Questions about Cartagena, Colombia......

[CorpCaptain]

Staying for a week at the end of the month. Any hotel recommendations? Restaurants, bars.....beers? All info is welcome. Thanks-

 

[con-pilot]

While it has been over five years since I have been to Cartagena, my wife and I love it.

First the flying bit. One runway coastal airport, last I was there it only had a VOR approach, no radar, with higher minimums that normal, reason; a hill just to the west of the runway. There are two parking areas, one on the main terminal ramp, where you will most likely be parked unless the airport is overly busy, the other is on the other side of the runway directly opposite of the main ramp. You and your passengers will have to go through customs, both inbound and outbound. But it is quick and easy, never had any problems.

ATC is simple and straight forward and in my experience, the local controllers speak better English than many in Bogotá. As for fueling, like nearly all airports in that part of the world, airlines come first. However, there is not all that much airline traffic and I really never had a problem. Catering from the airport is so, so. If you need really nice catering, I would recommend using your hotel.

I used Universal's handlers down there, I cannot recall the name of the company now, but one of the employees is Silvia Padilla (May have spelled her last name wrong), if she is still there, please tell her that Alec and Suzi send her our regards and that we hope all is well. If she is still working there, she will take very good care of you and your passengers.

If possible try to stay in the old city/fort area. The best hotel is the Santa Clara, a true five star hotel, a bit expensive but worth it. Next recommendation is the Hotel Charleston, another really nice hotel. We've stayed in both, they are in the old fort area. In the old fort area there are small squares all over the area with restaurants and bars everywhere. These restaurants nearly all have really good food and reasonably priced. You can buy beer from little sidewalk stores, really cheap. With these restaurants in the squares you will have a choice of eating inside or eating in dinning areas in the square itself that each restaurants lease. I would highly recommend eating outside in the square.

As for hotels outside of the fort area, we've stayed at the Hilton Cartagena, which is a very nice hotel, another place that I would recommend. Since we have been there, I know that there has been at least three more four star hotels built in Cartagena, however, I don't know anything about them.

Overall Cartagena is a very safe city, especially in the old fort area. We've never had a problem in all the times we have been there. Also back then there was a large presents of US Military personnel, all wearing civilian clothes, you can tell them by the real short haircuts.

Have a great time, wish I was going with you.

 

[TMMT]

Last travel advisory for Columbia was issued Nov 2010...

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_941.html

Regardless, check in with the US Embassy once on the ground, put their numbers in your cellphones and ask them for any local updated travel advisories.

 

[CorpCaptain]

Thanks for all the info. We will be using Universal as well for this trip and I will make sure to send your regards to Silvia should I get the opportunity to meet her. Looked at the Santa Clara but for 280+ a night I have a feeling that the Hilton will be home for the week. Appreciate all the help Con. Looking forward to being the local gringo for the week

 

[con-pilot]

Thanks for all the info. We will be using Universal as well for this trip and I will make sure to send your regards to Silvia should I get the opportunity to meet her. Looked at the Santa Clara but for 280+ a night I have a feeling that the Hilton will be home for the week. Appreciate all the help Con. Looking forward to being the local gringo for the week

I have to admit that we were very lucky in regard to the Santa Clara. Our first trip down there was just after it had opened from a very, very major remodeling. So the rates we received were very reasonable. Because we stayed there so much at the first we still received a greatly reduced discount for our room.

One humorous story about the Santa Clara. With our experience flying south of the border we knew that Dr. Pepper is mostly non-existence in nearly every country in Latin and South America, much like Europe used to be. Coincidently, my wife loves Dr. Pepper, claims she can't live without it.

So my wife, as usual, brought a case of Dr. Pepper with us. That night when we checked into the Santa Clara as the porters brought in our luggage, there was this case of Dr. Pepper sitting on top. The girls behind the counter said, "Ooooh, Dr. Pepper!"

So my wife asked the obvious and they told her that no, one could not buy Dr. Pepper in Colombia. So that is what we tipped everybody with, well at least the younger crowd anyway. They loved it, liked it better than a normal tip.

Also, company SOPs required that we had security on the aircraft on all trips outside of the US, except in Europe and England. In Cartagena our local company director of Colombian security arranged the security, which as it turned out, was the Colombian Army. Naturally the soldiers were the youngest kids in the Army. So we gave them Dr. Peppers as well. They loved it, we'd hand out the Dr. Peppers and they drank them down, no ice, no glass, they just drank them warm. Didn't want cups and/or ice.

Cheapest bribes I ever paid south of the border. Oh, sorry, not bribes, err, tokens of appreciations.



Oh, one more bit about the Santa Clara hotel, do go to the bar in the hotel on the main floor. The hotel used to be a convent and hospital way back in the day. In the middle of the floor in the bar is a small catacomb where they buried the higher ranked nuns that died. It open to the public where you can go down and take pictures. Just in case you are wondering, yes, the bodies have been removed.

 

[CorpCaptain]

LOL. Did the same in Port Au' Prince. We handed out Cokes to our bodyguards and aircraft security. Couldn't believe the reception we received everytime we came in after. Any kind of soda there is pure liquid gold.
Was the security coordinator set up through Universal? We've always used their opinion on security, but if there are other options i'd like to hear them. Thanks again-

 

[con-pilot]

LOL. Did the same in Port Au' Prince. We handed out Cokes to our bodyguards and aircraft security. Couldn't believe the reception we received everytime we came in after. Any kind of soda there is pure liquid gold.
Was the security coordinator set up through Universal? We've always used their opinion on security, but if there are other options i'd like to hear them. Thanks again-

No, it was not in when we were in Colombia. We had a director of security that was employed by our company in Colombia. He was in charge of all security for our Colombian operations, including the aircraft when one was in Colombia. He is a high ranking retired Colombian Army General. However, our drilling sites were protected by the Colombian Army, mostly due to the fact that the Colombian Government owned 60% of our Colombian company. That is the law down there. Now just how he arranged to have our aircraft guarded by the Colombian Army, I never asked. Perhaps because I really didn't want to know. If you know what I mean.

 

[satpak77]

Santa Clara Hotel.