Don't Miss This!

We had a fantastic experience in Cartagena, without leaving the dock gates. I'd have been happy to stay there for several hours, but I am very keen on the natural world.

Many visitors miss this gem, as they take ship's tours, which pick-up and drop pax right by the ship.

There is a free shuttle or you can walk (about 10 minutes) along the pier to the cruise terminal.

There you will find some gardens, wifi facilities ($5 for two hours), a cafe, a shop and last but not least, some gardens and an aviary.

We saw many beautiful birds there, Macaws, Toucans, Woodpeckers, Parrots, etc along with Howling Monkeys and other animals. It was a wonderful oasis hidden in an otherwise totally uninspiring landscape.

I agree that it is very nice at that area. We always enjoy the birds.

At the same time, Cartegena is an absolutely delightful city and I encourage people to explore all that the city has to offer.

Keith

Is it like a small zoo

Is it like a small zoo

No, its au natural

Sounds like a good plan! Thanks for telling us about it! :)

LuLu

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There's a lot more in cartegena. We walked by and saw then enjoyed the city.

There's a lot more in cartegena. We walked by and saw then enjoyed the city.

This thread isn't about what else is in Cartegena. It is to emphasize not to miss this oasis.

My point is if that's your highlight of Categena, you are missing a lot. It's hard to miss what you've mentioned.

My point is if that's your highlight of Categena, you are missing a lot. It's hard to miss what you've mentioned.

On our recent Princess cruise, all ship's tour passengers were collected and dropped off by the ship, so none of them got to visit the cruise terminal, thereby missing this attraction.

Does the place have an actual name? I had read about this place on another thread (0r an earlier posting of yours?) and am excited that you bring it up. (I forgot which port it was) Don't mean to be dense but could you give more directions? Is it outside the port area--if we walk which way do we go? Or are you meaning that it is a really long walk from ship to end of pier and to just go there?

Thanks

Yes, you can easily miss it if you are on a ship tour. I think it is called the cruise ship terminal. On Celebrity, the Celebrity tour buses picked us up right outside the ship. We drove past it on the way in and out of the port area. There was a free shuttle running from the ship to the terminal or it was a 5 to 10 minute walk. There is a coffee shop selling coffee to drink and purchase bags, the garden/bird area (some wild birds but pretty sure the birds like Toucan and parrots wings are clipped), gift shop with lots of jewelry and many other items (prices are fixed and a bit higher than the vendors but there is A/C), paid wifi for a reasonable price but you have to sit outside and it is hot, snack bar, recreation of an Emerald mine and many emeralds to view (interesting, great A/C, free with donation box), bathrooms. After my tour on Celebrity the line was very long to get on the ship so I walked over to the terminal area and enjoyed all of it and used wifi with my phone for an hour (I think it was $3 for 1 hour, $5 for 2 hours and $10 for the day). I took the free shuttle back to the ship.

Jen

Does the place have an actual name? I had read about this place on another thread (0r an earlier posting of yours?) and am excited that you bring it up. (I forgot which port it was) Don't mean to be dense but could you give more directions? Is it outside the port area--if we walk which way do we go? Or are you meaning that it is a really long walk from ship to end of pier and to just go there?

Thanks

Do you recall if there is a place to sit and have a beer or do they only sell coffee?

Good advice by English Tim!

This is a great spot that one may miss if you were taking a ships' tour.

Yes, there is most everything that you may want there including food and beverages.

So if you take a ships' tour, ask to be dropped off there or walk back, it's quite worth it.

Here are three parrots that live there (Curley, Larry and Moe) ;)

Thanks! We will be there in April, and I'm sure our 4 year old son will love this! We aren't planning any tours in Cartagena - just walking around on our own, so I assume we won't miss this as we exit the ship/port?

This may help a little......

If you look at the very bottom of the photo, you'll see a ship docked.

The tourist compound with the attractions we are discussing is located at the far right of the photo. It is the green, or dark, patch before the end of the jetty.

It is perhaps a 10 minute easy walk as was disclosed earlier.

As you can see, ships' tours bring you back to the ship and bypass this nice attraction, so ask to be dropped off before you reach the ship, or walk back.......

......it's worth the extra effort. :)

There is a snack bar with hot food and other snacks. I believe they were selling beer there.

Do you recall if there is a place to sit and have a beer or do they only sell coffee?

There is a snack bar with hot food and other snacks. I believe they were selling beer there.

Thank you.

Is this where the HAL ships dock? I have seen that the HAL ships dock in a cargo area and I assume this place is nearer to a dock in Cartegena itself?

Yes HAL docks there , we docked in Cartagena 3 times, twice on HAL and earlier this month on NCL . We took tours in the mornings, which bypass the terminal shops and go right up to the ship upon return, so then we just take the ship shuttle bus back to the terminal shops and oasis area discussed here, then shuttle back to the ship. You can also walk-it's about 10 minutes, but it is very hot and humid!

P.S. get some coffee beans at the Juan Valdez coffee shop..they are very good..

This area has a couple of very small deer along with the parrots, toucans, rabbits, monkeys, squirrels that are not caged and are very sociable but some don't like to be touched. The flamingoes and some other bird species were in large cages or enclosures.

You can also take the boardwalk out to the area where the tour guides and taxis are located. We got a great tour of Cartagena in a 12 psgr van for 20 dollars each. It included a stop at the fort for pictures, La Popa (5 dollars admission if you want to go inside) the Emerald factory, old town dungeons, and return to the ship. The price seemed to be standard among the many tour guides that were there.

This area has a couple of very small deer along with the parrots, toucans, rabbits, monkeys, squirrels that are not caged and are very sociable but some don't like to be touched. The flamingoes and some other bird species were in large cages or enclosures.

 

You can also take the boardwalk out to the area where the tour guides and taxis are located. We got a great tour of Cartagena in a 12 psgr van for 20 dollars each. It included a stop at the fort for pictures, La Popa (5 dollars admission if you want to go inside) the Emerald factory, old town dungeons, and return to the ship. The price seemed to be standard among the many tour guides that were there.

Tour prices should be negotiated. We took a taxi from the old town for $12, so I reckon a tour hour tour should come in at about $70 total, regardless of the size of vehicle.

Tour prices should be negotiated. We took a taxi from the old town for $12, so I reckon a tour hour tour should come in at about $70 total, regardless of the size of vehicle.

Tim, thanks for the info.. We are leaving January 10, Carnival Imagination. Does Carnival dock there. We were with you on the Magic TA.. Kathy and Mark.. So you did do the old city on your own? Any particular tour company? This is one place we don't have anything planned.. Thanks

Tim, thanks for the info.. We are leaving January 10, Carnival Imagination. Does Carnival dock there. We were with you on the Magic TA.. Kathy and Mark.. So you did do the old city on your own? Any particular tour company? This is one place we don't have anything planned.. Thanks

Hi Kathy and Mark, we literally did it on our own, but we had to avoid some pretty persistent, annoying folk, immediately after leaving the sanctuary of the port area.

It can be hot and sticky and is dirty, so I'd recommend either a ship's tour or accepting an offer from within the port. It's about $10-15 per cab NOT pp, each way then it's easy to self guide, unless you don't have much time. Friends from the ship shared a cab with another passenger and the driver showed them around, accompanying them when they got out, taking pictures etc. They paid around $20 per hour.

Tim, thanks for the info.. We are leaving January 10, Carnival Imagination. Does Carnival dock there. We were with you on the Magic TA.. Kathy and Mark.. So you did do the old city on your own? Any particular tour company? This is one place we don't have anything planned.. Thanks

If you are going to do the old walled city on your own, stop at the kiosk on the dock beside the ship and ask for a map. They have a very good map of the area they will give you.

This may help a little......

 

If you look at the very bottom of the photo, you'll see a ship docked.

 

The tourist compound with the attractions we are discussing is located at the far right of the photo. It is the green, or dark, patch before the end of the jetty.

 

It is perhaps a 10 minute easy walk as was disclosed earlier.

 

As you can see, ships' tours bring you back to the ship and bypass this nice attraction, so ask to be dropped off before you reach the ship, or walk back.......

 

......it's worth the extra effort. :)

 

 

Ming,

Your picture will not open. Could you post a link?

I have a long standing total irrational fear of Columbia.

You and Tim have coaxed me off the ship as far as the Oasis....

Thanks!