Isla Fuerte Vacations from $1,190

Very clean and modern, yet historical setting. Central to the walled area. Many different dining and shopping options nearby.

The chilequiles in the Epoch cafe were delicious and all of the staff throughout the hotel were super friendly and helpful.

Casa Carolina is a beautiful boutique hotel in the heart of Cartagena’s Old City. The location is unbeatable—you can walk everywhere and never need an Uber. With only 15 rooms, it feels like staying in a private home, and the pool is gorgeous. The staff and service were amazing—truly one of the highlights of our stay. A few things to note: the wellness-style menu is healthy but doesn’t offer many snack options. Street performers outside (especially drummers) can be very loud at night, though they’re usually gone by 11 PM. At checkout, they asked for a 10% tip on the entire stay, which felt a little uncomfortable—we only tipped on food and beverage. Overall, the pros far outweigh the cons. We would definitely stay again for the location, the charm, and the incredible staff.

We really enjoyed our visit and would recommend it. We were mostly impressed with the staff, especially Daniel, during our stay. He was incredibly attentative. I think it is worth staying overnight here rather than a day trip, as when the day trippers leave it is very tranquil. If you do not like birds, we would not recommend, but I found the frigate birds incredible to see up close! We took a short trip to the main island and Daniel gave us a tour of the local villages - this was also a great experience. A great place to really switch off and relax.