https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/colombia – Map of Colombia
One summer as a vacation, my family and I spent a little under a week in Cartagena located in Colombia. Cartagena is located on the northern shore of Colombia, bordering the Caribbean. It is a city with lots of history and culture and one of Colombia’s most popular vacation places.
During my time there, I enjoyed myself eating various combinations of seafood and chicken dishes native to the country and lounging out at the pool, marveling at how or hotel was shaped like a massive cruise ship. Some days I would try and go to the beach, but it was not my favorite place to relax; the sand loosely resembled dirt and scorched my feet on top of that absorbing all the heat from the beating sun.
My two favorite activities during my time in Cartagena came on my second to last day in the country. First, during the day my family and I visited this island off the coast of the country that was technically still a part of the country. On this island no bigger than a shopping center (and probably smaller than that) live a native non-Spanish speaking people who have been there for hundreds of years, and have isolated themselves from society. They live a traditional lifestyle where they catch and make all of their food, and family is the center of their whole being. Economically, they rely on tourism to bring in extra money, as tourists like us often visit the island and spend a day there. During the day, they prepare food for you, take you snorkeling, and make gifts for you to take home after the excursion is over. After spending time on the beautiful white sand beaches, I was awed by the countless colorful jellyfish out in the water that you could actually touch and hold if you were brave enough. And of course, the food was excellent as the native people were great hosts.
That night, we had the pleasure of taking a carriage through what is known in Cartagena as the “Old City” or “Ciudad Viejo”. This place is where the first people in Cartagena lived. It is marked by its cobblestone streets and old design buildings that line the streets. The most interesting thing about the Old City is the tall stone structure that surrounds the whole city. To give historical context, the stone structure, that has cannons pointing out of it on all sides, was built to protect the city during the country’s successful revolution versus the Spanish empire. Getting to see the historical side of the city was a fun way for me to cap off a great trip.