CartagenaCruise Port Guide
Ships tie up in a working cargo port two miles out, so the day starts with a short taxi ride to the Clock Tower gate. After that it's the Walled City on foot or a speedboat to the islands.
Welcome to Cartagena
Pro Picks
Island boat trip · 7 hrsRosario Islands speedboat trip with snorkeling and Playa Blanca
A speedboat runs out past the old Bocachica forts to the Rosario Islands for a snorkel stop, then on to the white sand of Playa Blanca on Barú. It meets at 8:30 a.m. at La Bodeguita Pier by the Walled City and takes 7 hours, so it suits ships leaving around 6 p.m.; bring pesos for the pier tax.
From $77.81/ person
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Walking tour · 2.5 hrsWalking tour of the Walled City and GetsemanÃ
A guide with an orange umbrella walks you through the old walled centre and the Getsemanà neighbourhood, with stories of pirates, battles and Gabriel GarcÃa Márquez. It starts in front of the Clock Tower, near where cruise taxis drop off, and the 2.5-hour tour is a pre-paid free walking tour, tip included.
From $14.74/ person
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Food tour · 2.5 hrsStreet food tour with 10 tastings in the Walled City
Ten local snacks and drinks on a 2.5-hour walk through the cobbled streets inside the walls, with the history of each dish along the way. It meets by Plaza Cervantes next to the Clock Tower and runs rain or shine; tell the operator about any dietary needs when you book.
From $57.48/ person
Book Now →Your time ashore
Count from leaving the ship to being back aboard.
Cartagena in 4 hours
Tasting
Colombian rum and chocolate tasting with castle views
A small-group, 2-hour tasting of Colombian rums paired with artisanal chocolate, looking out at San Felipe Castle. It's at Caffé Lunático on Avenida del Pedregal, a taxi ride from the terminal, so ask the driver for that address.
From$78.69
Time required2 hours
Cooking class
Caribbean cooking class in an Old Town restaurant
Two chefs teach you coconut rice, crispy patacones (fried green plantain) and agua panela, a cane-sugar drink, in a working restaurant kitchen in the historic centre. It takes 2.5 hours, so pair it with a walk inside the walls.
From$40
Time required2.5 hours
Cartagena in 6 hours
Private city tour
Private Walled City and Getsemanà tour with pickup at the ship
Your own guide through the walled centre and GetsemanÃ, with a tasting of traditional snacks. One of the 4-hour options picks you up at the cruise terminal, which takes the taxi out of the day.
From$80.51
Time required4 hours
Walking tour with fort entry
Getsemanà and San Felipe Castle walk, tickets included
A 3-hour guided walk from Plaza de la Trinidad through GetsemanÃ's murals and up to San Felipe de Barajas castle, with your entry ticket. The operator calls it moderately active, so wear good shoes and carry water.
From$32.66
Time required3 hours
Mangrove canoe tour
Mangrove canoe trip and beach lunch with a fishing community
Paddle through the mangroves with an Afro-Colombian fishing community about 20 minutes north of the city, watch a fishing demonstration and eat lunch on the beach. Pickup is listed from hotels, so arrange a meeting point before you book.
From$97.93
Time required4 hours
Mud volcano day trip
Totumo mud volcano with transport
Round-trip transport to the Totumo mud volcano, where you climb to the top and soak in its mud bath, then rinse off in the swamp below. It takes 5 hours; bring cash, since locals there don't take cards.
From$45.72
Time required5 hours
Cartagena in 9 hours
Island boat trip
Rosario Islands and Playa Blanca by speedboat
The full-day boat trip: snorkeling in the Rosario Islands, then beach time at Playa Blanca on Barú. It meets at 8:30 a.m. at La Bodeguita Pier, a taxi ride from the terminal, and the pier charges a port tax in pesos that isn't in the price.
From$77.81
Time required7 hours
Mud volcano day trip
El Totumo mud volcano day tour
A bus day out to the El Totumo mud volcano with entry, snacks and drinks, and lunch as an option. It runs 07:30 to 14:30, so it only works if your ship is cleared and you're ashore early.
From$65.75
Time required7 hours
Handy Helpers
Small things that make a port day easier.
Private Driver, Waiting at the Dock
A pre-booked driver meets you at the dock for a fixed price. No haggling, no waiting for a taxi to fill.
Bike rental
Cover more ground than on foot. Book ahead and return it well before all-aboard.
Travel eSIM
Install it on ship WiFi and your maps and ride apps work the moment you land in Cartagena.
Quick answers
Facts last checked .
How we checked these answers
Every answer is built from facts we checked against the sources below and cross-checked with recent port guides. Where sources disagreed, the answer says so instead of guessing a number.
- Port of Cartagena Group — Cruise Terminal
- Port of Cartagena Group — 2026–27 cruise schedule
- Walled City & Getsemani Private Tour — operator listing
- Port of Cartagena Group — Port Oasis Ecopark
- Corales Cartagena — Rosario Islands and Playa Blanca listing
- Colombia Travel (ProColombia) — currency and means of payment
- U.S. Department of State — Colombia travel advisory
- Colombia Travel (ProColombia) — practical information
- Decree 2707 of 1982 — Colombia's legal time (UTC−5)
Getting ashore
Where do cruise ships dock in Cartagena, Colombia?
Cruise ships in Cartagena, Colombia dock at the Cartagena de Indias Cruise Terminal in the Manga district, run by the Port of Cartagena Group, which says it can take five ships at once. Every line uses it: the port's 2026–27 schedule lists Royal Caribbean most often, then Norwegian, Holland America, Princess and MSC, with Carnival, Celebrity, Virgin Voyages and Disney among others. A free shuttle runs from the ship to the terminal building.
Can you walk from a cruise ship in Cartagena?
Not really: the Port of Cartagena puts its cruise terminal 3.2 km (about 2 miles) from the Historic Center, and the walk runs along busy, unshaded roads through the cargo-port district. Almost everyone takes a taxi from the rank outside the terminal, about 10–20 minutes to the Clock Tower gate.
How do I get from Cartagena cruise port to Old Town?
Take one of the official taxis waiting at the rank outside the Cartagena cruise terminal; drivers usually drop cruise passengers by the Clock Tower or Teatro Colón, about 10–20 minutes away. Fares are per car and there's no meter, so agree the price before you get in. If you'd rather skip the taxi, one private tour picks up at the terminal (see the 6-hour plans).
Is it worth getting off the ship in Cartagena?
Yes for most people: the old Walled City is a 10–20 minute taxi ride from the Cartagena cruise terminal. Even if you stay put, the terminal's Port Oasis Ecopark is a 10,000 square metre garden with more than 700 rescued animals, open only to cruise passengers, and the terminal has free Wi-Fi, coffee and craft shops.
What time do cruise ships leave Cartagena?
Most ships in the Port of Cartagena's 2026–27 schedule arrive around 7–8 a.m. and leave in the late afternoon or early evening; Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas, for example, is listed 7:30 to 18:00. Some calls leave as early as 2 p.m., so check your all-aboard time before booking a full-day boat or volcano trip.
Beaches & water
Can you walk to a beach from the Cartagena cruise port?
No: the nearest city beach, Bocagrande, is about 3 miles from the Cartagena cruise dock by road, a 10–20 minute taxi ride. The other way to a beach is a boat trip to the Rosario Islands and Playa Blanca on Barú (see the 9-hour plans).
How long is a Rosario Islands trip from the Cartagena cruise port?
The top-rated Rosario Islands and Playa Blanca speedboat trip from Cartagena takes 7 hours and meets at 8:30 a.m. at La Bodeguita Pier beside the Walled City, a taxi ride from the cruise terminal. The pier charges a port tax in pesos that isn't in the tour price. It fits ships leaving around 6 p.m., not early departures (see the 9-hour plans).
Money & practical
Do I need pesos or can I use US dollars in Cartagena?
You can get by with US dollars for taxis, beach vendors and souvenir shops around the Cartagena cruise port and Old Town, usually with change in pesos, but Colombia's currency is the peso (COP). Colombia's tourism board says most restaurants and shops in Cartagena take Visa and Mastercard; choose to pay in pesos for a better rate. ATMs are open 24 hours in the city.
Is Cartagena cruise port safe?
The US State Department rates Colombia as a whole Level 3, Reconsider Travel, for crime and other risks, but BolÃvar, the department Cartagena is in, is not on its Do Not Travel list. Ships berth inside a working cargo port, with a shuttle to the terminal building. In town, the advisory notes that street crime happens across Colombia and says not to resist if you're targeted.
Can you drink the tap water in Cartagena?
Colombia's official tourism site says water is usually safe to drink in large cities like Cartagena, and recommends bottled water only in rural areas and small towns. If you're heading out to the islands or the mud volcano for the day, take bottled water with you.
Do I need a visa to get off the ship in Cartagena, Colombia?
Most cruise passengers don't: Colombia's official tourism site says most countries in the world need no visa to visit Colombia, and suggests checking whether yours is one of them. Carry the identity documents your cruise line asks for when you go ashore in Cartagena.
What time zone is Cartagena in?
Cartagena is on Colombia's legal time, UTC−5, set by a 1982 decree, and Colombia doesn't change its clocks for summer. That matches US Eastern time in winter and is an hour behind it from March to November, so check whether your ship keeps its own time.
Is there Wi-Fi at the Cartagena cruise terminal?
Yes: the Cartagena cruise terminal has free Wi-Fi, along with coffee shops, restrooms and seating, according to two recent port guides.