5 Things That You Can Do For Free In Cartagena

There’s no getting away from it: Cartagena is an expensive city to visit. For some backpackers, it can be prohibitively expensive taking tours to the surrounding islands isn’t cheap, food costs can add up and accommodation can set you back a pretty penny. Luckily, though, there are lots of great activities to enjoy that don’t cost a thing. Here are the top things to do for free in this stunning Caribbean seaside town.

* Watch the sunset from the city walls

Cartagena’s Caribbean sunsets are the stuff of legend, and it’s absolutely free to enjoy them. Many people choose to enjoy a sunset with a sundowner at the fancy Café del Mar bar, but you can sit right on the old city walls and enjoy the same sunset for absolutely nothing. If you want to spend a little, there are vendors selling cold beers at a fraction of the price.

* Watch the dancers in Plaza Bolívar

The shady Plaza Bolívar is the best square in Cartagena to sit on a bench and watch the world go by. It also hosts regular performances from dance groups, particularly dancers from the nearby Afro-Colombian village of San Basilio de Palenque, who perform traditional, African-influenced dances to enthusiastic crowds. It’s only 100% free if you don’t tip – and you really should – but for the cost of a couple of thousand pesos, you can enjoy an amazing performance from talented local dancers.

* Touch Botero’s Gertrudis for Luck

Fernando Botero’s famous statue of a reclining nude woman, named La Gorda Gertrudis (Fat Gertrude), sits in the middle of the lovely Plaza Santo Domingo in the heart of the Old Town of Cartagena. Posing with Gertrude has become a classic Cartagena tourist activity, and touching her (by now very worn) left breast is meant to bring good luck. It’s free, so you may as well.

* Watch a baseball game

Baseball, although not a hugely popular sport in Colombia in general, is pretty popular in Caribbean coastal cities, and there are games most Sundays between March and November. Many of the games are free to attend and attract a really local crowd, who enjoy the spectacle while having some drinks and eating local food. It’s a great way to enjoy a truly authentic and local Cartagena experience.

* Visit the Zenú Gold Museum

Bogota’s Gold Museum is more well known, but Cartagena also has a Gold Museum, principally focusing on the gold work of the Zenú indigenous people, located just off Plaza Bolívar. There’s no entrance fee, and you can easily spend an hour or two learning about the fascinating ancient history of the Cartagena region.