I mostly don't like it here. Possibly I am too used to USA or have not traveled enough. PRO: It is beautiful, with great natural resources, inexpensive rates & lots of activities to do. There are carriage rides & snorkling, beach events, etc. Lots & lots of great places for brunch or dinner & drinks. CONS: There's a strong cultural, economic & racial divide here. The locals see the tourist as distinctly different from them. It's hard to find any locals to have a conversation & just treat you like a person, no matter how down to earth you are. Pretty much any transaction can devolve into begging & visible frustration if you say no. There's a lot of resentment that presents in many conversations. Ultimately it creates a scenario where it's hard to be a person & treat the locals like people. Apparently, the best-case scenario is to enjoy the locations where the restaurant/bar/lounge/etc forcefully keeps the locals out. They put the best places on the second floor so that you don't even see the locals. But for someone like me who was hoping to have authentic experiences in Colombia, it is frustrating to find that it is not really possible.

I was there for one week and stayed in Bocagrande, about a 10 minute taxi ride from the Walled City. Pros of Cartagena: Inexpensive locale, reliable and fast internet, good weather (if you like it hot), not terribly crowded (aside from Walled City), beauty/history/nightlife of Walled City. Cons: Local beaches are average at best and riddled with vendors who accost visitors non-stop, street vendors are less pushy but everywhere, fluency in Spanish is very helpful (not really a con, just is), Walled City is loaded with tourists and priced accordingly. Cartagena struck me as a one-trick pony like a Las Vegas. Some people love Vegas because of the weather and the entertainment. Cartagena has the weather and the Walled City. Unfortunately even though its a coastal city, it's tough to enjoy the beach.

The beaches are not good. You'll have to go to the islands or natural park if you want a nice beach. Unless you're looking fo a Miami remake, don't stay in the area with all the newer high-rises. The walled city is cute, but it's not worth staying there. Within a day you've seen it all and it's relatively expensive. Everyone is a tourist and it's super hot because there's no breeze with the walls. I recommend staying in a residential area south of the high-rises. It's a safe and charming place with friendly locals who are always out on their porches. Everyone says hello to you here. More culture, more affordable, laid-back, but no co-working.