Cartagena is a famous city in Colombia known for the warm welcome it offers to tourists from all around the world. It is located in the north of Colombia, on the shore of the Caribbean Sea; homing in the South American continent.
Cartagena de Indias is famous for its timely history that is mainly architectural and cultural. This significant culture and architecture make this city a fun stay either for a tourist or for a digital nomad. The beautiful beaches and other landscapes make up for a great time while in the city.
Nevertheless, here our concern is the question: How is Cartagena for digital nomads? Let’s find out the answer.
There are certain factors that are to be considered to name a place as a good spot for a digital nomad. The things that you ought to know before going to Cartagena, Colombia are:
Internet Speed
The internet speed in Cartagena entirely depends upon the area you are staying in. However, since it is a host to many tourists from all around the world, the Wi-Fi in hotels is fairly okay. If you require a better internet speed, you might prefer Airbnb which can offer up to 5-10 Mbs, which is not exactly a good internet speed, but it is as good as it gets over there.
4G
As a digital nomad, you know better than to rely on Wi-Fi across the city. Even if the city offers high-speed internet, you will still require a 4G sim to help access the time you are going to be spending around the city.
In regard to buying the right type of sim card, people in Cartagena usually go for Claro or Tigo. In comparison, Tigo offers better 4G speed and network availability across different areas in the city.
Based on the maps you’ll find on Nperf.com, you can expect to get 4G+ speed in many areas in the city. I suggest you check the address of your accommodation on that map before booking anything. This will allow you to be sure that you’ll have a stable internet connection to do video calls.
Visa for Digital Nomads
Acquiring a visa for a digital nomad might be a tricky task for some places. The places that offer visa flexibility are usually preferred by the nomads. Cartagena, Colombia is one of those places for the digital nomads.
Colombia has an easy visa offering. No country is restricted from obtaining a visa to Colombia. There are different policies. Some require people from certain countries to have a visa before traveling, some have the option to get it upon arrival while some can apply for the E-visa online which is a simple process.
The good news for digital nomads belonging from western countries (USA, EU, and Australia) is that they are granted 90 days free visa for the country. The stay can be further extended to 90 more days by applying online, making the process easier.
The limit for this free visa is up to 180 days, which is more than what a nomad usually requires. However, if a visa for an extended time is needed, getting it is no hurdle in Colombia.
Safety
There might be a word on the internet every now and then that Cartagena is not a safe city to visit. However, that is not the case. Cartagena is home to a lot of tourists because of its Caribbean beauty. The safety of these tourists is the main concern for the government and the inhabitants of the place.
Cartagena has the lowest crime rate recorded in the last 3 decades. Even if there were any security concerns before, they are no more a thing to worry about.
The country has attracted over 4 million tourists during the last few years that is due to the improved infrastructure and enhanced security.
Cost Of Living
Living in Cartagena is not expensive. It can even be considered cheap depending upon the location you choose for your stay. One of the reasons tourists consider visiting Cartagena is the affordable hotels and food.
Accommodations Costs
Finding a place to live in Cartagena is comparatively cheaper to the other parts of the country. It obviously depends on the location you choose for yourself.
If you choose to live in a hotel during your time in Cartagena, it can cost around $26 per night. Renting out an apartment is a fairly easy process and requires up to $600-$1200/month depending upon the place where you are staying. If you wish to rent a studio it comes with a price tag of around $500-$600.
These accommodation costs are more reasonable if you opt to co-rent a place.
Food Costs
A local Colombian meal on a night out can cost you up to $4, whereas if you wish to have a western meal it can cost around $8.
While the food costs entirely depend on the place you choose to eat at, the food is still reasonably priced everywhere in Cartagena.
If you would rather cook food at home, then groceries can cost up to $50 which is easily affordable.
Transportation Costs
If you wish to rent a car during your stay in Cartagena, you can rent it for around $25/day. Furthermore, the maximum amount a taxi cost is up to $6, making the transportation around the city cheap.
Digital Nomad Communities
A digital nomad community is a group of digital nomads working remotely in various places in the city. Having a digital nomad community can help make your stay as a nomad in the said country much better.
The digital nomad communities offer a lot of different good things for a nomad. It can be a networking environment, more job opportunities, or courses to learn more about being a nomad.
The advantage of having a digital nomad community is that it helps you in being seen and when you surround yourself with people with the same work as you, you expand your social circle. In such a way, a better job opportunity can also arise.
Colombia has digital nomad communities in various parts of the country. Medellin, a city in Columbia has a great circle of digital nomad communities. Cartagena has progressed a lot in the last few years, it has seen a rise in new digital nomad communities forming around the city.
Co-working Spaces
A co-working space rises up when the digital nomad culture spreads out. Cartagena has seen an increase in tourists in the past few years which is also the reason there has been a hike in digital nomads in various parts of the city.
A co-working space offers you the environment required to work peacefully while being in the city as a nomad. Cartagena has a good amount of co-working spaces that fulfill all the basic requirements of a digital nomad.
Places To Visit While in Cartagena, Colombia
The Caribbean city has a charm like no other. There are different places you can visit around the city to soak up its ancient historical culture.
Old Town
If you have an eye for history and prefer vintage places, then this place will certainly catch your attention. This old city is filled with architecture that is captivating to the eyes. While visiting the old town you can go through the different mansions, churches, and plazas located in the old part of the city.
The old and colorful streets serve a great purpose for your photographs or just to wander around the place.
Castillo De San Felipe De Barajas
Most of the places that you find worthy of visiting are basically old architect that has been preserved from the old times. This castle is located on top of the hill of San Lazaro. From the time this castle was built by the Spanish, it still stands strong and indeed it is a must-visit when in Cartagena, Colombia.
Museum Of Modern Art
No matter where you go, you ought to go around the museums. The museum of modern art is no less than exceptional. If you have a thing for art, you will surely love seeing this place. It has all the different kinds of art pieces to offer. It includes paintings from top local artists. It includes abstract art and has sculptures on display too.
The Beaches
Having a chance to go to a place like Cartagena but not saving yourself a beach day is a foul mistake. Cartagena is lined with pretty beaches that you can visit to blow off some steam for a day. There are many local beaches that you can visit. If you wish to have a better and luxurious visit a ride a few hours out of the city can serve you a beautiful view.
So, Cartagena for Digital Nomads?
Cartagena is a developing city that has tons of potential (even more in the coming years) for the nomads. The place has a lot of cultural and historical beauty to offer. It also has affordable accommodation that is flexible for a nomad from anywhere around the world.
So to sum it up in a sentence for you, yes, Cartagena is a good place for a digital nomad.
Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash