3 Tips to Backpack Smart in Cartagena, Colombia
Especially if you’re solo traveling.
Cartagena, Colombia
You see it all over social media, ‘one of the most Instagram-able cities’ Cartagena, Colombia. While the beautiful photos and posts piqued my interest, what caught my eye was that it was also a popular solo travel destination.
I hadn’t backpacked anywhere in a long time, so I decided to pick a place with adventure, partying, an array of hostels, and strong cultural roots.
Of course, I was so eager to actually embark on my trip that I didn’t do enough research on all of the potential scams and general safety required to navigate the city alone.
Fast forward to landing in Cartagena, I stand in line for about 2 hours at customs and then breathe a sigh of relief as I make it to the entrance of the airport and into the city.
The endorphin rush was real as I stepped foot in the country for the first time. Unfortunately, this first step was accompanied by my lack of preparation.
“Hola amigo, buscas un taxi?” a taxi driver says as he waves me to come over. I don’t even think twice that there are two people that accompany me (driver and passenger) on the cab ride.
Self-conscious about my own Spanish-speaking abilities, I reply “Si, amigo” and hop into the vehicle with my bags — I pulled up my location on Google maps and we were on our way.
The passenger whose smooth demeanor emulated a drug dealer turns to me and says “de donde eres amigo?” I finally confessed to the gentleman “haha … I don’t speak Spanish amigo.”
He replies, “That’s okay friend, where are you from?” Relieved at his ability to speak fluent English, I say “I’m from Canada, I’m only here for a short period of time.”
He then turns to the driver and starts to machine-gun fire words in Spanish. The driver turns to me and the passenger and sneers.
At this point, I get the eerie feeling that they may be concocting some sort of plan to try and hustle me, or worse.
The passenger turns to me again and says, “What are you looking for?” I stated that all I wanted was to make it to my hostel. He replies “Are you looking for any drugs? You’re in Colombia my friend, would you like any cocaine!?”
I decline the kind offer and he says, “That’s okay, and don’t worry, we won’t try to rob you or kidnap you. All tourists are safe here in Colombiana. Welcome to my country friend.”
As the conversation comes to a wrap, we make it to the city square and my destination. I turn to the driver and ask, “how much?” The passenger, not the driver, says “that will be 150,000.”
Stupidly, I hand him the money, shake his hand, and accompanied by a poor Spanish accent, “Gracias.”
After the cab was out of sight, I stewed in the fact that I definitely paid WAY too much for a 10-minute cab ride.
10 minutes in Colombia, and I already got hustled … as an experienced traveler I was a little disappointed in myself — but was thankful for the fact that instead of getting kidnapped or robbed, I paid $25–30 too much for a cab.
As I would learn over time, there are 3 tips I can share prior to visiting Cartagena that can make the trip safer, hustle-proof, and overall, more enjoyable:
- Try to learn as much basic conversational Spanish as possible before leaving for your trip
In Colombia the native language is Spanish. Cartagena is quite touristy, so that means there will be more Colombians that speak English there, right?
WRONG.
Before meeting other tourists from hostels who could speak Spanish, it was more difficult to do something as simple as order at a restaurant without some sort of translation.
Constantly pulling up Google translate from your phone gets extremely annoying and slow while trying to enjoy your vacation.
Here are some common phrases and exchanges you may encounter (if I’m missing anything, let me know in the comments):
- Hello, my name is ____ = Hola, mi nombre es ____
- Hi friend = Hola amigo/amiga
- How are you? = Cómo estás?
- How much does this cost? = Cuánto cuesta este?
- Can I get a taxi please? = Puedo tomar un taxi, por favor?
- Where is the nearest ATM? = Dónde está el cajero automático más cercano?
- I speak little Spanish = yo hablo poco español
- Can I get one bus ticket please? = Puedo conseguir un billete de autobús, por favor?
- I’m not interested, thank you = no me interesa, gracias
- Estoy perdida/a = I am lost
- Yo no comprendo = I do not understand
- Mucho gusto = Nice to meet you
- Buenos días = Good morning
- Buenas tardes = Good afternoon
- Buenas noches = Good evening
It will also help to know numbers 1–50 to negotiate cash transactions, which brings me to my next tip.
2. Know the form of currency used and the difference in value between your home currency.
This is probably the most important tip.
The currency used is the Colombian peso.
Currently, Google states that 1 USD is equal to 0.00023 Colombian pesos. However, you won’t get a 100% exchange rate when you actually exchange your funds at a currency exchange.
There are a few things I would suggest for prep.
- Inquire with your bank if they carry Colombian pesos or if they can obtain them as you will want to carry at least a little bit of cash.
- Most American travel visas or credit cards will not charge you interest for ATM withdrawal fees once you arrive in a foreign country. Inquire with your bank if you’re unsure of this as the interest can be hefty upon withdrawal.
- Avoid the airport and any foreign currency exchange within Cartagena, you will get financially raped on their rates.
- Find a foreign currency exchange before leaving the USA. Get an equal amount of 50’s, 20’s, and 5’s (I exchanged USD in a Chicago exchange. My rate was around $669 USD for 2.5 000 000 pesos).
Some food for thought — Cartagena is one of the most expensive tourist cities in Colombia, so even though something may seem cheap, their prices for food, activities, and accommodation are still a little bit pricier than other cities in Colombia.
3. “No dar papaya”
This is a local Colombian saying which basically means, “Don’t put yourself into a position where people can easily take advantage of you.”
I learned of this saying after getting fucked out of a $40 cab — obviously.
And with Cartagena being a large tourist hub, it is only natural that you have to keep your wits about you — this should be common sense, regardless of traveling alone.
Speaking from personal experience, here are some things to watch out for to be sure you never get taken advantage of:
- Never buy alcohol from street vendors, there are plenty of grocery stores around every corner that sell liquor or beer for a fraction of the price.
- Don’t get too intoxicated in the nighttime, this is when you need to be extra vigilant.
- The city uses Uber, and it is usually a little cheaper than a taxi. Check the app before flagging down a cab.
- Negotiate taxi prices BEFORE getting into the cab, not when the trip is over — they can charge unfair prices this way.
- If an extremely beautiful woman walks up to you and starts whispering little forget-me-nots in your ear and it feels too good to be true? It is. There are many prostitutes on the prowl at night — especially in the city square.
- Groups of rappers will come up to you and won’t let you leave, women dressed up beautifully will ask you if you want to take photos of them, and strangers off of the street will offer to give you directions and give you a tour of the city — There’s something that all of these people have in common. If you complete the transaction, they will expect some sort of payment even though you didn’t want whatever they were offering. If you notice this behavior, say “no me interesa, gracias,” and walk away.
- Try to walk in largely populated areas if you’re alone at night — walk with a group as well.
- Don’t wear anything flashy in public (watches, expensive necklaces, etc).
- Don’t keep your passport on your person, keep it locked up in a safe at your hostel (bring a lock and key with you to your location).
- Don’t bring all of your money with you, only bring what’s required for your outing.
- Don’t keep all of your possessions in your pockets. Wear a city sling or fanny pack to carry your cash and other important small items.
- Learn the basic conversational Spanish above — it makes your life 100x easier in the long run.
- Know the average in-store prices and negotiate accordingly before making a purchase from a street vendor.
- If you’re interested in taking a tour, negotiate the prices at the front desk of your hostel — it is possible to swing a deal if you have a group of people on-board that want to as well.
- DON’T take or buy anything from anybody, unless it’s a souvenir from a shop.
I know I made it seem like you will get hustled, swindled, or will be constantly looking over your shoulder — however, safety is paramount to having a great trip.
No one wants to have something drastic happen that cuts your trip short or bleeds your finances.
In summary,
- Learn as much basic conversational Spanish as possible
- Know the form of currency used and the difference in value between your home currency.
Last but not least …
No dar papaya mi amigos/amigas
Thank you for reading,
