Lonely Planet calls Cartagena the undisputed queen of the Caribbean coast…well that was before these two queens sashayed their way into Colombia’s most touristic city!
The fifth-largest city in Colombia, Cartagena’s old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We adored the city’s mix of old and new architectural design. A sprawling maze of cobblestone alleys, colourful colonial-style buildings, and vines of shrubs climbing down the sides of ancient walls could be found on one side. Towering silver skyscrapers and industrial catwalks can be seen on the other.
Rich in appearance, and rich in history, Cartagena still harbours the shadows of multiple pirate attacks from its days of being a port city. Having shipped out boatloads of gold to places like Spain, the city made itself vulnerable to all sorts of invasion. Luckily, it was well equipped to withstand such a thing, and the protective forts can still be seen today.
Yet, it’s going to take more than a fort to keep us away – for when we touched down in the city, we were prepared to take over by any means necessary.
We found the gay scene to be rather small, but definitely worth checking out. There were lots of great spots to eat and drink with incredibly romantic sunset views. Hotel staff were more than accommodating and made our stay super comfy.
With fantastic sites and incredible nightlife, we’ve put down all our discoveries into this travel guide to gay Cartagena!