A city for promises: bachelorette and bachelor parties in Cartagena
Sea by day, a long table by night and the club until 3 am: the formula for a send-off in the walled city.
Cartagena has been celebrating love for almost five centuries, since Pedro de Heredia founded it in 1533. Its colonial churches, plazas and wooden balconies make it a natural stage for weddings and, before them, for the send-off. It's one of Colombia's favourite destinations for bachelorette and bachelor parties: it has beaches, a walkable city and long nights. Here's how we'd plan it.
I · By day
The sea
Give a day to the islands: the Rosario Islands and Barú are a short boat ride away. They're part of the Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo National Natural Park, protected since 1977: coral reefs and clear water within easy reach of the walled city. More in our Barú and diving guide.
II · At sunset
The rituals
Some rituals are worth keeping. In Plaza Santo Domingo, Fernando Botero's Gertrudis, a bronze woman the artist donated to the city in 2000, is said to bring luck, in love too, to anyone who touches her. Through the Old City walk the palenqueras, women from San Basilio de Palenque in bright dresses carrying bowls of fruit, who have become the city's most famous portrait.
And for the group photo, the Old Shoes monument at the foot of Castillo San Felipe has honoured the poet Luis Carlos López since 1957. He offered Cartagena the affection one feels for a pair of old shoes.
Celebrate what you truly love, without ceremony: the motto of a good send-off.
III · By night
A long table
A long table at Kanibal or SLVJ, on Calle Santa Teresa. Let us know on WhatsApp that it's a celebration and how many are coming.
IV · After
The club
Thursday to Saturday, SLVJ becomes a club until 3 am on a Funktion-One sound system. With a club table, your group has its spot all night.
Don't be surprised if the night ends in champeta, the music born in Cartagena's neighbourhoods in the early 1980s, or with "La rebelión", the 1986 salsa by Cartagena-born Joe Arroyo, which still gets any group dancing.
Epilogue
Tips
- Book everything ahead, especially on long weekends and in high season.
- Hydrate: Cartagena heat and a big night don't forgive.
- Keep the next day free.
Check opening hours before you build the itinerary.