I’ve been told that I tend to come back from my travels loving the country I just visited more than the last. I disagree (wink)

I chose to visit Colombia, Cartagena to be exact, and YES I fell in love with it. It was about a year prior one of my coworkers recommended that I visit Colombia, I promised I would. In the same conversation his wife mentioned going to visit Cartagena which she thought I would love most. So here I was one year later booked for Cartagena.

In the customs line at the airport it immediately reminded me of visits to Jamaica. Business was a little less frantic and there was a more a relax atmosphere even while doing business. hotel transportation was arranged by the hotel, however had we booked the taxi ourselves from the airport, it would be cheaper. As we arrived to our hotel – Hilton Cartagena –  we (Naudia and I), both became pretty excited about the fact that it was literally across the street from the beach. What was ever more impressive were the views from the hotel lobby. The entire front face of Hotel was of glass. We had an incredible views of the coastline and the calmness of the open sea. It’s didn’t stop there … entering our room had the same amazing views and without hesitation we look at each other and screamed with excitement. We knew this was going to be a great trip and it became obvious because it started out so well!

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That evening we took a walk up to the walled city and got lost in the magic of it all. It was a very vibrant night and the place was buzzing with tourists and locals alike. Outdoor restaurants stayed busy and each street had its own story to tell. There were horse and carriage rides available and the souls of much was everywhere. I was most impressed with the architecture.

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Day one of our tours were did the hop on hop off bus.

City Sightseeing Cartagena Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Shore Excursion

We spent some time at the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas. The castle is located on the Hill of San Lázaro in a strategic location, dominating approaches to the city by land or sea. It was built by the Spanish during the colonial era. The fortification consists of a series of walls, wide at the base and narrow toward the parapet, forming a formidable pattern of bunkers. The castle is striking for its grand entrance and its complex maze of tunnels. It is the most formidable defensive complex of Spanish military architecture.

The following day was filled with mud, volcanic mud to be exact as we visited  the Totumo Mud Volcano

Half-Day Tour to Totumo Mud Volcano from Cartagena

The adventure started with a pretty high climb up the volcano along the way the molded clay from inside the volcano forms the stairs more and more as we go closer to the top. Once there you are being helped by locals into the volcano where they massage you with the mud and you are given chance to spend some time in the mud. When desired, you exit the volcano from a different side and head down a different set of stairs to the beach where you wash off the mud.

The smoothness of your skin is undeniable. The overall feeling is rejuvenation and relaxation and the warm sun shinning on you gives you a warm cozy feeling. The bus ride back had us all sleeping.

Not knowing what to expect from this tour I was most excited to see the speed boat we would take to go out at sea. As a woman who loves jet skis I knew the ride alone would make me happy.

It took about an hour to get to the islands and boy was it a bumpy ride. Sitting in the back we felt every wave and every turn, but for me – I was having fun!

After having a delicious fish lunch guests secured a spot on this small island to either relax or go swimming. The entire day was spend with everyone enjoying every little corner of the island. It was a day well spent.

Its easy to see why Cartegena was highly recommended for a vacation spot. The people are really friendly, the food is amazing and there’s so much to see and do that keeps you constantly entertained.