Great question! We were hoping someone would ask. You see, we could give you a romantic story about how we fell in love under the Caribbean sun, or how we traced our ancestry back to the ancient walls of the city. But truth be told, we just really, really like it. We chose Cartagena because of its vibrant culture, beautiful scenery, colonial charm, great food, and because we wanted our wedding to be a unique experience.
Cartagena is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Colombia and it has one of the lowest crime rates in the country. The city is accustomed to receiving international visitors and has taken steps to ensure their safety. We'll be getting married in the Old Town, which is a well-patrolled, fortified UNESCO World Heritage site, and the areas where tourists most often go are generally safe. Of course, like in any city around the world, there are certain areas to avoid and precautions to take. Please travel in groups, be aware of your belongings and surroundings and use registered taxis or ride-hailing apps.
While we adore your little ones, we ask that the wedding be an adults-only celebration. If you'd like to bring your kids along to Cartagena, our amazing wedding planner highly recommends this service (which also works with some of the hotels): https://www.cartagenanny.com/
Let's hope for the best here! If it's looking like rain on Thursday or Friday, no change to the plan as we'll add a tent. If it happens to rain on Saturday, there is a large, comfortable covered area (with a bar) at Makani where we can wait it out. Rain in Cartagena in early May is typically intermittent and short-lived.
Below is a non-exhaustive list of international cities with direct flights into Cartagena. New York City, USA (JFK) - Airlines: JetBlue - Typical Frequency: Several times a week Atlanta, GA - Airlines: Delta - Typical Frequency: 3 times per week Miami, USA - Airlines: American Airlines, Avianca - Typical Frequency: Daily Fort Lauderdale, USA - Airlines: JetBlue, Spirit Airlines - Typical Frequency: Daily or several times a week Panama City, Panama - Airlines: Copa Airlines - Typical Frequency: Daily Lima, Peru - Airlines: LATAM - Typical Frequency: Several times a week Amsterdam, Netherlands - Airlines: KLM (Seasonal) - Typical Frequency: A few times a week, depending on the season Another option is to fly to Colombia's capital city Bogota, from which you can catch a short (1.5 hr) flight to Cartagena multiple times per day.