What MyCartagenaTrip.com Is
MyCartagenaTrip.com is an independent travel resource providing comprehensive planning guides for Cartagena, Colombia, based in the United States.
We are:
- A detailed Cartagena-focused travel planning resource (19 comprehensive guides, 75,000+ words)
- An affiliate marketing website earning commissions through GetYourGuide and Booking.com
- Independent content creators with no affiliation to Colombian tourism boards, hotels, or tour operators
We are NOT:
- A tour operator, travel agency, or booking service
- A personal travel planning service
- Affiliated with specific hotels, restaurants, or tourism companies
Why This Site Exists
Most Cartagena travel content offers identical “Top 10” listicles with no useful detail, restaurant recommendations from 2019, and generic advice that applies anywhere. Articles call Cartagena “magical” without explaining that wrong timing means paying triple for hotels or that famous Playa Blanca is now a vendor-harassment nightmare.
We created comprehensive guides based on decision-making frameworks:
- Why Rosario Islands deliver while Playa Blanca disappoints
- How Getsemaní saves 30-50% compared to Old Town for similar quality
- Why lunch specials (menú del día) cost 40-60% less than dinner at the same restaurant
- That scopolamine drugging requires practical prevention strategies
- How low season (June-October) means 40% savings with rain trade-offs
Travelers need frameworks for decisions, not more listicles.
Our Content Approach
1. Patterns Over Prices
We don’t list specific prices because they change constantly and become outdated within months.
Instead, we explain patterns:
- “Peak season hotels cost 2.5-3x low season rates”
- “Getsemaní accommodation runs 30-50% less than Old Town for comparable quality”
- “Lunch specials are 40-60% cheaper than dinner at the same restaurant”
These patterns remain useful regardless of when you visit or what inflation does to absolute prices.
2. Trade-Offs, Not Cheerleading
Every recommendation acknowledges downsides:
- Getsemaní offers best value BUT it’s loud on weekends
- Rosario Islands have beautiful beaches BUT require full-day commitment
- Low season saves 30-40% BUT increases rain probability
We tell you what sucks so you make informed decisions, not discover problems after booking.
3. Categories Over Specific Names
We don’t list “Top 15 Restaurants” because restaurants close, change ownership, and make guides obsolete quickly.
Instead, we explain restaurant categories:
- Street food breakfast (authentic, cheap, safe if cooked fresh)
- Casual local restaurants (menú del día strategy)
- Mid-range tourist-friendly (Getsemaní vs Old Town value)
- Fine dining (when to splurge, what to expect)
You learn the framework for finding good meals regardless of which venues currently operate.
4. Honest Assessments
We tell you what to skip even when it costs us affiliate commissions:
- Skip Playa Blanca tours (vendor harassment, despite commission potential)
- Cartagena beaches are “nice for Colombia, not world-class” if you’ve been to Thailand
- Free activities (walking Old Town, exploring Getsemaní) when they’re better than paid options
- Getsemaní over Old Town hotels (even though Old Town pays higher commissions)
Our goal: useful information for better trips, not maximizing commissions.
5. Realistic Timing
Our itineraries account for:
- Caribbean heat (you can’t walk 8 hours in 90°F/32°C)
- Meal breaks and rest time
- Human energy levels
- Travel time between locations
You won’t see: “Day 1: Visit 15 attractions, 3 restaurants, and go clubbing until 3 AM”
You will see: “Day 1: Morning Old Town walk (2-3 hours), lunch break during peak heat, afternoon rest, evening Getsemaní exploration”
How We Make Money
Affiliate Commissions
We earn commission when you book through our links:
Partners: GetYourGuide (tours/activities), Booking.com (hotels)
How it works:
- You click our affiliate link
- You complete a booking on the partner site
- We receive 5-10% commission
- You pay the same price (no markup)
- Partner handles payment, customer service, cancellations
Editorial Independence: Our affiliate relationships don’t influence content. We recommend what’s best for your trip, not what pays highest commission. We skip profitable recommendations when they’re poor value, and we promote free alternatives when they’re better.
Who Creates This Content
MyCartagenaTrip.com is operated by experienced travel content creators based in the United States.
Our background:
- Multiple Cartagena trips spanning different seasons
- Extensive research across Spanish and English sources
- Experience in travel writing, content strategy, and SEO
- No affiliation with Colombian tourism, travel agencies, or hotels
Our expertise comes from:
- Systematic research: official sources, local blogs, traveler feedback analysis
- Pattern analysis across hundreds of traveler experiences
- Personal trip testing of recommendations
- Continuous monitoring of Cartagena travel trends
Content Standards
Research Process
We prioritize:
- Official data (government websites, tourism statistics)
- Local sources (Colombian blogs, Spanish-language forums)
- Pattern analysis (not individual anecdotes)
- Multiple independent sources
- Recent information over outdated content
Quality Standards
Every guide must:
- Provide actionable decision frameworks
- Acknowledge trade-offs and downsides
- Use pattern-based information for longevity
- Maintain editorial independence
- Be comprehensive (minimum 3,000 words for major topics)
We avoid:
- Generic advice that applies everywhere
- Marketing language and meaningless adjectives
- Specific prices that quickly become outdated
- Unrealistic itineraries
- Pretending everything is perfect
Update Philosophy
Travel information changes constantly. Our approach:
Pattern-based content ages well:
- Neighborhood characteristics remain consistent
- Cost-saving strategies remain effective
- Safety patterns remain relevant
Specific details require updates:
- Major policy changes (visas, entry fees)
- Significant safety incidents
- New major attractions
Update schedule:
- Major review: Annually (January)
- Minor updates: As needed for significant changes
- Breaking changes: Updated immediately if critical
Last major update: August 2026
Coverage Scope
What We Cover
19 comprehensive guides covering:
- When to visit (seasons, weather, timing)
- Where to stay (neighborhood comparison)
- What to do (activities ranked and explained)
- How to get around (transport strategies)
- Safety strategies (realistic risk assessment)
- Budget planning (cost patterns)
- Food approaches (meal strategies)
- Nightlife (safety protocols)
- Rosario Islands (complete hub: overview, day trips, hotels)
- Beach comparison (realistic assessment)
Total: ~75,000 words of comprehensive Cartagena planning content
What We Don’t Cover
Beyond our scope:
- Other Colombian destinations (Cartagena-only focus)
- Specific restaurant/hotel names as primary recommendations
- Real-time weather or flight information
- Personal travel planning services
- Visa assistance or legal advice
- Emergency travel support
For topics outside our coverage: We point you to official sources (U.S. State Department, Colombian immigration, CDC).
What Makes Us Different
vs. Generic Travel Sites: Deep Cartagena focus with comprehensive detail vs. broad coverage with thin information
vs. Travel Blogs: Strategic planning frameworks vs. personal trip narratives and sponsored content
vs. Tour Operators: Honest trade-offs and skip recommendations vs. marketing language where everything sounds amazing
vs. AI-Generated Content: Original research and real experience vs. generic pattern-matched information
Contact & Feedback
Email: contact@mycartagenatrip.com
Response time: 2-3 business days
Social media:
- Instagram: @mycartagenatrip
- Pinterest: MyCartagenaTrip
We want feedback:
- Found outdated information? Let us know
- Discovered patterns we missed? Share them
- Suggestions for new guides? We’re listening
We can’t help with:
- Booking tours/hotels (use partners directly)
- Personal travel planning
- Emergency assistance (contact embassy)
- Real-time updates (check official sources)
Privacy & Legal
We respect your privacy.
We collect:
- Basic analytics via Google Analytics
- Email if you contact us
- Cookie data for affiliate tracking
We do NOT:
- Sell your information
- Share emails with third parties
- Require accounts or registration
Full details:
Our Mission
We created MyCartagenaTrip.com because most Cartagena content is either generic listicles, outdated information, marketing disguised as advice, or unrealistic itineraries.
Our guides focus on patterns, trade-offs, and honest assessments that remain useful regardless of when you visit. We explain why Getsemaní saves 40%, why lunch costs 60% less than dinner, and why Playa Blanca should be skipped.
If our approach resonates, we’d love to hear about your Cartagena experience.
Ready to start planning?
This page was last updated: August 2026
Who Writes This
All content on MyCartagenaTrip is written by David Williams — a travel writer with 6+ months exploring Cartagena since 2019.
See also: Editorial Policy — how we research, fact-check, and maintain our editorial independence.