My friend and I decided to stay in the bohemian area of Cartagena to bookend our week long cruise in the Southern Carribean. The area of Getsemani is peaking towards gentrification, and will surpass gentrification as a Four Seasons is being built there. I love that one tiny hotel refused to sell their property, so they will exist as the Four Seasons is being built around it. Per my walking tour guide, whose name was Legacy, the area in the past was filled with drugs and prostitution. The city wanted to change this and began hiring street artists to paint murals in this side of town to change it’s vibe. Murals exist of their version of Mother Earth, or an homage to an elderly man who fell asleep in the same spot daily and died there, and even of three children bandits who are raising their fists in a power symbol to stop gentrification.
There is a vibrant authentic bohemian energy still that still exists, with local restaurants that have tables on the street next to parked taxis and motorbikes. Celebratory umbrellas or colorful banners line the streets of makeshift bars in alleys. There are locals selling art to tourists, and local souvenirs. Rappers and swindlers follow you and start rapping about what you are wearing, and if you engage with them (for a fee) your story. A musician plays No Woman No Cry in the background. I hear accents from different countries walk the streets, whose mouths are open in wonder of what they are witnessing.
Multiple blocks away there are chains that exist, which include Starbucks, McDonalds, and KFC. But in this little area, only local shop owners, or tiny hotels and bed and breakfasts exist. As I checked into my bed and breakfast early at Les Lizards, I was greeted with kindness and a second breakfast of a fresh fruit drink, arepas, coffee, and local fruit. I was told “this is your home,” I could visit the jacuzzi, hang out in the lounge area. I would only be there for one night, but was offered so much generosity. Later in the evening, I stood in front of the door and debated to go inside or grab dinner, but I wanted a suggestion. The staff member/owner saw me as he walked down the street and said “you’re right here,” as the door appeared hidden. I queried about dining recommendations, and he escorted me down the street, and talked to the staff. I sat in the outdoor table on the street and took in the moment.
It was as if I stepped back in time. This was bohemian Cartagena, but it could be a bohemian town anywhere in the world at one point. Isn’t this the essence of what directors strive to capture on film? I imagined this was what the East Village was like in the 50’s or Brooklyn back in the day? Tourists long to linger here, it’s as if you are stepping onto a set that we want to inhale into our memories.
There’s a dichotomy here of chaos and chill vibe. Horns are honked on the street by cars taking their time to let people out, and one way streets are blocked. Music is playing at one restaurant, while rappers are scheming with their boombox down the street. There is a cat begging me for food as I eat. And yet I am finding a sense of pause as I drink my coconut lemonade, which tastes like a pina colada. The soft bulbs that line the streets which appear to be pedestrian, make my eyes hazy as if I am in a dream.
I was here in Cartagena for a short time, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I come back. Who knows if this place will remain the same? Will the authentic vibe outlast the tourism that seems to be booming here and the Four Seasons to premiere in Spring 2026? Not sure, but for a moment todo es tranquilo.
Have you ever visited Cartagena, or a place so bohemian you stepped back in time? If so where? What was it like?
It Only Takes A Smile 