Café Havana

Café Havana is the bar most people have in mind when they think of salsa in Cartagena. It opened in 2006 and, according to Suitcase magazine, helped put Getsemaní on the nightlife map. Two decades on it remains a fixture, and the salsa listings site SalsaVida describes it as an essential stop on the city's salsa scene.

The setting is classic Cuban-inspired, and the main event is the live music: salsa and other Caribbean rhythms played by bands for a crowd of locals and visitors who come to dance. SalsaVida lists live salsa nights from Tuesday to Sunday, from 20:00 until 03:00. Fathom described it in 2017 as a well-worn hotspot with an authentic, weathered feel, playing salsa and Afro-Latin-Cuban music, and noted that Hillary Clinton once made an appearance there. The bar is known for its mojitos, and upstairs, on the second floor, Havana Restaurante serves Cuban food with Asian touches, according to two.travel's 2026 guide, so you can have dinner before the music starts.

SalsaVida describes an energetic crowd and an atmosphere aimed at locals and visitors alike, built around dancing and socialising. It suits couples, groups of friends and solo travellers looking for a lively night out. If you want to learn a few steps before you go, some places in the neighbourhood, such as the Viajero hostel on Calle Larga, run salsa and bachata classes.

SalsaVida advises arriving early to secure entry, as the bar fills up, especially at weekends and in high season, and notes that schedules, performers and entry policies can change, so check before you go. Café Havana does not have an official website we could verify, so its own social media accounts are the best place to check the latest line-ups and whether there is a cover charge on the night.

The bar is on the corner of Calle de la Media Luna and Calle del Guerrero in Getsemaní, a short walk from the Plaza de la Trinidad and the Torre del Reloj. Libertario Coffee Roasters is opposite, and plenty of restaurants, including Celele and Salón Tropical, are within a few minutes' walk for dinner first.