Effective Date: January 1, 2026
Last Updated: January 4, 2026
Introduction
MyCartagenaTrip.com (“we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Site”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your data.
By using this Site, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through:
- Our website (MyCartagenaTrip.com)
- Email communications
- Social media interactions
- Any other digital interactions with us
Information We Collect
1. Information You Provide Directly
When you contact us:
- Email address
- Name (if provided)
- Message content
- Any information you choose to include in your communication
When you subscribe (if applicable):
- Email address
- Subscription preferences
When you interact with us:
- Social media handles (if you tag or mention us)
- Comments or feedback you provide
- Survey responses (if you participate)
2. Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our Site, we automatically collect:
Technical Information:
- IP address
- Browser type and version
- Operating system
- Device type (mobile, desktop, tablet)
- Screen resolution
- Referring website
- Pages visited on our Site
- Time and date of visit
- Time spent on pages
- Click patterns and navigation paths
Cookies and Tracking Technologies:
- Session cookies (temporary)
- Persistent cookies (saved between visits)
- Analytics cookies
- Affiliate tracking cookies
3. Information from Third Parties
Affiliate Partners:
- GetYourGuide may share data about bookings made through our links
- Booking.com may share data about reservations made through our links
- This data is typically aggregate (number of bookings, commission earned), not individual user identifiable information
Analytics Providers:
- Google Analytics provides aggregate data about site visitors
- Social media platforms may provide insights about our posts and followers
How We Use Your Information
Primary Uses
We use collected information to:
- Operate and improve the Site:
- Deliver content and functionality
- Fix technical issues
- Optimize user experience
- Understand how visitors use our guides
- Communicate with you:
- Respond to your inquiries
- Send requested information
- Provide customer support
- Send important Site updates (if you’ve opted in)
- Analytics and research:
- Understand visitor demographics and interests
- Analyze traffic patterns and popular content
- Improve our guides based on user behavior
- Measure effectiveness of our content
- Affiliate program management:
- Track bookings made through our affiliate links
- Calculate commissions earned
- Verify legitimate transactions
- Prevent affiliate fraud
- Legal compliance:
- Comply with applicable laws and regulations
- Respond to legal requests
- Protect our rights and property
- Prevent fraud and abuse
We Do NOT:
❌ Sell your personal information to third parties
❌ Rent or lease your email address
❌ Send unsolicited marketing emails (unless you opted in)
❌ Share your contact information with advertisers
❌ Use your data for purposes beyond those stated here
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit websites. They help websites remember your preferences and track your activity.
Cookies We Use
1. Essential Cookies (Required)
- Purpose: Basic site functionality
- Examples: Session management, security features
- Duration: Session (deleted when you close browser)
- Can you disable? No – site won’t function properly without these
2. Analytics Cookies (Optional)
- Provider: Google Analytics
- Purpose: Understand how visitors use our Site
- Data collected: Pages viewed, time on site, bounce rate, traffic sources
- Duration: Up to 2 years
- Can you disable? Yes – see “Your Choices” section below
3. Affiliate Tracking Cookies (Optional)
- Providers: GetYourGuide, Booking.com
- Purpose: Track bookings made through our links so we receive commission
- Data collected: Click timestamps, booking completion, transaction IDs
- Duration: 30-90 days (varies by partner)
- Can you disable? Yes – but we won’t receive credit for bookings you make
4. Social Media Cookies (Optional)
- Providers: Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook (if you interact with embedded content)
- Purpose: Enable social sharing, display embedded content
- Data collected: Social interactions, profile data (per their policies)
- Duration: Varies by platform
- Can you disable? Yes – see “Your Choices” section
Third-Party Cookies
We don’t control third-party cookies. When you click our affiliate links or interact with third-party content:
- You leave our Site and enter their domain
- Their privacy policies and cookie practices apply
- They may use cookies for their own purposes
Third-party privacy policies:
How We Share Your Information
We Share Information With:
1. Service Providers
We share data with trusted third parties who help us operate:
Google Analytics:
- Purpose: Website analytics and visitor insights
- Data shared: Anonymous usage data, traffic patterns
- Their policy: Google Privacy Policy
Email Service Provider (if applicable):
- Purpose: Send emails you requested (newsletter, responses)
- Data shared: Email address, subscription preferences
- Protection: They’re contractually required to protect your data
Web Hosting Provider:
- Purpose: Host our website and store data
- Data shared: All data stored on the Site
- Protection: Industry-standard security measures
2. Affiliate Partners
GetYourGuide:
- When: You click our affiliate link and visit their site
- Data shared: Click timestamp, referring page (via affiliate link)
- Their tracking: They use their own cookies to track your booking
- Your protection: Subject to their privacy policy
Booking.com:
- When: You click our affiliate link and visit their site
- Data shared: Click timestamp, referring page (via affiliate link)
- Their tracking: They use their own cookies to track your reservation
- Your protection: Subject to their privacy policy
Important: Once you leave our Site via affiliate link, their privacy practices govern. We receive commission data (booking confirmed, amount) but typically not your personal identifiable information.
3. Legal Requirements
We may disclose information when required by law:
- In response to court orders or subpoenas
- To comply with legal processes
- To protect our rights and property
- To investigate fraud or abuse
- To protect safety and security
- As required by regulatory authorities
4. Business Transfers
If we sell, merge, or transfer our business:
- Your information may be transferred to the new owner
- You’ll be notified of any ownership change
- This Privacy Policy continues to apply
We Do NOT Share:
❌ Your email address with marketers or third parties
❌ Your personal information for others’ marketing purposes
❌ Your data with data brokers
❌ Individual browsing behavior (we use aggregate analytics only)
Affiliate Program Disclosure
How Our Affiliate Programs Work
This Site earns money through affiliate partnerships. Here’s exactly how it works:
Step 1: You Click Our Link
- You see a tour or hotel recommendation in our guide
- You click our affiliate link (to GetYourGuide or Booking.com)
- A tracking cookie is placed on your device
Step 2: Tracking Cookie
- The cookie identifies that you came from our Site
- Duration: Typically 30-90 days
- Purpose: Credit us if you complete a booking
Step 3: You Make a Booking
- You browse the partner site and book a tour/hotel
- The partner’s system checks for our tracking cookie
- If found, they attribute the booking to us
Step 4: We Receive Commission
- The partner pays us a percentage of your booking value
- Typical commission: 5-10% (varies by partner and product)
- This costs you NOTHING extra – prices are identical
Step 5: Your Privacy
- We typically receive aggregate data: “X bookings, $Y commission”
- We generally do NOT receive your name, email, or booking details
- Partners handle all customer data under their privacy policies
What This Means for You
The Good:
- ✅ You pay exactly the same price
- ✅ No extra cost for using our links
- ✅ You support our content creation
- ✅ We can keep providing free, detailed guides
Your Choice:
- You can book directly (we won’t earn commission)
- You can use our links (we earn commission, no cost to you)
- Either way, we provide the same honest information
Our Commitment:
- We maintain editorial independence
- Commissions don’t influence our recommendations
- We warn against bad value even when it pays commission
- We recommend free options when they’re best
Opt-Out of Affiliate Tracking
To prevent affiliate tracking:
- Disable third-party cookies in your browser
- Use private/incognito mode
- Clear cookies before clicking affiliate links
- Book directly with tour operators
Note: We won’t receive commission if you opt out, but all information remains free and accessible.
Data Security
How We Protect Your Information
Technical Measures:
- SSL/TLS encryption for data transmission
- Secure hosting with reputable providers
- Regular security updates and patches
- Firewall protection
- Restricted access to personal data
Administrative Measures:
- Limited employee/contractor access to data
- Confidentiality agreements with service providers
- Regular privacy practice reviews
- Incident response procedures
Physical Measures:
- Secure data centers (via our hosting provider)
- Redundant backups
- Disaster recovery procedures
Data Retention
We keep data only as long as necessary:
Email correspondence: 3 years (for reference and legal compliance)
Analytics data: 26 months (Google Analytics default)
Cookies: Session to 2 years (depending on type)
Affiliate tracking data: Per partner retention policies (typically 1-2 years)
After retention periods, data is securely deleted or anonymized.
Limitations
No system is 100% secure. Despite our safeguards:
- Data breaches can occur
- Unauthorized access is possible
- Internet transmission has inherent risks
You acknowledge: You provide information at your own risk. We implement reasonable security but cannot guarantee absolute security.
Your Rights and Choices
Your Privacy Rights
Depending on your location, you may have rights including:
1. Access
- Request confirmation of what personal data we hold
- Receive a copy of your personal data
2. Correction
- Request we correct inaccurate information
- Update your contact details
3. Deletion
- Request we delete your personal information
- Subject to legal retention requirements
4. Objection
- Object to certain data processing
- Opt out of marketing communications
5. Portability
- Receive your data in a structured format
- Transfer data to another service
6. Restriction
- Request we limit how we use your data
7. Withdraw Consent
- Withdraw consent for processing (where consent is the basis)
How to Exercise Your Rights
To exercise any rights:
Email: privacy@mycartagenatrip.com
Subject: “Privacy Rights Request – [Your Request Type]”
Include:
- Your name and email address
- Specific request (access, deletion, etc.)
- Verification information (to confirm your identity)
Response time: 30 days (may extend to 60 days for complex requests)
Cookie Choices
To manage cookies:
1. Browser Settings
- Chrome: Settings > Privacy and Security > Cookies
- Firefox: Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
- Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Cookies and website data
- Edge: Settings > Cookies and site permissions
2. Opt-Out Tools
3. Private Browsing
- Use incognito/private mode to avoid persistent cookies
Note: Disabling cookies may affect site functionality.
Email Preferences
To unsubscribe from emails:
- Click “unsubscribe” link in any email (if you’re subscribed to updates)
- Email us at contact@mycartagenatrip.com with “UNSUBSCRIBE”
Note: We’ll still send essential communications (response to your inquiries, important legal updates).
Children’s Privacy
This Site is not intended for children under 13.
We do not knowingly:
- Collect information from children under 13
- Market to children
- Allow children to create accounts or submit information
If we learn we’ve collected a child’s information:
- We’ll delete it immediately
- We’ll notify parents if required by law
Parents: If you believe your child provided information to us, contact us at privacy@mycartagenatrip.com immediately.
International Visitors
Data Transfers
This Site operates from the United States.
If you access from outside the U.S.:
- Your information may be transferred to and processed in the U.S.
- U.S. privacy laws may differ from your country’s laws
- By using this Site, you consent to transfer and processing
For EU/EEA Visitors:
- We rely on your consent or legitimate interests for processing
- You have GDPR rights (see “Your Rights” section)
- You may lodge complaints with your supervisory authority
For UK Visitors:
- UK GDPR applies
- You have UK data protection rights
- Contact the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) for complaints
For California Residents:
- See “California Privacy Rights” section below
Country-Specific Rights
European Economic Area (EEA):
- GDPR applies to your personal data
- Data protection authority: Your local supervisory authority
- Legal basis for processing: Consent, legitimate interests, legal compliance
United Kingdom:
- UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 apply
- Data protection authority: ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office)
California:
- CCPA/CPRA apply
- See detailed rights below
California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)
For California Residents
Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to:
1. Know
- What personal information we collect
- Sources of that information
- Purposes for collection
- Third parties we share with
- Specific pieces of information we have about you
2. Delete
- Request deletion of personal information
- Subject to legal exceptions
3. Opt-Out
- We don’t sell personal information, so opt-out doesn’t apply
4. Non-Discrimination
- We won’t discriminate against you for exercising your rights
Information We Collect (CCPA Categories)
Personal Information Collected (Last 12 Months):
| Category | Examples | Collected? | Source | Purpose | Shared? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identifiers | Email, IP address, cookie IDs | YES | You, automatic | Site operation, analytics | Analytics providers |
| Commercial information | Booking behavior via affiliates | YES | Affiliate partners | Commission tracking | Affiliate partners |
| Internet activity | Pages viewed, clicks, browsing | YES | Automatic | Analytics, UX improvement | Google Analytics |
| Geolocation data | Approximate location via IP | YES | Automatic | Analytics, content relevance | Google Analytics |
| Inferences | Travel interests, preferences | YES | Analytics | Content improvement | No |
We do NOT collect:
- Social Security numbers
- Driver’s license numbers
- Financial information (credit cards, bank accounts)
- Medical or health information
- Precise geolocation (GPS coordinates)
- Biometric data
We Do Not Sell Personal Information
We do NOT sell your personal information as defined by CCPA.
We share data with service providers (analytics, hosting) and affiliate partners (for commission tracking), but these are not “sales” under CCPA.
How to Exercise California Rights
Email: privacy@mycartagenatrip.com
Subject: “California Privacy Rights Request”
Include: Your name, email, and specific request
Verification: We may request additional information to verify your identity before processing requests.
Response time: 45 days (may extend to 90 days for complex requests)
Authorized agents: You may designate an authorized agent to make requests on your behalf. We’ll require proof of authorization.
Do Not Track Signals
We currently do not respond to “Do Not Track” (DNT) browser signals.
DNT is a browser setting that requests websites not track you. However:
- There’s no universal standard for DNT compliance
- Disabling DNT doesn’t change our practices
- We use limited tracking (analytics, affiliate) regardless of DNT settings
To limit tracking: Use cookie controls, opt-out tools, or private browsing mode (see “Your Choices” section).
Third-Party Websites and Services
External Links
Our Site links to third-party websites:
- Booking platforms (GetYourGuide, Booking.com)
- Official tourism resources
- Government websites (U.S. State Department, Colombian authorities)
- Social media platforms
- Reference sources
We are not responsible for:
- Privacy practices of external sites
- Content or accuracy of third-party sites
- Data collection by linked websites
- Security of external platforms
Third-party policies apply: When you visit external sites, their privacy policies govern data collection and use.
Affiliate Partners
GetYourGuide and Booking.com:
- Have their own privacy policies
- Collect and process data independently
- Use cookies and tracking technologies
- Handle customer data for bookings
Review their policies:
Social Media
We maintain presence on:
- Instagram (@mycartagenatrip)
- Pinterest (MyCartagenaTrip)
When you interact with our social media:
- Those platforms’ privacy policies apply
- They collect data about your interactions
- We see aggregate insights (followers, engagement) but not personal details
- Your social media privacy settings control what we see
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We May Update This Policy
We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time.
When we make changes:
- We update the “Last Updated” date at the top
- Material changes may be announced on the Site
- Continued use after changes = acceptance
Your responsibility: Review this Privacy Policy periodically for updates.
Notification of significant changes:
- We’ll notify you via email (if you’ve provided your email)
- We’ll post a notice on the Site
- We’ll highlight major changes
Data Breach Notification
In the event of a data breach:
If we experience a security incident affecting your personal information:
- We’ll investigate the incident promptly
- We’ll notify affected users as required by law
- We’ll notify relevant authorities if legally required
- We’ll take steps to prevent future incidents
Notification will include:
- Description of the breach
- Types of information affected
- Steps we’re taking
- Steps you should take to protect yourself
- Contact information for questions
Contact Us
Privacy Questions or Concerns
For privacy-related inquiries:
Email: privacy@mycartagenatrip.com
Subject: “Privacy Policy Inquiry”
For general questions: contact@mycartagenatrip.com
Mailing address (if required):
MyCartagenaTrip.com
[Your Business Address]
United States
Response time: We typically respond within 5-7 business days.
Data Protection Officer
We do not currently have a dedicated Data Protection Officer (not required for our size/operations).
Privacy inquiries should be directed to: privacy@mycartagenatrip.com
Supervisory Authorities
For EU/EEA residents: You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority:
For UK residents:
- Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): https://ico.org.uk
For California residents:
- California Attorney General: https://oag.ca.gov/privacy
Additional Information
Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
For EU/EEA visitors, we process data based on:
- Consent: When you provide information voluntarily (contact forms, email subscriptions)
- Legitimate Interests: Site operation, analytics, fraud prevention, business operations
- Legal Compliance: Responding to legal requests, tax obligations
- Contract Performance: Affiliate program management (though you’re not directly party to our affiliate contracts)
Data Protection Impact Assessments
We conduct privacy impact assessments for:
- New data collection activities
- Significant changes to data processing
- High-risk processing activities
Employee/Contractor Access
Only authorized personnel access personal data:
- Access limited to those who need it for job duties
- All personnel bound by confidentiality obligations
- Regular privacy training provided
Glossary
Personal Information: Information that identifies, relates to, or could reasonably be linked to you.
Cookies: Small text files stored on your device by websites.
IP Address: Numerical label assigned to devices connected to a network.
Affiliate Link: Special URL that tracks traffic we send to booking partners.
Data Controller: Entity that determines purposes and means of processing personal data (us).
Data Processor: Entity that processes data on behalf of the controller (our service providers).
GDPR: General Data Protection Regulation (EU privacy law).
CCPA: California Consumer Privacy Act.
SSL/TLS: Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security (encryption protocols).
Summary of Key Points
What we collect:
- Email (if you contact us)
- Analytics data (pages viewed, traffic sources)
- Cookies (for functionality and tracking)
How we use it:
- Operate and improve the Site
- Respond to inquiries
- Track affiliate commissions
- Analyze traffic and content performance
Who we share with:
- Google Analytics (anonymous analytics)
- Affiliate partners (for commission tracking)
- Service providers (hosting, email)
- Not sold to third parties
Your choices:
- Manage cookies via browser settings
- Opt out of analytics
- Request data access/deletion
- Unsubscribe from emails
Your rights:
- Access your data
- Request deletion
- Correct inaccuracies
- Object to processing
- Lodge complaints with authorities
Contact: privacy@mycartagenatrip.com
Questions? Contact us at privacy@mycartagenatrip.com
Ready to plan your trip? Visit our complete Cartagena guide
This Privacy Policy was last updated: January 4, 2026