CARTAGENA Del Mundo | Ciudad Cosmopólita y Turística

ÍNDICE:

ALEMANIA:

• Video | Derby Cinematografica | Banana Joe (1982): LINK
• Video | DWTV | Êdoctum: Cartagena de Indias, Colombia (1995): LINK
  

ARGENTINA:

• Video | RGB - Discovery Channel | The Amazing Race en Discovery Channel (2009): LINK
• Video | Transatlantica | All Inclusive (Un viaje de verdad): Cartagena (2011): LINK
• Video | Transatlantica | All Inclusive (Un viaje de verdad): Barú (2011): LINK

AUSTRALIA:

• Reportaje (BLOG) | Journey with Jess Jones | Farewell My Beloved Cartagena, Colombia: A Glimpse in Photos (2013): LINK
• Reportaje | She Knows | The world's most romantic cities (2013): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Urban Travel | The Juice: Cartagena (2012): LINK
  

BRASIL:

• Video | TLC (Travel & Living Channel - Discovery Networks) | Destino Luna de Miel: Cartagena (2008): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Mad Mag | Conhecendo: Cartagena das Índias (2013): LINK
• Reportaje | Opera Mundi | Saqueada por piratas ingleses e franceses, Cartagena encanta com muralhas e castelos (2013): LINK
• Reportaje | O Globo Boa Viagem | Sabores diversos para se apaixonar por Cartagena (2013): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Viagem pelo Mundo | Cartagena das Índias: uma cidade que dá vontade de abraçar! (2013): LINK
  

CANADA:

• Video (BLOG) | Fabulous Living Coach | Las Palenqueras Fruit Basket Ladies Cartagena, Colombia (2012): LINK
• Video (BLOG) | Fabulous Living Coach | Travel Colombia - Donde Fidel Salsa Bar (2012): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Kocsiska | Todos los posts (2012-2013): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Fotos | Connecting the World | A Rainy Day in Cartagena (2012): LINK
• Video (BLOG) | Youtube | Cartagena, Colombia trip (2013): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Kocsiska | Fruits of Cartagena de Indias (2013): LINK
  

ESPAÑA:

• Video | RTVE | A la caza del tesoro, en Cartagena de Indias (1984): LINK
• Video | RTVE | Españoles en el mundo: Cartagena de Indias (2012): LINK
• Video | Discovery Channel | Construcciones del Poder II (1999): LINK
• Video | Canal Cuatro | Callejeros Viajeros (2011): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | El Pachinko | Cartagena de Indias, una ciudad muy fotogénica (2013): LINK
• Reportaje | Fotos | CondéNast Travel España | Cartagena de Indias, la Revolución Silenciosa (2012) : LINK
• Reportaje | Hola | Lina Botero en su mansión colonial en Cartagena (2013): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Trajinando por el mundo | Cartagena de Colores (2013): LINK
• Video | RTVE | Un mundo aparte (2012): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Trajinando por el mundo | Las mil y un caras de Cartagena (una pequeña muestra) (2013): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | El mundo en un bolsillo | Cartagena de Indias - La ciudad colonial (2013): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Mis viajes por ahí | Islas del Rosario, Colombia (2012): LINK
• Reportaje | HOLA | Un amor imposible en Cartagena de Indias (2012): LINK
  

ESTADOS UNIDOS:

• Reportaje | The New York Times | 36 Hours in Cartagena, Colombia (2008): LINK
• Reportaje | Condé Nast Traveller | The Best of South America - right now (2011): LINK
• Fotos | The Huffington Post | Hillary Clinton Dances In Colombia (PHOTO) (2012): LINK
• Reportaje | Destination Weddings & Honeymoons | Romantic Wedding and Honeymoon Destination: Cartagena, Colombia (2010): LINK
• Reportaje | Jewish Journal |Amazing New Year’s Eve in Cartagena (Slideshow) (2011): LINK
• Fotos (BLOG) | LightenUpandShoot.com | The Jewel of The Carib (2012): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Sharing Travel Experiences | Discovering Colombia in the Neighborhoods of Cartagena (2013): LINK
• Video | The Expeditioner | Travel Guide to Cartagena, Colombia (2009): LINK
• Reportaje | The New York Times |A Cartagena Quarter Emerges (2012): LINK
• Fotos | The Huffington Post | Hillary Clinton Drinking In Colombia (PHOTO) (2012): LINK
• Video | The Huffington Post | Obama Jokes Hillary Clinton 'Won't Stop Drunk-Texting Me From Cartagena' (VIDEO) (2012): LINK
• Video (BLOG) | David's Been Here | Cartagena - Barú, Colombia (2009): LINK
  
• Eventos | Routes Americas (2013): LINK
• Video |Travel Channel | Anthony Bourdain No Reservations: Cartagena (2008): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Tammilee Tips | Step back in time in Cartagena, Colombia(2012): LINK
  
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Tammilee Tips | Cartagena Colombia Cruise Ship Terminal, Scarlet Macaws, Juan Valdez Coffee and so much more! (2012): LINK
• Video | FOX | Family Guy: Barely Legal (2006): LINK
• Video | FOX | Romancing the Stone (1984): LINK
• Reportaje | TripAdvisor | Los 25 mejores destinos de América del Sur (2012): LINK
• Reportaje | TripAdvisor | 10 Destinos en Auge: América del Sur (2012): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | The Wanderer | Cartagena, Living our Daily Lives in Colombia (2008): LINK
• Reportaje | Lonely Planet | Discover Cartagena (2013): LINK
• Reportaje | US News | 5 Top Colonial Cities in Americas (2013): LINK
• Reportaje | Helium | Traveler's Guide to Cartagena, Colombia (2010): LINK
• Reportaje | Nuevo Herald de Miami | Expectativa por Festival de Cine de Cartagena (2013): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Pho the Love of Food | From Caracas to Cartagena with Arepas (2013): LINK
• Reportaje | Routes Online | Cartagena - The World's Hidden Treasure (2013): LINK
  
• Reportaje | Routes Online | Routes Americas Delegates Explore Cartagena (2013): LINK
• Video | A Drive Through Cartagena Colombia Southamerica (2013): LINK
• Fotos | Travel Channel | Fast Food Gone Global: Latinamerican Pictures (2012): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | A rebel with a cause | The heart of Cartagena (2012): LINK
• Reportaje | The New York Times | Love and Cartagena (2010): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Stars on the ceiling |A Romantic Evening for One at El Balcon in Cartagena (2013): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Stars on the ceiling |Snapshot Sunday! Cartagena smiles (2013): LINK
• Reportaje | The New York Times | In Colombia, a Taste of the Spanish Caribbean (2013): LINK
• Reportaje | National Geographic | Wandering in Cartagena (2011): LINK
• VIDEO (BLOG) | Youtube | Travels to Cartagena Colombia for a Wedding (2013): LINK
• VIDEO (BLOG) | Youtube | CARTAGENA: Sun, Sand and Shark Feeding Frenzy at Islas Rosario (2010): LINK
• Reportaje | Travel Channel | Girl Getaways for Foodies and Wine Lovers (2012): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Discovering Ice | Volcán del Totumo – The Land of Mud People (2012): LINK
• Reportaje | National Geographic | Finding the flavor of Cartagena (2011): LINK
• Reportaje | Business Insider | See why Cartagena is the hottest new getaway in South America (2013): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Readuponit | Cartagena Lives Up to its Billing as One of the World’s Most Beautiful Cities (2013): LINK
• Video (BLOG) |Music Voyager | Totó la Momposina performs on Music Voyager in Cartagena, Colombia (2011): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | The Manual | Off the Beaten Path in Cartagena, Colombia (2013): LINK
• Video (BLOG) | Youtube | Day 25 in Cartagena/ Workout Routine -- Ace Marrero -- The Flight Plan (2012): LINK
  

INDONESIA:

• Reportaje (BLOG) | Jack & Jill Travel the World | My Solo Traveling Moments in Cartagena (2011): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Jack & Jill Travel the World | Into the Mouth of a Volcano in Colombia (2011): LINK
  

ITALIA:

• Video (BLOG) | Matteo Contessi | Cartagena, Colombia (2010): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Salsa Walkabout | Salsa in Cartagena (2011): LINK

MÉXICO:

• Video | Reportaje | National Geographic Channel Latinamerica | Behind the Scenes: Cartagena, Colombia (2012): LINK
• Video | Discovery Luxe Latinoamérica | Hoteles en Cartagena (2012): LINK
• Reportaje | The History Channel | Colombia: La Tierra de Colón (2013): LINK
• Video | TLC (Travel & Living Channel) | Hip and Trendy: Cartagena (2013): LINK
• Reportaje | Discovery Home & Health | Los 10 mejores sitios para realizar tu boda (2013): LINK
  

PAÍSES BAJOS

• Reportaje (BLOG) | Making sense of the world: LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Cartageneras by Heart: LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Travel Pod | Caribbean Cartagena and Carnaval in Barranquilla (2013): LINK
  

PERÚ:

• Video | Frecuencia Latina | Enemigos Íntimos (2008): LINK
• Video | Plus TV | Polizontes (2009): LINK
• Video | Plus TV | Jammin' (2008): LINK

POLONIA:

• Reportaje (BLOG) | My Colombian Experience | First Week Impressions: Bad traffic, but a funny one. Lost in transportation (2013): LINK
  

REINO UNIDO:

• Reportaje | Tatler Magazine | Agua Baru (2012): LINK
• Reportaje | Hay Festivals | John Lee Anderson: Lo que más me gusta de Cartagena (2013): LINK
• Reportaje | Hay Festivals | Colum Mcann: On Cartagena (2013): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Banana Skin Flip Flops | 101 Reasons to Love Cartagena (2012): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Uncover Colombia |Scouting trip to The North (III) – Cartagena de Indias (2012): LINK
• Reportaje | Financial Times | Five hundred years of colour (2013): LINK
• Reportaje (BLOG) | Street Art News |Fin DAC New Mural In Cartagena, Colombia (2013): LINK
• Reportaje | The Independent |B&B and Beyond: Casa Blanca, Cartagena, Colombia (2013): LINK
  

SINGAPUR:

• Reportaje (BLOG) | Wild Junket | Cartagena: A Colonial City Off the Coast of Colombia (2013): LINK
  

En esta oportunidad el diario más importante del mundo, The New York Times nos muestra la descripción de un fin de semana en Cartagena


36 Hours in Cartagena, Colombia


Scott Dalton for The New York Times
A carriage ride around the old city. More Photos »

By ERIC RAYMAN

Published: May 25, 2008

WITH its cocaine days in the past, the Colombian seaport of Cartagena has emerged as the belle of the ball. This tropical city on the Caribbean is pulsating like a salsa party, drawing well-heeled Latin Americans and European socialites to its restored colonial mansions, fancy fusion restaurants and Old World-style plazas. Other rhythms can be heard, too. Guitar players stroll through the cobblestone alleyways. Beauty pageants and dance festivals keep the city swinging after dark. And techno dance clubs keep Cartagena’s revelers up till dawn. But this stunningly beautiful city also has its quiet side. White sand beaches and crystal-clear water are just a short hop away.

Cartagena Travel Guide

• Where to Stay
• Where to Eat
• What to Do

Go to the Cartagena Travel Guide »


Multimedia




Slide Show
A Weekend in Cartagena, Colombia




Map
Cartagena, Colombia


Friday

4 p.m.

1) STORMING THE WALLS

Cartagena is a city for walking, and its historic walled district feels like a Moroccan medina, with 300-year-old Spanish colonial buildings huddled along brick streets. The palette is saturated with deep blue, dusty rose, burnt orange and ochre. Cool sea breezes and plenty of shade make the old city feel quite comfortable even in the 90-degree heat. To get your bearings, wave down one of the horse-powered taxis (www.paseosencoche.com). The 15-minute ride across the old city, a Unesco World Heritage site, costs 30,000 pesos (about $17 at 1,800 pesos to the dollar). The coachman will point out sites as you clip-clop along and, at sunset, will light the candles in the headlamps.

6 p.m.

2) ROMANCING THE STONES

The 400-year-old stone walls encircling the city are surprisingly intact and stretch for more than two miles. Walk west along the wide plaza on top of the wall; the Caribbean is on your right, and the lovingly restored medieval streets on your left. For a sunset cocktail, stroll over to Café del Mar (Baluarte de Santo Domingo; 575-664-65-13; www.cafedelmarcolombia.com), grab an outdoor stool near the rusty cannons that once guarded the city, and order a Colombian piña colada (14,000 pesos).

8 p.m.

3) BON APPÉTIT

Cartagena features a rich culinary palate, combining flavors and ingredients from the Caribbean, Europe, Africa and even Asia. For a sumptuous but atypical meal, go around the corner from Gabriel García Márquez’s home to El Santísimo (Calle del Santísimo No. 8-19; 575-664-33-16; www.restauranteelsantisimo.com), where French-trained chefs prepare classic Colombian dishes with modern sauces served in a brick courtyard with dripping vines, soft breezes and candlelight. A favorite is prawns in a tamarind coconut sauce (45,000 pesos). Don’t skip dessert or, as the menu calls it, “the Sins of the Nun.” That would apply to La Envidia, a decadent mango mousse with a tangy grape sauce (18,000 pesos).

Saturday

9 a.m.

4) TOURING AT DAWN

There are few reasons to leave the old city, but one of them is to climb the massive Castillo de San Felipe (www.fortificacionesdecartagena.com), a huge fort built over the 17th and 18th centuries by the Spanish (or, more precisely, their slaves) to defend the port’s terrestrial flank. Start early before the sun broils everything. The fortress contains an ant farm of hidden tunnels that you can explore with or without a guide and that adventurous kids will love. A taxi from the old city is about 5,000 pesos; admission, 13,000 pesos.

11 a.m.

5) JUICY FRUIT

Take a fruit break. Palenque women peddle a rainbow of ripe fruit along the streets of El Centro, nearly all of it in nature’s protective wrappers: bananas, mangos, papayas, guamas, ciruelas, coconuts and guayabas. Try a níspero, a kiwi-shaped fruit with the texture of pear and the heavenly taste of chocolate, caramelized sugar and blackberry.

Noon

6) ART AND INQUISITION

Three must-see museums are within a block of one another and can be seen in under 30 minutes each. The Museo de Arte Moderno (Plaza San Pedro Claver; 575-664-58-15) showcases the fantastical works of Colombian artists like Dario Morales. The Gold Museum (Plaza de Bolívar; 575-660-07-78) is housed in a Baroque mansion and exhibits jewelry that eluded the Conquistadors. And, for those with strong constitutions, head across the plaza to the Palacio de la Inquisición (Plaza de Bolívar; 575-664-73-81), where rusted instruments of torture document the Roman Catholic Church’s efforts to root out heresy in the New World.

1:30 p.m.

7) WHAT’S IN A NAME?

The working-class neighborhood of Getsemaní has two popular restaurants said to be feuding over the rights to a name: La Casa de Socorro and La Cocina de Socorro. La Cocina is the fancier of the two. Locals seem to prefer La Casa (Calle Larga 8E-112, Getsemaní; 575-664-46-58), a diner that serves big portions of traditional Colombian seafood like shrimp and crab claws with coconut rice and red snapper with fried plantains. Lunch is about 50,000 pesos.

5 p.m.

8) TRY THESE ON

Native crafts like hammocks, clay figurines and colorfully painted wooden masks are available everywhere. For more unusual items, head to the stores along Calle Santo Domingo and Calle San Juan de Dios. Even if you’re not female and size 4, check out Colombia’s leading fashion designer, Silvia Tcherassi (Calle San Juan de Dios 31-11; 575- 664-94-10; www.silviatcherassi.com). The Abaco bookstore (Calle de la Iglesia 3-86; 575-664-83-38; www.abacolibros.com) stocks photography books featuring local architecture and artisans. And the Galería Cano (Centro Calle 334-11; 575-664-70-78) sells high-quality reproductions of pre-Columbian jewelry.

7 p.m.

9) WEDDING CRASHERS

Arguably the best time to visit one of the city’s magnificent cathedrals is at sundown, the wedding hour. And one of the most romantic is the 16th-century Church of San Pedro Claver (Plaza San Pedro Claver; 575-664-72-56). Guests start arriving around 6 p.m., dressed in white linen or formal wear (corbata negra). Follow them into the cavernous nave, lighted by candles and decorated with bouquets of fragrant white flowers. The strains of “Dona Nobis Pacem” resonate along the vaulted ceiling from the choir in the balcony while the bride and groom exchange their vows.

9 p.m.

10) REVOLUTION STOPS HERE

Beg or steal your way into La Vitrola (Calle Baloco No. 2-01; 575-660-07-11), a stylish restaurant that has become the gathering place of sophisticated Colombians. The atmosphere is 1940s Cuban, with sepia photographs of the owners’ friends, high ceiling fans and mahogany wine racks. On a recent night, three senior military officers in full uniform were at one table; a fashionable couple was at another, smoking cigarettes. The food is Nueva Colombiana, with specials like onion soup with pimento, cheese and crema de leche (11,000 pesos) and a baked grouper in a mango and passion fruit sauce (38,500 pesos).

11 p.m.

11) CARTAGENA SOCIAL CLUB

Cartagena is a musical city. In the late evening, a sea breeze freshens the air and the rhythm of trotting horses blends with the laughter and singing of friends gathered in bars, clubs and public squares. Take a table outside Donde Fidel (Plaza de los Coches 32-09) and order a Club Colombia beer. Then again, to hear live music, there’s no reason to leave La Vitrola, where on most nights a talented combo performs merengue, salsa and Cuban music. Sit at the bar and sip an aguardiente, the anise-flavored drink that’s a national favorite.

Sunday

9 a.m.

12) BACK TO NATURE

Slip back into nature at La Ciénega, a mangrove forest that teems with wildlife. Tours on a wooden canoe are available through Turinco (575-665-70-23; www.turincoctg.com, 30,000 pesos) and meet near the Hotel Las Américas (575-656-72-22; www.hotellasamericas.com.co). You’ll see kingfishers, herons and pelicans on one side of your boat and Cancún-style high rises from the other. Cross the road to La Boquilla, a popular beach along the sea. Find an umbrella, a hammock and a cool coconut lemonade.

THE BASICS

Spirit Air has started a new service to Cartagena from La Guardia, connecting in Fort Lauderdale, with fares starting at $513 for travel next month. Avianca Airlines flies from Kennedy Airport to Cartagena, with a connection in Bogotá, starting at about $530. A taxi to the old city is 10,000 pesos, about $5.60, at 1,800 pesos to the dollar.
The old city is bookended by a pair of medieval convents that have been turned into luxury hotels. Their monk architects knew how to design for comfort. The Sofitel Santa Clara (575-664-60-70; www.sofitelsantaclara.com), has 119 rooms, a spa and pool built around a colonial courtyard with tropical gardens. Rooms start at 555,000 pesos.
The other is the Charleston Santa Teresa (Plaza Santa Teresa, 575-664-94-94; www.hoteles-charleston.com). Once home to a Carmelite order, the hotel occupies a full city block and is built around a large courtyard with gardens of royal palms and tropical foliage. There is also a rooftop pool with spectacular views. Rooms start at 689,000 pesos.
For more modest budgets, the Casa La Fe on the Fernández Madrid Park (575-664-03-06; www.casalafe.com) has 14 comfortable rooms equipped with Wi-Fi, starting at 200,000 pesos. A breakfast of freshly squeezed tropical juice and eggs is included.

More Photos:

To get your bearings, wave down one of the horse-powered taxis — there's no better way to become oriented. The coachman will point out sites as you clip-clop along and, at sunset, will light the candles in the headlamps.




Arguably the best time to visit the city's magnificent cathedrals is at sundown. Here, night revelers converse beside a Fernando Botero statue in the Plaza Santo Domingo, the site of the oldest church in Cartagena.




While the rest of the world was looking the other way, the port town of Cartagena cultivated its own taste. Menus are sprinkled with bright vegetables and pungent spices, like cumin and coriander. With the Caribbean warming its shores, fish is abundant and the house specialty is always freshly caught something, rubbed with the fiery flavors so celebrated in this corner of the world.




A horse-drawn carriage makes it way through the streets during daylight hours.




The 400-year-old stone walls encircling the city are surprisingly intact and stretch for more than two miles. Walk west along the wide plaza on top of the wall; the Caribbean is on your right and the lovingly restored medieval streets on your left. For a sunset cocktail, stroll over to Cafe del Mar.




The nighttime scene at Cafe del Mar.




There are few reasons to leave the old city, but one of them is to climb the Castillo de San Felipe, a huge fort built between 1639 and 1747 by the Spanish (or, more precisely, their slaves) to defend the terrestrial flank of the city.




Three must-see museums are within a block of each other and can be seen in under 30 minutes each. The Gold Museum, left, is housed in a baroque mansion and exhibits jewelry that eluded the Conquistadors.




For those with strong constitutions, head to the Palacio de la Inquisición, where rusted instruments of torture document the church's efforts to root out heresy in the New World. The souls of some 800 heretics were cleansed and their bodies pierced, burned or drowned.




A gentleman from Chile enjoys his find at the Abaco bookstore, which stocks photography books featuring local architecture and artisans.




Beg or steal your way into La Vitrola, a stylish restaurant that has become the gathering place of sophisticated Colombians and socialites. The atmosphere is 1940s Cuban, with sepia photographs of the owner's friends, high ceiling fans and mahogany wine racks.




Slip back into nature at at La Ciénega, a mangrove forest that teems with wildlife. Tours on a wooden canoe are available -- you'll see kingfishers, herons and pelicans on one side of your boat. Cancún-style high rises sprout up along the other. Across the road is La Boquilla, a popular beach that hugs the blue Caribbean.



Artículo Completo: http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/05/25/travel/25hours.html?_r=0

La Revista Condé Nast Traveller de Nueva York nos trae esta reseña relacionada con el turismo en Sudamérica donde destaca a Cartagena:



Insider tips

The best of South America – right now

• By Emma Lundin
• 18 Aug 2011

South America

[...]

Which is the South American city to visit in 2011-12?

Cartagena in Colombia - one of the most beautiful cities in South America. There are plenty of great boutique hotels there, and it also has some of the best nightlife Latin America with great Cuban bars like Café Habana giving you a truly authentic Latino experience. During the day, you can stroll around the beautiful and historic walled city, or take a trip to a nearby volcano for a mud-bath.

[...]

The Huffingtong Post de Estados Unidos nos muestra esta curiosa foto de Hillary Clinton tomando en un bar de Cartagena.

Hillary Clinton Dances In Colombia (PHOTO)

FANDANGO!! said:

HUMMMM... Y pensar que por esa rumbita casi se le arma rollo ya que a parte ser criticada por andar farreando mientras se encuentra de mision diplomatica lo hizo en un sitio llamado Havana... Como odia el gobierno americano al regimen cubano y por ende todo lo que este relacionado con esta bella isla que al final; como tal no tiene nada que ver con las diferencias politicas de un personaje en particular...

Click to expand...

A mí por el contrario me pareció genial que esa señora pasara su buen rato por acá, eso demuestra la alegría y la hospitalidad del colombiano.

juan.83 said:

Este thread deberia llamarse Cartagena ciudad turistica o algo parecido
porque realmente la ciudad no es cosmopolita todavia.

Click to expand...

Cosmopolita:

[Lugar] en el que convive gente de diferentes países: Nueva York es una ciudad muy cosmopolita.

De la RAE:

2. adj. Que es común a todos los países o a los más de ellos.

Bogotá y Cartagena son las cosmópolis colombianas por excelencia, aquí uno se encuentra gente de todo el mundo y no se maravilla, o sea ya hace parte de la costumbre de la ciudad. Deberías pasarte por acá estos días y te darás cuenta de lo que hablo.

De Tatler, una revista del Reino Unido viene esta publicación sobre un hotel en Barú y que hace parte del Travel Guide del 2012:

Travel Guide 2012

AGUA BARU

Breathe Deep | Colombia

​

All is quiet, swinging-chair bliss. Forget sand. And it’s not even about the water. It’s just absolutely the place to go to escape the world’s hubbub. Buzzing, cool Cartagena with all its cobbles and salsa and cups of sticky hot toffee is only 25 miles away on the hotel’s immaculate speedboat, but this is a waterside hilltop haven of restfulness – wooden, architectural, just stunning – where the most arduous activity is walking from the decked jetty to your own private villa. The whole place only sleeps a maximum of six, but it’s big enough that you never need see another guest (irksome, actually, since they’re often rather interesting writers and Hollywood actors for whom the 5HTP happy pills haven’t panned out). Nature is a big feature of Agua Barú – the ethos is smart, not sanitised, which is just as well as the hotel lies just next to the Rosario Islands National Park, a protected area of 30 emerald-treed, sandy-beached islets. Who knows how much they’ve spent here – the roof space is vast, with handcrafted pillars of intricate beauty. Decide your menu for the week, then it’s all brought across specially from the mainland: great-but-simple grilled fish, deep-fried plantain and coconut rice (people often come here for a light detox, consciously or unconsciously). Then just play backgammon in the breeze and drink in the silence as the plankton sparkles in the moonlight.

• Location: Rosario Islands, Colombia
• Reservations: Global Artichoke (01886 853920)
• Rates: two nights as part of a five-day trip from £2,070, full board, including flights and transfers.
• Website: hotelagua.com.co

LINK: http://www.tatler.com/guides/travel-guides/2012/search?Country=Colombia&LocationName=Agua Baru

De Huffington Post, sitio web de noticias y blog político (de izquierda) muy popular en Estados Unidos

Romantic Wedding and Honeymoon Destination: Cartagena, Colombia

"I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Sofitel Santa Clara in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, for their annual wedding showcase. The event was absolutely stunning! Although tying the knot in Colombia might not be the easiest option for Americans, the hotel would be perfect for a civil ceremony or a super romantic honeymoon.

Event Spaces:

Catholicism is widely practiced throughout Colombia, and most traditional bodas (weddings) take place in a church or cathedral. The Sofitel Santa Clara has this covered, thanks to the fact the property is a 400 year-old converted convent. The main wedding venue is an impressive chapel with a dreamy, old-world feel: dramatic, high ceilings with exposed beams, large wooden doors, wall alcoves and romantic chandeliers. Whether you envision a large, grand affair or a small, intimate gathering, the space can be transformed to whatever your heart desires. For a non-traditional outdoor ceremony and reception, opt for the hotel’s terrace overlooking the ocean.

Style is at the heart of the Sofitel brand, and the hotel works with a team of top-notch vendors, from planners to caterers to cake designers. Here are some of the unique creations from the wedding showcase:

Personal Highlights:



Old City Tour
As a UNESCO World Heritage site, Cartagena in itself is a magical place. I got to experience this firsthand with a walking tour of the old city, led by Marelvy Peña-Hall, a Cartagena native and expert. She took us through the narrow streets and main plazas of the walled city, while giving us an extensive and fascinating history lesson.



Horse-drawn Carriage Rides

Sure, taxis are options for getting around the city but choose a honeymoon-worthy form of transportation at least once: a horse-drawn carriage. As night falls, the click-clacks of horse hooves on cobblestone echo throughout old city as carriages escort patrons to dinner and dancing. Some drivers will also give a city tour, but if you don’t speak Spanish inquire beforehand if the tour can be en inglés.



Café Havana
Although I am undoubtedly a gringa, I have a huge appreciation for Latin music and dancing. I fell in love with Café Havana, a little slice of Cuba in Cartagena. The place was packed with locals and tourists alike, all getting down to a live band. It’s a great post-dinner spot to shake your stuff, but I was happy to just sit and watch other people salsa and merengue."


Link: http://www.destinationweddingmag.co...-and-honeymoon-destination-cartagena-colombia


Escogieron a Cartagena como uno de los 10 mejores sitios para bodas y lune de miel: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/desti...honeymoon-locati_b_2252764.html#slide=1849751