the airport or one of the official exchange bureaus in the Old City, but you normally get the best rates withdrawing cash from an ATM (although you need to be aware of fees charged by your home bank & the bank whose ATM you are using). There are several ATMs located at the domestic end of the CTG airport terminal (2 outside the terminal, several inside) as well as many ATMs in the city. To get the best rate, be sure to decline if a conversion rate is offered on the ATM screen. As always, no matter where you are in the world, please be careful with any cash you have and be aware of who & what is around you.

Read this for advice on using ATMs in Colombia. Be aware of whatever fees & withdrawal limits your own bank may have in addition to paying attention to limits/fees charged by the ATM bank itself.

Credit cards (mainly Visa & MasterCard) are accepted in higher end stores, restaurants, & hotels. To minimize fees, use a card that does not charge a foreign transaction fee and proactively request that charges to go through in the local currency (ie, COP: “me cobra en pesos por favor”), not your home currency (being charged in your own currency is called dynamic currency conversion and will add commission to your overall charge). When using a credit card, you may be asked for your ID & also “Cuántas cuotas?” (how many installments would you like to split the payment into?). Your answer is “una” (& also normally the default for non-Colombian cards anyway).

Cell phone: Check with your provider before you go on costs & coverage for Colombia. An international eSIM for data in Colombia may be an option if your phone accommodates (code “Barb8474” gets you a US$3 credit with Airalo eSIM). If you don’t already use WhatsApp, consider downloading & activating it before you leave home. It will allow you to make calls & send texts to others on WhatsApp via wifi. You’ll find it widely used in Colombia (more so than phone calls or SMS messages as they can be expensive, especially to international numbers) & will facilitate your communications! 

If you wish to purchase a prepaid Colombian SIM card for your unlocked phone, Claro, Movistar, & Tigo are the biggest cell phone providers in Colombia; you will need to register the card with the IMEI number of your phone or the phone will be blocked for use in Colombia after 20-30 days. More details on cell phone options here. You can purchase a SIM card in many stores, including grocery stores.

Holidays: There are a lot of them in Colombia! If one falls during your travels, be sure to ask if there any special considerations in terms of travel, closures, etc. Note that in Cartagena, the Thursday, Friday & Saturday prior to the November Cartagena Independence day observation have celebrations as well, “Las Fiestas Novembrinas”, when you can expect businesses to be closed or have limited hours.

Check out Cartagena & Casa Barbara apartment specific FAQ’s here.

Link tip: while this site is focused on Medellin, see the left side bar for links to great information on Colombian currency, electricity, phones, etc.

Packing tip!  Bring a folding umbrella as defense against the hot Caribbean sun! You’ll see many people using them here for that purpose. And should it rain during your stay, folding umbrellas can be helpful to have as well. (There are rainy seasons—April/May/June-ish and October/November-ish; while the rain normally only falls for a brief period, it’s usually heavy when it does rain.)