For couples · Cartagena · Colombia
Romantic things to do in Cartagena
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Cartagena is one of Latin America's most romantic cities: candlelit courtyards, sunset walks on the walls and flower-draped balconies. Plan the day around golden hour. Couples tend to stay in El Centro.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 5
- Couple-friendly sights
- 3
- Area for couples
- El Centro
- Best months
- February and April
Romantic ideas
1.Sunset on the walls
Walk the ramparts between the Santo Domingo and Santa Catalina bastions as the sun drops into the sea.
2.Courtyard dinner in the walled city
Many restaurants and hotels serve dinner in candlelit colonial courtyards.
3.Night stroll in San Diego
The small plazas of San Diego are quieter and lit warmly after dark.
4.Night on a Rosario island
Stay over on an island once the day-trip boats have left.
5.Rooftop drinks
Rooftop bars in the old town look over the cathedral dome and the sea at sunset.
Sights couples love
Landmark · El Centro
City walls and bastions
Walk the stretch between Baluarte de Santo Domingo and Baluarte de Santa Catalina at sunset, when the sea breeze picks up.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- History
- Couples
Landmark · El Centro
Plaza Santo Domingo
Have a drink on a terrace after dark, when the church is lit and the heat eases.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- After dark
- Couples
Experience · Bay of Cartagena
Sunset sail on the bay
Choose a smaller sailing boat for a quieter trip than the large party boats.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Couples
- Views
- After dark
Where couples should stay
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, couples, luxury and culture
El Centro
El Centro is the historic core inside the walls, around the Torre del Reloj, Plaza de los Coches, Plaza de Bolívar and Plaza Santo Domingo. Boutique hotels occupy restored mansions with courtyards and pools, and most of the city's famous restaurants and rooftop bars are here. It is the most atmospheric and most expensive base.
- Good
- Walk to almost every sight; Beautiful colonial hotels; Excellent restaurants and rooftop bars
- Watch out
- Highest prices in the city; Street vendors are persistent around the main plazas; Hot with little shade
- Nearby
- Torre del Reloj, Plaza Santo Domingo, Plaza de Bolívar, Museo del Oro Zenú
Romantic day trips
- Rosario Islands (About 1 hour by speedboat) — The Islas del Rosario are a coral archipelago inside a national natural park, with clear water, snorkelling, small island beach clubs and the Oceanario aquarium on San Martín de Pajarales.
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Fried fish with coconut rice, Cazuela de mariscos and Posta negra cartagenera. Book popular old-town restaurants a few days ahead in December–January and Semana Santa.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Cartagena romantic?
Cartagena is one of Latin America's most romantic cities: candlelit courtyards, sunset walks on the walls and flower-draped balconies. Plan the day around golden hour.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in Cartagena?
Sunset on the walls: Walk the ramparts between the Santo Domingo and Santa Catalina bastions as the sun drops into the sea.
+Where should couples stay in Cartagena?
El Centro: The walled city's grand plazas, churches and boutique hotels in restored colonial houses.