Visas & entry
For short tourist visits, citizens of the United States, Canada, the UK, EU/Schengen countries, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Mexico, Brazil and many other countries are generally visa-exempt, usually for up to 90 days with a possible extension. Rules and permitted stay can change: confirm with Colombia’s Foreign Ministry or your nearest Colombian consulate before flying.
Getting in
- Rafael Núñez International Airport, Cartagena: The default gateway for Bolívar: international and domestic flights, then a short transfer to the Walled City, Getsemaní or Bocagrande. Use Cartagena for any first visit, Barú access and Rosario Islands boats.
- Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport, Barranquilla: A useful alternative when Cartagena fares are high or schedules are poor. It is roughly 2–3 hours by road from Cartagena depending on traffic; arrange a transfer or use intercity buses rather than treating it as a Cartagena airport.
- San Bernardo Airport, Mompox: Useful only for Colombia-wide itineraries: SATENA has operated scheduled service from Medellín’s Olaya Herrera on limited days. Check the live schedule closely; it is not a dependable replacement for planning Cartagena–Mompox by road.
Getting around
Keep a Cartagena base for stays of up to six nights: the historic core is walkable, while official taxis, ride apps where available and prearranged transfers handle longer city trips. Do not rent a car for Cartagena—traffic, parking and the old city make it more trouble than freedom. Reach Barú by road or boat; use licensed boats from La Bodeguita for the Rosario Islands. For Palenque, San Jacinto and especially Mompox, private drivers, organized operators or bus-plus-taxi connections are more realistic than trying to improvise local transport; Cartagena–Mompox is about seven hours by road.
Money
The currency is the Colombian peso (COP); dots mark thousands, so COP 100.000 means 100,000 pesos. Cards work well in Cartagena hotels and better restaurants, but carry cash for beach vendors, small towns, markets, tips and transport. Confirm beach/boat food, chairs, umbrellas and service charges before ordering; tipping around 10% is common when service is not already included.
Daily budget · COP (Colombian peso). A dot is a thousands separator: COP 100.000 = 100,000 pesos.
- Value
- COP 300,000–500,000 per day
- Mid-range
- COP 700,000–1,300,000 per day
- High-end
- COP 1,800,000–4,000,000+ per day
- Bands assume two people sharing a room and exclude international flights.
- Value covers a hostel or simple guesthouse, local breakfasts and lunch counters, casual dinners, local rides, and modest paid sights. A Rosario Islands boat day will usually push this higher.
- Mid-range covers a good boutique or modern hotel share, sit-down meals, taxis and transfers, admissions, and a quality shared island trip averaged across the stay.
- High-end means a design or luxury old-city room, serious dining, private guide or driver, and premium island or Barú logistics. Private yachts, New Year and top island hotels can exceed this substantially.
- Cartagena’s historic-center hotels, boat transport, alcohol, private transfers, and beach/island overnights are the real budget drivers—not museum and fort tickets. The 2026 foreign-adult entry to Castillo San Felipe is COP 38,000.
- Expect sharp increases in December–February, Christmas/New Year, Holy Week and Colombian mid-year holidays. Base yourself in Cartagena for up to six nights rather than repeatedly changing hotels; choose either a Rosario boat day or a Barú stay instead of paying for both unless beach time is the point.
Eating well
- Make lunch your biggest local meal: kitchens are strongest then, and the heat makes a long dinner less appealing.
- Reserve Cartagena's better restaurants Thursday through Saturday, on holiday weekends and during festivals.
- Bazurto market is vivid but intense; visit by day, carry little of value and preferably go with someone who knows the stalls.
- On beaches and boat trips, agree on food, chairs, umbrellas and service charges before ordering.
- In Mompox, buy food products from established producers rather than assuming every souvenir stall is local.
Book before you land
- For Rosario Islands trips, use a licensed operator departing La Bodeguita and get the exact island, boat type, safety equipment, meal, park fees and return time in writing. The cheapest multi-stop tours are often the worst value.
- Barú is a peninsula, not an island: go by road if you dislike open-water crossings. Playa Blanca is busiest in the middle of the day; an overnight stay is the practical way to get quieter beach time.
- Treat San Basilio de Palenque as a living community, not a photo stop. Go with a community-led or properly contextualized guide and spend locally.
- Cartagena’s heat is serious year-round. Plan forts, walls and markets early or late, keep water with you, and make lunch your substantial local meal rather than forcing long midday sightseeing.
- Use official airport taxis, reputable prearranged transfers or established ride apps. In Bazurto and crowded festival areas, carry little, keep phones out of hand, and do not treat the market as a casual self-guided attraction.
- Mompox is not a Cartagena day trip. Give it three nights and accept the long transfer; trying to squeeze it into a coast-focused itinerary usually wastes two days.
Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this region.
Season by season
December–February
The driest, sunniest stretch brings hot 28–32°C coastal weather and the best odds for boat and beach days, alongside peak international and domestic demand.
Expect the year’s highest hotel and boat prices; Christmas/New Year and mid-January need early booking.
March–April
Early March remains excellent for coast time, while April becomes more humid and occasionally wetter; Easter can create a major domestic travel surge.
Semana Santa drives up prices and fills rooms, especially in Mompox, where processions dominate the week.
May–June
Humidity and rainfall increase, usually through short heavy bursts rather than continuous all-day rain, while accommodation pricing softens outside holiday weekends.
It is less dependable for an itinerary built around costly boat trips, snorkeling and uninterrupted beach time.
July–August
Often a relatively stable break within the wetter half of the year, with intense heat and humidity but workable conditions for city-and-island travel.
Colombian school holidays increase demand for good beach lodging and reputable boats, so reserve ahead.
September–October
This is generally the wettest and least predictable period, with greener landscapes, softer prices and frequent rain risk for sea outings.
It is the weakest window for a short, expensive beach or island break because weather can undermine limited sea time.
November
Hot, wet conditions continue, but Cartagena becomes noisy and animated around its Independence festivities, with parades, concerts and street events.
Expect road closures, loud nights, booked hotels and less predictable local transport; skip it for a quiet sightseeing trip.
Events worth planning around
Cartagena International Music Festival · Usually mid-January · Cartagena de Indias
A high-demand period for central hotels and restaurants; book early if attending or avoid the dates for a quieter old-city stay.
Hay Festival Cartagena · Usually late January · Cartagena de Indias
Literary festival programming increases demand for well-located Cartagena accommodation and restaurant reservations.
Semana Santa · March or April, depending on Easter · Mompox and throughout Bolívar
Mompox is especially compelling for religious processions, but rooms and transport should be booked well ahead.
Mompox Jazz Festival · Usually September · Mompox
Free concerts fill churches, plazas and streets; reserve accommodation early and accept wet-season travel conditions.
Cartagena Independence Festivities · Centered on November 11, often extending across several days · Cartagena de Indias
Expect parades, concerts, street closures, noise and full hotels; go for public celebration, not smooth logistics.
What to eat
Eat Bolívar as Caribbean coastal and river food, not generic Colombian fare: coconut rice, yuca, ñame, plantain, corn, fried snacks, fish, shellfish and slow-cooked soups dominate. In Cartagena, seek out the classic dishes deliberately; in Mompox and Montes de María, shift toward river products, smoked meats, cassava sweets and rural cooking.
Cartagena: Arepa de huevo · Posta negra cartagenera · Coconut rice with fried fish or shrimp · Sancocho de pescado · Mote de queso with ñame, carimañolas and empanadas","Limonada de coco, corozo drinks, cocadas, tamarind balls and enyucado
Mompox: Smoked butifarra · Queso de capa · Casabitos and other cassava sweets · Dulce de limón · Corozo drinks and catfish dishes where available
San Jacinto and the Montes de María: Mote de queso and sancocho · Coconut rice · Chicharrón with yuca and avocado · Roasted meats and local agricultural produce