Cartagena in the Rain: A Moody Love Letter 🌧️📖

I arrived in this Love in the Time of Cholera-inspired port never having read the novel—and with two straight days of rain dampening the hype. Yet between historic cafés and surreal sloth sightings, this UNESCO gem won me over. (Sun-seekers: Come prepared for commercialized charm.) How to Navigate 1️⃣ Walled City (Half-Day Walk) Catedral de Santa Catalina ⛪ + San Pedro Claver Church Ábaco Café & Libros (Márquez’s haunt) ☕📚 Centenario Park: Sloths 🦥 dangling like living decor Vibe: "Colombian Kuanzhai Alley" (polished but packed) 2️⃣ Getsemaní (Gritty Canvas) Graffiti district 🎨 with cheaper eats/stays Think: Chengdu’s Yulin meets Fanghua Street 3️⃣ Beyond the Walls Castillo San Felipe (30-min walk, pirate-proof tunnels) 🏰 Convento de la Popa (gondola views, 14K COP, moto-taxi required 🏍️) Eat Like a Local 🍽️ Skip overpricedspots: 20K COP gets stellar fish stew/rice combos 🐟 Libertario Coffee’s pour-over = rainstorm salvation ☕ RIP Café del Mar’s ocean terrace (per local intel) Sleep & Move 🛏️ Seven Nights Hostel (Getsemaní): Great bunks, no hot water 🥶 ✈️ Airport → City: $16-20 taxi | Buses: Marsol Terminal (best deals) #CartagenaUnplugged #BudgetColombia