Colorful colonial buildings. Caribbean beaches. Rooftop restaurants. Horse-drawn carriages rolling through cobblestone streets.
Those are some of the images that have made Cartagena, Colombia one of South America’s most recognizable travel destinations.
But for Black travelers, there is another Cartagena worth discovering.
An Afro-Colombian Cartagena.
African heritage is woven deeply into the culture, music, food and communities of Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Beyond Cartagena’s famous walled city, travelers can encounter fishing communities with Afro-Caribbean roots, explore mangrove forests with local guides and visit one of the most historically significant Black communities in the Americas.
And increasingly, travelers can make another intentional choice while visiting:
Stay Black-owned – boutique hotels, oceanfront resorts and colorful guesthouses
From a Black-owned boutique hotel in colorful Getsemaní to an island escape just off Cartagena’s coast, here’s how to experience Cartagena through the lens of Black travel, Afro-Colombian culture and intentional hospitality.
Why Cartagena Is Becoming a Must-Visit Destination for Black Travelers
Cartagena has long been an international vacation destination, but its significance to travelers interested in the African diaspora extends much deeper than beaches and beautiful architecture.
The city’s history is inseparable from the transatlantic slave trade and the generations of Africans and their descendants who helped shape Colombia’s Caribbean coast.
Today, that legacy survives through Afro-Colombian music, dance, cuisine, spirituality, language, entrepreneurship and community traditions.
It means Black travelers can experience Cartagena on several levels.
Enjoy the restaurants and nightlife.
Walk through the historic city.
Spend an afternoon at the beach.
But also venture beyond the conventional tourist itinerary and discover the African-descended communities whose culture remains fundamental to Cartagena and the surrounding region.
That deeper connection is one reason Cartagena continues to resonate within Black travel.
Experience Afro-Colombian Cartagena
Getsemaní: Color, Culture & Community
Just outside Cartagena’s famous walled city sits Getsemaní, one of the most energetic neighborhoods in Cartagena.
Once a working-class neighborhood, its streets are now known for colorful murals, restaurants, cafés, music, nightlife and public gathering spaces.
It’s also where travelers will find one of the most important properties for this BHG guide:
Casa Noir Cartagena.
But don’t simply treat Getsemaní as somewhere to take colorful photographs.
Spend time walking its streets. Look at the murals. Listen to the music. Eat locally. Talk with people.
Cartagena becomes considerably more interesting when you experience it as a living Caribbean city rather than simply a collection of attractions.
La Boquilla: Discover Cartagena’s Afro-Caribbean Fishing Heritage
Travel about 20 minutes north of Cartagena’s historic center and the experience changes dramatically.
La Boquilla is a fishing community with deep Afro-Caribbean roots, where generations of families have built their lives around the sea and surrounding mangrove ecosystem. Colombia’s official tourism site specifically identifies La Boquilla as an Afro-Caribbean fishing village.
Visitors can take community-led canoe trips through the mangroves of the Ciénaga de la Virgen, learn traditional fishing and crabbing techniques, watch birds and share meals prepared from the day’s catch.
Colombia’s tourism authority notes that the area is home primarily to Afro-Colombian fishing families and promotes experiences that put visitors directly in contact with local guides and community traditions.
For intentional travelers, that’s important.
You’re not simply observing Afro-Colombian culture.
You’re creating an opportunity for some of your tourism spending to reach the people whose culture and environment make the experience possible.
San Basilio de Palenque: One of the Most Important Black Heritage Experiences in the Americas
If you have enough time in Cartagena, consider leaving the city for a day.
Approximately southeast of Cartagena lies San Basilio de Palenque, an extraordinary community with a history that stretches back centuries.
During the colonial period, Africans who escaped enslavement established fortified communities known as palenques.
San Basilio survived.
UNESCO describes Palenque de San Basilio as one of these communities founded by escaped enslaved Africans as a refuge during the 17th century and notes that, of the many palenques that once existed, San Basilio is the one that survived into the present as a unique cultural space.
Its significance isn’t merely historical.
African heritage remains alive within the community.
Music.
Oral traditions.
Healing practices.
Social structures.
Food.
Dance.
And language.
Palenquero: An African Language Legacy in Colombia
One of San Basilio de Palenque’s most remarkable cultural traditions is Palenquero.
UNESCO identifies it as the only Spanish-lexified Creole language in Latin America whose grammar includes characteristics of Bantu languages.
That makes a visit to Palenque much more than another sightseeing excursion.
For travelers interested in the African diaspora, it provides an opportunity to encounter a community where descendants of Africans preserved and transformed elements of African culture for generations on Colombian soil.
UNESCO inscribed the Cultural Space of Palenque de San Basilio on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008, following its original proclamation in 2005.
For Black travelers visiting Cartagena, I’d consider it one of the most meaningful day trips available.
Black-Owned Hotels in Cartagena
Understanding Cartagena’s Black history can also change the way we think about where we stay.
International hotel brands dominate much of the city’s tourism industry.
But Black-owned accommodations do exist.
And BHG has identified options that allow travelers to incorporate intentional spending directly into their Cartagena vacation.
Casa Noir Cartagena — Getsemaní | Check
A Black-Owned Boutique Hotel in the Heart of Cartagena
For travelers searching specifically for a Black-owned hotel in Cartagena, start with Casa Noir Cartagena.
Located in Getsemaní, Casa Noir was founded by Harlem entrepreneur Shawn Roseburgh, who opened the hotel in November 2021 after visiting Cartagena and eventually making the city his home.
Roseburgh told Travel Noire that while exploring Cartagena he noticed the city’s large Black population and significant number of Black visitors, but felt Black culture and heritage weren’t represented as prominently as they could be within the tourism experience.
He decided to do something about it.
The result was Casa Noir, which Travel Noire reported as downtown Cartagena’s first and only Black-owned hotel when it profiled Roseburgh and the property in 2022.
The intimate boutique hotel has just 10 rooms, giving it a considerably different atmosphere from Cartagena’s large resorts.
Guests are positioned close to the historic city and many of Cartagena’s attractions while enjoying amenities including social spaces, a rooftop atmosphere and spa and wellness services.
But Casa Noir’s story is what makes it particularly relevant to this guide.
It’s not simply a hotel located in a predominantly Afro-descendant Caribbean city.
It’s a Black entrepreneur deliberately creating a hospitality business within that destination.
Best for: Black travelers, couples, friends, nightlife, boutique-hotel lovers and travelers who want to stay close to Cartagena’s historic center.
→ Explore Casa Noir Cartagena on Black Hotel Guide
Blue Apple Beach — Tierra Bomba Island | Check
Trade the City for an Island Escape
Cartagena doesn’t have to mean spending your entire vacation inside the city.
A short boat ride from the mainland takes travelers to Tierra Bomba, an island sitting just offshore from Cartagena.
Here, the pace changes.
The colorful streets and nightlife of the city give way to Caribbean water, palm trees, swimming, lounging and considerably fewer reasons to check the time.
Blue Apple Beach gives travelers an opportunity to experience that side of Cartagena while incorporating another BHG-listed stay into their trip.
The boutique island property combines accommodations with a beach-club atmosphere, food, cocktails, swimming and the kind of laid-back environment that encourages guests to spend much of the day barefoot.
It’s particularly appealing for travelers who want to combine Cartagena’s history and culture with a few days of Caribbean relaxation.
One itinerary could be:
Getsemaní → Palenque → La Boquilla → Tierra Bomba.
City.
History.
Afro-Colombian culture.
Then beach.
That’s a considerably richer Cartagena vacation than spending the entire trip inside a resort.
Best for: Couples, friends, beach escapes, boutique stays and travelers combining Cartagena with an island experience.
→ Explore Blue Apple Beach on Black Hotel Guide
Where Should Black Travelers Stay in Cartagena?
There isn’t one correct neighborhood for everyone.
If you want culture, restaurants, nightlife and easy access to Cartagena’s historic center, Getsemaní makes a strong base—and Casa Noir gives you the opportunity to stay Black-owned while doing it.
If you want beach and island relaxation, consider spending part of your trip on Tierra Bomba.
If luxury high-rise hotels and beachfront resorts are the priority, Bocagrande provides a very different Cartagena experience.
And travelers particularly interested in community-based Afro-Colombian tourism should make time for La Boquilla, even if they don’t stay there.
The best Cartagena trip may actually combine several of these experiences.
Don’t Experience Cartagena Without Experiencing Black Cartagena
It would be easy to visit Cartagena and come home with hundreds of beautiful photographs.
The walls.
The balconies.
The beaches.
The sunsets.
But understanding the city requires looking beyond the postcard.
Afro-Colombian communities aren’t a footnote to Cartagena’s story.
They are part of the story.
That’s why visiting places such as La Boquilla and San Basilio de Palenque can add so much depth to a trip.
And it’s why intentionally supporting local guides, restaurants, cultural experiences and Black-owned accommodations can matter.
Travel can be more than seeing somewhere.
It can be an opportunity to understand who created the culture we’re traveling to experience.
Black Travel in Cartagena: Make Your Trip Intentional
📱 Before you book—Check BlackHotelGuide.com First
➡️ Add BHG to your Home Screen
It’s about helping travelers discover Black-owned places to stay and making ownership part of the travel decision.
That can mean booking a Black-owned hotel in Colombia.
FAQs
Is Cartagena a good destination for Black travelers?
Yes. Cartagena is a major Caribbean destination with deep Afro-Colombian heritage. Travelers interested in the African diaspora can explore communities including La Boquilla and take a day trip to San Basilio de Palenque while enjoying Cartagena’s beaches, food, nightlife and historic center.
Are there Black-owned hotels in Cartagena, Colombia?
Yes. Casa Noir Cartagena in Getsemaní is a Black-owned boutique hotel founded by Harlem entrepreneur Shawn Roseburgh. Travel Noire reported it as downtown Cartagena’s first Black-owned hotel when the property opened.
What is San Basilio de Palenque?
San Basilio de Palenque is a historic Afro-Colombian community southeast of Cartagena descended from Africans who escaped enslavement. Its distinctive cultural traditions—including music, oral traditions and the Palenquero language—are recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Where can I experience Afro-Colombian culture near Cartagena?
San Basilio de Palenque and La Boquilla are two important options. La Boquilla offers Afro-Caribbean fishing traditions and community-led mangrove experiences, while Palenque provides a deeper exploration of African-descended history, language, music and culture.
One thing I would not do yet is put “2026” in the title. Unlike Notting Hill Carnival, the underlying Cartagena opportunity is evergreen. If the current Black-travel momentum brings you rankings over the next few months, we want this URL to keep accumulating authority.