AboutJuan Carlos Valencia Expertise I`m a 42-year-old colombian with a thirst for travel. I`ve managed to travel through good portions of this complex but fascinating country and could provide advice on destinations, special care, hazards, prices and highlights. I`ve also traveled throughout a part of Central and South America, Australia, Europe and North America, so I think I could provide some balanced advice, avoiding nationalistic hype but also pointing out some particular, unique charms of this unusual land.
Experience Telecommunications engineer, Web page programmer, local FM Radio programmer, Media Communications academic, amateur photographer.
Education/Credentials Electronic Engineer. Masters in Communications. PhD Candidate in Communication. I speak Spanish, English, French, Portuguese and a bit of German.
Question QUESTION: Hello Juan, I am coming to Colombia, Cartegena and Santa Marta in Feb-Mar 2010. I will be looking for apt rentals in a good area to stay for a while. I would like to live here for a while. I am retired on fixed income. Can you tell me actual prices or a rental in a good area with the locals. Also, give me prices on the common foods in local restaurants, food stores, etc. Also is wireless the best way to go? Are buses and taxies cheap. How cheap? I have read alot but not getting the specific details I need to have. Many travelers love Colombia and now I want to experience your country. I love friendly people and need them. Sincerely, Barb in AZ
ANSWER: Hey Barbara,
great that you are visiting Colombia and staying here for a fairly long time.
I would have liked that you tell me more about yourself in order to be able to answer with more specifics. Are you into sports? Nature? Partying? Noise? Quiet? This lifestyle options matter a lot.
The Cartagena - Santa Marta area is hot year round and it's the top destination for local and foreign tourists, so prices could be higher than in the rest of the country. The crowds should be thinner in Feb-Mar, though.
People there are happier, noisier, more informal and "intruding" than in the rest of Colombia. They speak quicker, they could be said to be more machist, more direct and outdoorsy. Cartagena receives more foreign tourists, has more old buildings and bigger infrastructure than Santa Marta. Santa Marta is greener, more spread and is surrounded by beautiful mountains and natural parks. Our crazy, short sighted government, however, has decided to build a train railway system to bring coal from the east and put it in ships, crossing the city. Some hotels have already decided to close. The ecological impact of this coal trains could be horrendous.
So you have to make a decision about what you like.
I would say that Cartagena is more expensive than Santa Marta, but then you have to bear something in mind: inequality is a huge problem in Colombia. The disparity in income between the rich and the poor is extreme. Cities like C/gena & Sta.Marta are acute examples. Upper class people have everything (great apartments or houses, boats, fancy cars, top quality utilities, security, etc). Poor people live in tough conditions. Shanty towns are big, most roads are unpaved, common crime is a real problem. Poor neighborhoods in these cities dont have water facilities or get treated water just for a few hours each day. Power is suspended randomly and phone lines cease to work constantly. Complaints to city officials go unanswered.
There's of course, some middle class areas but in these 2 cities, middle class neighborhoods face some of the issues of the poorer areas. The houses may look nice but problems with utilities, safety and transport could be common.
So, if you are not into a basic, zen lifestyle and want to have running water, constant power and a good level of security, you'll have to stick to the best areas.
In Cartagena, they could be classified in 4 sections:
Bocagrande/Castillo Grande/Laguito (Modern apartment buildings with expensive rents and utilities, many tourists, beaches, noise and good transportation). Expect to pay around 1500 US per month for a fairly big apartment with a view.
Colonial district (Small buildings, small apartments in nice old buildings with expensive rents and utilities, many tourists, lots of great restaurants and good transportation). Expect to pay around 900 US/month for a small place in good condition. I used to live there and was able to ride around in a bike, especially after dark.
Manga (Old art deco wonderful houses, a few modern buildings with expensive rents, acceptable utilities, no tourists, quieter and acceptable transport, distant from the beach). Expect to pay around 800 for a small place in good condition
Marbella & airport area (Medium and big apartment buildings with less expensive rents, acceptable utilities, no tourists, beaches, quieter and acceptable transport). Expect to pay around 700 for a small place in good condition.
In Santa Marta you have the option of living in:
Rodadero (A remote suburb full of tall modern buildings, mostly inhabited by tourists). It's got everything that you may need, but then it's too touristy. You may find a big flat there for 1200 US/month in the low season.
Beach avenue in downtown (Mid-size buildings near the harbor). It could be noisy but it's less touristy. Expect to pay 900 US for a small place in good shape.
You will find a wide range of prices for food, from outrageously expensive restaurants with their menu in US dollars in the Colonial district of Cartagena, to suspiciously cheap corner eateries. A balanced dinner in a very popular, good quality chain place for crepes and salads (It's called Crepes and Waffles) may cost 10 US (no alcoholic drinks). A large pizza may cost the same. You may find cheap places for seafood with a day menu of 5 US (you have to be careful when selecting one, ask the locals). Restaurants in the colonial district could have dishes of 50 US or more.
Internet cafes are very popular in the area as poorer people cant afford computers or permanent internet connections. Use them while you survey the providers available. They are open long hours and most are air-conditioned.
Bus prices are less then $1. Taxis are fairly cheap as well with most rides costing below $6. Bear in mind, however, that if you dont speak good spanish and look like a "gringa", they will always charge you more for everything...
So please, if you dont already speak spanish, try to learn as much as you can before coming.
Let me know if this info is enough for you.
Good luck
JC
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hi Juan, thanks so much for your help. Is there no place in these two areas that I could find a cheaper apt to stay? I have always heard how cheap and beautiful these two areas are. I do speak a little Spanish and seem to get by pretty well. I think mostly they just enjoy that I try so hard to communicate in Spanish. Why has it gotten so expensive? What is the best airline from Miami to Colombia to your knowledge? Thank You, Barb in AZ
Answer Hey Barb,
I'm glad that you found my answer useful.
You could certainly find cheaper places than those that I mentioned, but you have the problem of wanting to stay for a "short" time (locals sign contracts with real estate agencies for at least 12 months). I'm also quoting prices for good-quality, clean places.
You may find cheaper things but the conditions could be terrible. Bear in mind that the caribbean in the tropics is a tough environment: things get rusty very quickly (damaged doors & windows, broken furniture, stains & mold, electrical appliances damaged, short circuits,etc) and bugs are everywhere. How tolerant are you of this?
I knew a girl from Sweden that lived like a hippie in a peripheric area of Cartagena's colonial district. She paid a very low rent but then, she did not care about smells (not even her own !), did not mind having no phone nor internet, did not like air-conditioning (not even fans). She did not mind having to walk alone through very dark and empty streets at night.
These areas are not cheap for middle-class colombians. They could look cheap to "gringos" but as the security situation has improved in most of Colombia, many foreigners have decided to move or buy property there (like in Panama, Argentina, Chile and many other countries) and they have pushed prices up. My sister was in Cartagena a few weeks ago and she came back shocked by the outrageous prices for hotels and food.
As for airlines, there are some who fly straight from Miami to Cartagena, without having to go to Bogota first. Check the usual suspects (American Airlines, Continental, Avianca, Copa).
Great that you speak spanish little, that will attract sympathy and will help you bargain (you have to do it to get better prices, people expect you to do it, so dont be shy)
