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A mere five-hour flight from New York City, the Caribbean coastal city of Cartagena has all the makings of a perfect long weekend getaway: Cobbled streets, palm-frilled plazas, and colorful16th-century mansions to ogle. If you’re looking to create a little bit of romance, Cartagena will do all the work for you, with all its beaches and salsa dancing and endless plates of ceviche. At night, high-energy Zumba classes commence in outdoor areas, and squares become dance floors for locals; this is not a town that turns in when the clock strikes twelve. Cartagena is the Caribbean you don’t know. Where boutique hotels are more popular than timeshare and the best beaches are not part of your resort, but rather a short boat ride away.
Most people will tell you to stay in the old city, and perhaps they’re right; it’s beautiful and, as you may have guessed, old. But for every ancient building, it’s likely there will be a hot, sweaty, sombrero-garbed tourist standing outside. Thankfully, the city has many less-touristed havens, like the Tcherassi Hotel & Spa, from acclaimed Colombian fashion designer Silvia Tcherassi. The hotel is set in set a 250-year-old restored colonial mansion with original stone-walled rooms and private balconies. If you divide the number of rooms (seven) by the number of pools (four), you’ll get an idea of just how intimate the hotel really is.
If ocean views are higher up on your list than colonial mansions, the 360 degree vistas from the InterContinental Cartagena de Indias (in the Miami-like Bocagrande area) will surely dazzle. And yes, I know, the InterContinental sounds very unsexy; why would you take your beloved to a business hotel? Just wait until you see the views from the corner suites' standalone bathtubs, and the ocean-facing infinity pool, where you can get day-drunk on fruity cocktails and pretend you’re swimming in the sea without actually leaving your hotel.
Despite being one of the largest coffee producers in the world, finding a decent cup of coffee in Cartagena can be tricky. Luckily, Abacus Books and Coffee pours one of the best cups in town. It’s also a haven for book people, with paperbacks stacked all the way up the brick-laid walls. If you’d rather spend your shopping money on a different kind of tree-produced product, Casa Chiqui stocks beautifully crafted Colombian furniture and design – the price tags are hefty, but the quality is mint.
Before you even book your trip, make sure she likes seafood, because Cartagena is king when it comes to ceviche. Everybody will tell you to eat at the consistently-packed La Cevicheria, which rose to fame following a feature in one of Anthony Bourdain’s travel shows. What they won’t tell you about is El Boliche Cebicheria, a teeny-tiny cevicheria around the corner. The beach house interior isn't much to be blown away by, but the the fresh-off-the-boat Costeno ceviche – made from a medley of seafood and the unusual addition of sour cream and crispy yucca—is.
In the evenings, the Old City is at its best. The hawkers and tourists roll away as the sun sinks behind the wall, casting a golden hue over the pastel buildings. You can’t drink in public, but you also won’t want to watch the sun set without a glass of rosé. So grab a seat at the open-air Cafe Del Mar, which has a fantastic position on the city wall and overlooks the Caribbean sea. During the day, the restaurant hosts a sort of early-2000s rave, and the cocktails aren’t the city’s greatest, but get there early enough to catch the sun set, and the ocean breeze and screen saver-worthy view will make it all worthwhile.
If the DJ at Cafe Del Mar starts playing Ed Sheeran ballads, move to El Barón, a snug cocktail bar in the the Plaza of San Pedro Clave. What El Baron lacks in seaside views, it more than makes up for in great cocktails and an unworried atmosphere. Outside, tables are dotted in the shadow of the towering Iglesia de San Pedro Claver church and jazz plays from the speakers. The bartenders are wildly creative, infusing their liquors and masterminding daily drink specials. The cocktail menu is overwhelmingly good, but the Rosarito (mezcal, cilantro, pineapple extract) is a sure bet.
Feeling buzzed? Great; decide what kind of evening you fancy and go from there. If you’re eager to grab a quick dinner so you can take the party back to your hotel room, swing by Alma, a sophisticated Colombian restaurant in the courtyard of a stunning colonial-era building. It’s classy and romantic and guaranteed to deliver a top-notch evening. Does she like to let loose? You’re in luck; so do the locals. Haul yourself over to Demente, in the dynamic Getsemani neighborhood, where the staff groove to music while simultaneously shaking cocktails or handing out plates of tapas. Then, swing by Café Havana so you can dance like your hips don’t lie.
But stop before the night gets too messy. Because tomorrow morning, you’re headed to Rosario Islands. Only 40 minutes by speed boat, the Rosario Islands are a string of stunning islets floating in water the color of Chris Pine’s eyes. Wanna feel like a boss? Rent this house on a private island, or check into Hotel San Pedro De Majagua and spend your day snorkeling above the nearby reefs, imprinting your lazy bodies in the sun beds or getting familiar with the hammock outside your room. Whether you push back your return trip is completely up to you.