I traveled to Cartegena, Colombia solo in 2019. I had an amazing time. I booked a very affordable Airbnb in the Walled City, which was close to so many things. There were plenty of places to eat within the neighborhood but I was within a reasonable walking distance from Getsemaní, which is a hip, artsy neighborhood with many murals and many different restaurants. What I liked about Cartagena was the diversity of food choices. You can easily get Colombian food, which is amazing. But there was also quite an international culinary scene in Getsemaní specifically. As a Black woman solo traveler, I never felt unsafe and I felt like Afro-Colombians in particular were very friendly and warm towards me. I didn’t speak much Spanish at the time but Google Translate saved me. I did a walking tour of the local market and learned about the history, music and culture of Colombia while getting to sample some of the many delicious traditional foods of the country. Fun fact, they use spoons more than forks there when eating! I also took a photoshoot tour with a woman named Karmen and it did not disappoint! She toured us around the Walled City and Getsemaní while coaching us on poses for the most Instagram worthy locations. Traveling solo as a regular person, not a content creator, it can be challenging getting great pictures of yourself while you are away! So I have some real gems from that experience alone. Another fun experience I had was learning how to do headwraps in the traditional Afro-Colombian way. I realized during that time how connected we are by our common African ancestors because most of the styles I already knew how to do or had done something similar in style before. We truly are cousins! Solo traveling can get lonely sometimes but I actually had a blast because I did three different tours through “Experience Real Cartagena”, an Afro-Colombian family owned tour company. I met a lot of amazing people on these tours, mainly other Black women! I did the mud baths, the boat beach tour and visited the village of San Basilio de Palenque. Visiting this former maroon village was really meaningful for me as it resembled places I had seen while visiting Nigeria, Senegal and Ghana. The African spirit and culture is very much alive there in their language, food, dance and way of life. Highly recommend taking a tour there. Being the history and culture enthusiast that I am, I definitely checked out the Museo Historico de Cartagena de Indias. It mainly focuses on Cartagena's role in the Spanish Inquisition, which I was not familiar with prior to my visit. Lastly, if you see some dudes rapping and they start coming your way, DO NOT FALL FOR IT! LOL It’s a quick money grab. They will rap for and about you and then expect a tip. I ran away because no thanks! All in all, Cartagena is a special place; the African and Indigenous presence is undeniable. I can’t wait to return. I also plan on visiting other places in Colombia like Cali and Medellin. If you plan a trip to Cartagena or other parts of Colombia, please support local Afro-Colombian owned businesses. àṣẹ!
I traveled to Cartegena, Colombia solo in 2019. I had an amazing time. I booked a very affordable Airbnb in the Walled City, which was close to so many things. There were plenty of places to eat within the neighborhood but I was within a reasonable walking distance from Getsemaní, which is a hip, artsy neighborhood with many murals and many different restaurants. What I liked about Cartagena was the diversity of food choices. You can easily get Colombian food, which is amazing. But there was also quite an international culinary scene in Getsemaní specifically. As a Black woman solo traveler, I never felt unsafe and I felt like Afro-Colombians in particular were very friendly and warm towards me. I didn’t speak much Spanish at the time but Google Translate saved me. I did a walking tour of the local market and learned about the history, music and culture of Colombia while getting to sample some of the many delicious traditional foods of the country. Fun fact, they use spoons more than forks there when eating! I also took a photoshoot tour with a woman named Karmen and it did not disappoint! She toured us around the Walled City and Getsemaní while coaching us on poses for the most Instagram worthy locations. Traveling solo as a regular person, not a content creator, it can be challenging getting great pictures of yourself while you are away! So I have some real gems from that experience alone. Another fun experience I had was learning how to do headwraps in the traditional Afro-Colombian way. I realized during that time how connected we are by our common African ancestors because most of the styles I already knew how to do or had done something similar in style before. We truly are cousins! Solo traveling can get lonely sometimes but I actually had a blast because I did three different tours through “Experience Real Cartagena”, an Afro-Colombian family owned tour company. I met a lot of amazing people on these tours, mainly other Black women! I did the mud baths, the boat beach tour and visited the village of San Basilio de Palenque. Visiting this former maroon village was really meaningful for me as it resembled places I had seen while visiting Nigeria, Senegal and Ghana. The African spirit and culture is very much alive there in their language, food, dance and way of life. Highly recommend taking a tour there. Being the history and culture enthusiast that I am, I definitely checked out the Museo Historico de Cartagena de Indias. It mainly focuses on Cartagena's role in the Spanish Inquisition, which I was not familiar with prior to my visit. Lastly, if you see some dudes rapping and they start coming your way, DO NOT FALL FOR IT! LOL It’s a quick money grab. They will rap for and about you and then expect a tip. I ran away because no thanks! All in all, Cartagena is a special place; the African and Indigenous presence is undeniable. I can’t wait to return. I also plan on visiting other places in Colombia like Cali and Medellin. If you plan a trip to Cartagena or other parts of Colombia, please support local Afro-Colombian owned businesses. àṣẹ!