Cartegena, Columbia

cruisinjan · October 4, 2008

Hello...I'm new here and I think it will take me sometime to get used to posting. Not the best in figuring out computer things, so please bear with me.

I have many questions about Cartegena. One of which....how safe is it really? I understand you will be okay as long as you are in a group and with a guide. But if this is so, who is reliable to contact and make arrangements? Also I would like to browse for handmade goods in the dungeons and not be rushed. Also would like to see the city wall, fort, and some other sites. Any ideas on how to do this safely? I would appreciate any input on Cartegena.

cruisetarp · October 4, 2008

Cruisinjan - when are you going to Cartagena? We will be there on December 12th and have booked a tour thru Lee Miles. He comes highly recommended and has been very accomodating so far, planning our tour to what we wanted to see and what we didn't.

I too was very nervous with everything I was hearing about Cartagena but plan on staying with our group and relying on Mr. Miles to keep us out of harms way.

I can tell you all about him when I get back but don't know if that will give you enough time to decide if this is what you want.

cruisinjan · October 5, 2008

Thanks Cruisetarp for your input. Well all I can say is....I have loads of time to plan for Cartegena. We will be sailing on the Equinox in Feb 2010 (not a procrastinator when it comes to travelling). I am determined to get ideas and information for all the places we will be visiting long before we get there. I have 11 ports to learn about and enjoy. Some of which I have been to already, but I can't get enough of the Caribbean.

I would love to hear all about your tour when you return. I have also heard about Lee Miles, a.k.a. Mr Emerald. Most people were not disappointed and enjoyed his tour. But of course I have also heard that he has cancelled people last minute for some reason unknown. So I am also looking for backups when plan A goes wrong.

I will look forward to hearing about your trip. You are so lucky that you don't have much longer to wait.

I am green with envy.

sailingrose · October 8, 2008

Lee Miles is a great choice! We used him in Cartegna last year. I would definately go with a tour of some kind as you would not be able to see as much. Some places there are safer then others so a local guide would work best. Only part that was really awful was the fort and being swarmed by the people trying to sell you things..........it was too much for me so I went back into the bus. It was not that bad anywhere else on our tour.

DebbieandJerry · October 9, 2008

Our really good friend goes there every year for a golf tournament. He says that they travel in groups (i.e., safety in numbers). He stayed away from the tourist traps and shopped in more high end stores. Said the prices weren't that bad and he didn't feel unsafe when he was in the "classier" stores.

I agree that it never hurts to get as much information as you can before you cruise. 2010 will be here soon enough.