A Cartagena bachelor party can be the trip future trips are measured against. A trip so packed with things to do and so turnkey that you’ll rush your friends into getting married sooner. I exaggerate to make my point, but Cartagena is truly the place to be before you bid farewell to the single life.
With the rise of AI, planning a bachelor party in Cartagena can happen in a matter of seconds, but how much of this information can you trust? How do you know that these very helpful tools will add a local’s perspective and not just a step-by-step guide? The short answer is, you don’t.
What we’ve done is compile a list of our can’t-miss tips to plan your next trip to Cartagena. Whether it’s a bachelor party, birthday party, or just a guys’ trip, these tips will help you know what to do and where to do it.
What to Know Before Planning a Cartagena Bachelor Party
We’ve been hosting bachelor parties in Colombia for over a decade, and we’ve seen it all. Celebrities, professional athletes, and friends and family members looking to keep it simple on a 3-day trip.
What these parties in Medellin and Cartagena have in common is the type of personalities you meet on these trips.
Let’s start with the point person. Usually the groom himself or the most organized person in the crew. This person hates planning these things but probably feels he has to because everyone else is terrible at it. This individual, using AI, feels he has now concocted a list of plans to present to the pickiest, most annoying group of guys he knows: his friends.
These plans are structured in a way where everyone knows the right places to party, the most popular hang-out spots, and even what you should expect to pay. But in a country like Colombia, where so many different agencies claim to offer the same services, you’ll see differences in prices where you’re likely to second-guess what’s going to happen.
You’ll know what you can do, but you’re left with a long list of purveyors, many of which don’t speak your language, and, knowing Colombian companies the way we do, don’t exactly have the quickest response times.
So you’re left with a long list of things to do and juggling various scenarios before actually telling your crew what they’ll be doing on a trip that will likely have them spend thousands, as well as using up a more valuable hall pass at home.
Once you reach Cartagena, almost instantly you’re swarmed by not just intense heat but by an army of Ubers and taxi drivers ready to ‘host’ you with Cartagena hospitality. This hospitality has seen groups “lose” luggage and belongings on their ride to the Airbnb, or any more of the dozens of potential outcomes that will leave you hating this beautiful city and all of the possibilities of an epic time.
But this isn’t supposed to be a case study of what can go wrong if you don’t play your cards right; on the contrary. It’s a guide to how to plan your Cartagena Bachelor Party correctly.
So without further ado, here are 7 Tips to plan the Ultimate Cartagena Bachelor Party.
Tip #1 - Where to stay on your Cartagena Bachelor Party?
Many of us know Cartagena as Colombia’s most fun beach town, so you’ll likely want to stay on the beach, right? This is where many make their first mistake.
The beaches you see in those postcard-perfect photos of Cartagena are generally out on the islands, which means a 30–45 minute boat ride from the city. The urban beaches are a completely different experience, and for most bachelor-party groups, they aren't the reason you came to Cartagena.
If you must stay near the beach, we know of a few Airbnbs in areas called Castillo Grande and Bocagrande. Residential areas about 25 minutes away from the Rafael Núñez International Airport. These places are right in front of the beach and packed with the right amenities for those crews looking to stay away from the hustle and bustle of the city center.
We always recommend our Cartagena crews to stay in the ‘walled city,’ also known as ‘El Centro Historico’. A UNESCO World Heritage site, this is where you want to be. An area known for its nightlife, great restaurants, and beautiful architecture. It is generally considered one of the better areas for visitors to stay.
There are rentals and villas in this sector that range in size, budget, and amenities. So don’t worry too much about thinking the best location means the most expensive places.
You’re also likely to see pictures of a bohemian street filled with beautiful umbrellas worthy of any Instagram post. That’s Getsemaní. It’s a great neighborhood to explore during the day and early evening, but for a bachelor party, I prefer having the group stay deeper inside the walled city, particularly if you want easy access to restaurants, nightlife and your villa.
Tip #2 - Villas vs Hotel Rooms
Hotel rooms are great for family and couples trips. Trips where you want to get up early, know you have breakfast and coffee downstairs, and want to arrive to a neatly made bed.
But for these types of trips, I don’t think hotel rooms are ready (or allow) some of the shenanigans these crews are about to get into.
That really should be the gist of it, but if you’re still not convinced, villas and luxury rentals in the walled city include the same things hotel rooms do. If you remove breakfast (which can also very easily be arranged; more on that later), safety is just as high a priority at villas as it is at hotels.
Many of the villas found in the walled city predate the American Civil War and are the prized possession of the Colombian elite. These villas include security and daily maid service round the clock to ensure that not only is your crew safe but their house is in top condition.
A vacation rental in the walled city for your Cartagena bachelor party will have your crew in a luxury villa, in the best possible location, along with round-the-clock staff catering to your every whim. Many of these rentals feature multiple lounge areas, a pool, a jacuzzi, as well as a party-friendly environment to ensure you’re not disturbing anyone’s sleep. This won’t be the case at a hotel.
For example, a hotel means:
- separate rooms
- separate schedules
- nowhere to congregate
- limited privacy
- hotel rules
- potentially complicated visitors
- everyone wandering around looking for each other
A villa means:
- everyone wakes up together
- everyone eats together
- pool/jacuzzi
- common areas
- pregame
- chef
- staff
- music
- easier logistics
Tip #3 - Private Transportation in Cartagena
We value safety just as much as entertainment and convenience, which is why we don’t take this item lightly.
Cartagena is a safe city, but just like every tourist town, there are scammers, pickpockets, and overall tricks of the trade you need to know to not be a mark.
Let’s start with airport transportation. Getting this down sounds like a dud and pretty turnkey, but once you’re out of customs with your “enter name here” bachelor party shirt, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb. Having your airport transfers covered will ensure you get to your destination safely and without initially having to say ‘No, gracias” a dozen times before you find your taxi.
Taxis in Cartagena also have a weird system where there are numbers that represent what you’re going to pay, so you’ll likely have to ask the cab driver (before you hop in) how much it is to go to the area where your hotel or Airbnb is. And even if you know what the normal fare should be, negotiating with a taxi driver after a long flight isn't exactly how most people want to start their vacation.
For a 3–5 day trip, if you’re staying in the walled city, you won’t need much transportation within the city center. Traffic and people in the way will have you taking longer sitting in car than actually walking to your next stop.
The next times you will need to get around with your crew will be heading to the docks for your yacht party, beach club, restaurant outside of the walled city, or local beach. At that point, we recommend one of the many private shuttle services offered.
If you’re part of a Cartagena bachelor party and looking for more information on how to get around, we offer a fleet of vehicles for any size crew. We don’t recommend 24/7 shuttle service as it will likely just be parked outside most of the time, but if you do as little walking as possible in the evenings, a pimped-out Sprinter with music and AC on blast will make your few commutes even more hassle-free.
Tip #4 - Private Chef Service
Cartagena has delicious coffee shops and restaurants, all of which will have you wanting to rethink the chef decision.
However, a private chef in Cartagena will save you time and headaches, as you’ll find that when an otherwise chronically late group is up and about and fed, itineraries and schedules are accomplished. If you’re here for 3-4 days and have activities during the day, you won’t want to have to wait for a few guys that just went to bed a few hours ago.
You also don’t want to waste the tour by stopping every few minutes for coffee or snacks. You’ll want to have the warm smell of cinnamon and blueberry pancakes and fried egg arepas wake you in the morning. We’re not trying to babysit; we’re trying to make sure everyone optimizes their time as much as possible.
A private chef in Cartagena will make sure that your mornings start off right as well as your first night-at-home meal, lunch on the yacht, and farewell house party BBQ are taken care of.
We don’t want your Cartagena bachelor party to be spent eating at home; we want you guys to check out the local cuisine. But on the days where you’re burnt out and want to keep the party going, you have the option to enjoy one of the many delicious at-home chef options there are.
Tip #5 - Yacht Party in Cartagena
The previous items we consider essential, but now comes the activity you were probably most excited about when you decided on Cartagena.
Yacht parties in Cartagena or island-hopping boat parties in Cartagena are all-day private events. These events vary in terms of itineraries, but they all share a common theme: it’s a lot crammed into one day.. This is why we need to get this right.
That means:
- See and know exactly the boat you’re booking and trust the owner/broker
- Research the islands you want to visit (many captains just end up driving around in circles to save on gas).
- Have someone onboard with you that can keep random people from getting on your yacht out on the islands offering to sell you things you never requested.
- Carry cash. You don’t want to run the risk of your card cloned on vacation on an island in Cartagena while catching a buzz. You also have locals on the islands charging ridiculous amounts of money for fried fish and coconut rice.
- Bring a chef with you. Local food is good but we’ve had our share of the aforementioned islanders trying to charge us for seating and shade IN A RESTAURANT. A chef will also guarantee you know what’s on the menu beforehand. It’s also pretty badass to have someone cooking for you on a luxury yacht or catamaran while you sip on margaritas and watch the boys attempt to do a backflip like they’re still in their twenties.
For everything else yacht-related... we have a pretty thorough Cartagena yacht party guide where you can find these and many more tips.
Tip #6 - Build the right Itinerary for your Crew
We have crews that follow their leader to the ends of the earth and then either regret it or wish he had done more. There is no in between.
Some leaders we’ve seen try and cram everything into one or two days and have the plan fall flat on its face. And we’ve also had leaders who just go with the flow. We’re not going to tell you which way is the correct way (because it’s neither) but we are paid to plan things you’ll actually do. Not just throw money away in the process.
Allow us to introduce you to our fictional (but loosely based on true stories) case studies.
Meet Neil
Neil says his bachelor party crew of 10 should trust his experience because he’s set up tables and villas in Vegas before. He plans their 3-day trip to Cartagena for his homie’s bachelor party and believes in the philosophy of “we’ll sleep on the plane, we’ve got a lot to see to make these 3 days count”.
He starts by setting up lunch, a quick tour, pregame and dinner in the walled city for their first day. He says their flight is scheduled to land at 1pm Cartagena time and we will make this work.
Assuming their flights aren’t delayed and they arrive at 1pm sharp, Cartagena’s customs line is nothing to take lightly. You can be there between 1-3 hours. You’ll also run the risk of traffic, issues upon check in, money exchange, grocery shopping, the list goes on. Neil is lucky if they make dinner. Not to mention trying to see if a Cartagena tour he booked weeks ago will refund his deposit, good luck with that.
I can go on for hours but I’m not going to bore you all to death with the endless possibilities of what can go wrong if you try and plan a seamless Cartagena yacht party without knowing the nuances of it all. You also have to keep in mind that Neil is also paying for his share of the trip and seems to be more stressed than actually having fun. Neil, I am talking to you.
So meet his also popular counterpart, Jeremy.
Jeremy invited 9 of his closest friends to join him in Cartagena. He said, book your flights, we’re going on these dates and we’re looking at these villa options.
Jeremy is mixing a few of his different friend groups together. From childhood to college, relatives, brother in law and even work buddies. So he doesn’t want to commit to activities or any type of itinerary before setting foot in Cartagena.
“Let’s explore” and “Let’s wait and see what the guys want to do” are some of the things I’ve heard. At first I thought this approach would be wise as you don’t know what response he would get from such an eclectic group of friends.
But just like our friend Neil dropped the ball trying to do many things at once, Jeremy went through 3 days just walking around a sun scorched Cartagena not seeing or doing anything. Yet another example of when keeping it real goes wrong.
3 days passed and between hangovers, many cliques forming and doing their own things, and poor Jeremy walked through a below average beach and has one picture of a sunset. We’re not recommending continuous group building activities, but having a plan in place can be the difference between a good and epic Cartagena bachelor party experience.
In layman’s terms, without a plan, your plan will likely be
Wake up → panic → activity → activity → activity → sprint to dinner → nightclub → collapse.
…. Which is a recipe for disaster. Especially when it’s your plan for every day. Our Cartagena bachelor parties have a rhythm built into them. Something we know you will actually do. Like this.
Morning → activity → downtime → dinner → nightlife
Tip #7 - Have someone handle logistics for you
I know what you’re thinking, “here we go, gift shop is near the exit” or however else you would say a company is looking to push you into buying something. But on the contrary, instead of trying to persuade you into a purchase, we want you to have the best possible Cartagena bachelor party.
You won’t need a host just to find a restaurant or a club. That stuff you can do on your own. It’s coordinating
- Accommodations at a competitive price
- Different arrival and departure times
- Reservations and tickets
- Yachts and logistics
- Money exchange
- Rules of the street
- Grocery runs
- The guy who got food poisoning
- The guy that got lost
- The Uber that hasnt arrived even though you all left at the same time
- Last minute changing of plans
- Handling locals, street vendors and pickpockets
- The guy who left his phone in an uber (every crew has one)
- Sadly the list goes on
This is where a local concierge comes in handy. Think of them as a seeing-eye dog. Someone who takes the stress out of planning, handles the moving parts and lets you come out looking like a king for getting things done.
Ending on a high note
Planning your Cartagena bachelor party won’t necessarily be difficult. You’re likely going to have a great time regardless of whether you’re Jeremy or Neil.
The city has an endless selection of great restaurants, street food, bars and clubs. But you’ll want to hit the ground running as opposed to wasting the first few hours looking for what to do first. Especially if you’re only here for 3-4 days.
The hardest part about planning these trips is putting everything together, and that’s really what these seven tips come down to. Stay in the right area. Give your crew a place where everyone can actually hang out. Have transportation when you need it. Feed the guys before they start complaining. Plan your yacht day carefully. Build an itinerary that leaves room to breathe. And, if you can, have someone local handle the moving parts.
Because the goal of a bachelor party in Cartagena isn’t to see how much you can cram into three days. It’s to give the groom and his friends a trip they’ll still be talking about years from now.
