Where to Catch the Sunset in Cartagena, Colombia — Carry On, from Amanda Kellner Klein

I would consider Joe and I to be avid sunset watchers. We have chased a pink and yellow sky to the top of the Bunkers del Carmel in Barcelona and right up against the shoreline of Laguna de Apoyo in Nicaragua. We have felt the cool ocean breeze in Maine as an endless sky transitions from soft blue to deep, starry black.

In warm New York months I admit to stopping by the Hudson River Park entrance by my apartment for a quick sunset before dinner. In search of a leisurely sunset watching experience during our five day vacation to Cartagena, we were rewarded with two viewing locations worth sharing.

Rooftop of the Movich Cartagena de Indias

The Hotel Movich offers the most expansive views we experienced during our time in Cartagena. One of the unique beauties of this Colombian city is the juxtaposition of the old, walled city (Ciudad Amurallada) and the new part of town (Bocagrande) equipped with high rise hotels and urban comforts. Situated in the Ciudad Amurallada, visitors can ascend to the rooftop of the Movich to enjoy cocktails, a dip in the pool (at additional cost) and one of my favorite sunsets across all sides of the city - plus the Caribbean.

We commandeered a plush white couch, ordered fruity margaritas and attempted to absorb the many facets of Cartagena as the colors began to change. Gold light reflected off the looming glass Bocagrande buildings to the south as nearby lights began to flicker on in reaction to the orange sky around us. The bulb of the sun dipped slowly into the horizon directly in front of us.

A note on the Movich - when we went to close our tab, the bartender told us their credit card machine "wasn't working". We had only enough cash for our excursion the following day and as the ATMs in Cartagena are far apart and often do not function properly, we were not keen to spend it. After much back and forth between the Movich crew, we ultimately settled up with the cash we had. Credit cards are widely accepted in the city but be prepared to face a broken machine and always have cash on hand.

The Old Wall

Traversing the famous stone wall is a rite of passage for any traveler spending time in Cartagena. The historic old city is surrounded by this fortress, seven miles of elevated wall originally intended for protection and to separate the classes. Nowadays, you can easily spot a pair of teenagers canoodling inside one of the wall's portholes and friends enjoying a can of Cerveza Aguila purchased from one of many available vendors.

Tourists may choose to sit at the well known Cafe del Mar but drinks will cost more than average and you can just as easily enjoy their live music from a seat on the wall itself just next to this outdoor cafe, as we did. Take this route, grab a beer from a street vendor, and you get an unobstructed view of the Caribbean Sea. The sea is much closer to the city than I imagined when preparing for the trip and pouring over Google Maps. Only a small highway and a fractured cement sidewalk separate the wall from the water. A wall-full of prime sunset viewing spots.

Hasta el próximo atardecer!