Hotel
Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena
A grand hotel in the 17th-century convent of the Poor Clares in San Diego, with a pool, spa, cloister garden and the acclaimed Restaurante 1621.
A sociable Getsemaní hostel on Calle Larga with air-conditioned dorms, private rooms, a rooftop pool overlooking the bay and nightly dance classes and events.
Good to know
Viajero runs ten hostels across Colombia, two of them in Cartagena, and its Getsemaní hostel puts budget travellers right in the most lively neighbourhood of Cartagena. It is on Calle Larga, the street where Pedro Romero's house stood in 1811, and the walled city is a short walk away through the Torre del Reloj.
Accommodation is in shared dorms with air conditioning and lockers, or in private rooms with twin or double beds. The building has a lift, a lounge, a concierge and 24-hour reception and check-in, and there is a coworking space for travellers who need to work. Luggage storage is available, which is useful if you are heading out to the islands for a night.
The main attraction is the rooftop pool, with views over Cartagena and the bay. The hostel's restaurant and bar serve Caribbean flavours and cocktails, and the activity programme is busy: salsa and bachata classes, Afro dancehall classes, beer pong, DJ sets and music nights, plus a free historical walking tour of the centre. It is a social place, so it suits solo travellers and groups who want to meet people more than those looking for quiet nights.
A few rules are worth knowing. Guests must be 18 or over, and you need to show an original passport or Colombian ID at check-in. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out is at 11:00, with no late check-out, and the hostel asks to be told in advance if you will arrive after 23:00. Breakfast is not included but can be added when you book, by WhatsApp or at reception. Payment is made on arrival in cash or by card, and the hostel may pre-authorise your card. Pets are not allowed. Colombian residents pay 19% VAT, while some foreign visitors are exempt. Groups can ask to share a dorm, subject to availability.
Getsemaní is full of restaurants, bars and street art: the Plaza de la Trinidad, Café Havana and restaurants such as Celele are all within a few minutes' walk. For bookings and questions, the hostel lists a WhatsApp number, +1 786 648 8449, and the email [email protected].
Air-conditioned shared dorms with lockers and private rooms with twin or double beds.
Yes, a rooftop pool with views over the city and the bay.
Yes, guests must be 18 or over.
Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out is at 11:00, with no late check-out.
No, but it can be added when you book, via WhatsApp or at reception.
Salsa, bachata and Afro dancehall classes, DJ nights, beer pong and a free historical walking tour.
An original passport or Colombian ID at check-in.
Via WhatsApp on +1 786 648 8449 or by email at [email protected].
Bar
A three-floor cocktail bar in a historic house in the walled city, ranked No. 3 in The World's 50 Best Bars 2026 and run on a…
Café
The Plaza Santo Domingo outpost of Café San Alberto, the multi-award-winning coffee estate from Buenavista in Quindío, serving its coffee and running tasting experiences.
Attraction
A Spanish colonial fortress, a triangular stronghold of batteries, ramparts and tunnels on the San Lázaro hill that guarded the city's land approach.
Restaurant
Chef Jaime Rodríguez's acclaimed Getsemaní restaurant, reinterpreting the produce and traditions of Colombia's Caribbean region; No. 48 in The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025.