The Brooklyn
of Cartagena is
Getsemaní.
Getsemaní is the coolest neighborhood in Cartagena for Callejón Angosto murals, midnight salsa spilling from doorways, and dominoes in Plaza de la Trinidad.
Street art covers every wall on Callejón Angosto. Salsa pours out of open doorways past midnight. Old guys play dominoes in Plaza de la Trinidad while tourists photograph murals ten feet away. Getsemaní is louder, cheaper, and more real than the walled city next door, and it doesn't care if you noticed.
Since the first International Festival of Urban Art in 2013, murals have spread across Getsemaní's streets, with the local CapTagEna Collective alone counting 20+ artists who have shaped the neighborhood's walls.
Other cool neighborhoods in Cartagena.
San Diego
San Diego is the quieter corner of the old walled city. Colonial balconies dripping with bougainvillea, small plazas, fewer hawkers. Good for wandering with no plan.
Manga
Manga sits on its own peninsula across the bay. Faded Republican-era mansions line the waterfront. It's residential, unhurried, and refreshingly tourist-free.
Pie de la Popa
Pie de la Popa climbs the hill below La Popa monastery. Working-class roots, incredible city views, and a growing creative scene that hasn't tipped into self-awareness yet.
Where to go in Getsemaní.
Getsemaní hotels are a different animal from the walled city's polished boutiques - colonial courtyards with plunge pools, rooftops looking over graffiti-covered streets, and enough communal energy to pull strangers into late-night conversation.
Getsemaní eats well and drinks late.
Plaza de la Trinidad is the neighborhood's living room - pull up a plastic chair on the church steps at sundown, buy a cold Club Colombia from a street cart, and watch the dominoes and the tourists collide.
Getsemaní, corner to corner.
The Getsemaní guide.
Good to know.
The boring numbers that decide whether you stay three days or four.
| Currency | COP |
|---|---|
| Language | Spanish |
| Cost level | $$Moderate |
| Best months | December to March |
| Local time | UTC-5 |
| Plug type | US plug · 110V/60Hz |
| Emergency | 123 |
Skip the restaurants on Plaza de la Trinidad. Walk two blocks in any direction and prices drop by half.
If you like Cartagena, try one of these.
How does Cartagena stack up?
Things to know about Getsemaní.
What is the Brooklyn of Cartagena?
What is the coolest neighborhood in Cartagena?
Where should I stay in Getsemaní, Cartagena?
Is Getsemaní in Cartagena safe at night?
Is Cartagena expensive?
When is the best time to visit Cartagena?
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