Airport Hotels Near Trinidad Square, Cartagena: 5 Safe Picks

I'm genuinely excited to write about Cartagena, because it is one of the few cities where the airport is only a short ride from the old town. I spent years as a ground-crew supervisor on the apron, so I plan every trip backwards from the arrival gate. This guide works the same way: where you land, how you get out, and which base suits which plans around the Plaza de la Trinidad in Getsemaní. An honest note first: the plaza is lively and loud, so I've split my five picks by zone (inside the walls, around the airport, the northern beaches) and said what you gain and lose in each. A dedicated safety section comes near the end.

Rafael Núñez (CTG) is in the Crespo neighbourhood, inside the city, so what matters is the first ten minutes outside the terminal. Walk to the authorised taxi rank at the domestic or international exit and ask: '¿Me muestra la tarifa oficial a Getsemaní?' (no meters, so without the fare table you are negotiating). The ride to the old town is about ten minutes, longer at rush hour or during terminal works, so confirm the current run at the rank.

The question I heard most on the apron: 'Can I take the first taxi that calls out?' No. Walk to the rank.

• Airport tax is normally in your ticket: USD 54 international, COP 24,700 domestic
• Terminal open 24 hours, with ATMs and exchange inside
• App pick-ups can be restricted, so check the meeting point

Getsemaní sits just outside the walls across the Avenida Venezuela. The Plaza de la Trinidad, in front of the 17th-century Santísima Trinidad church, is its evening living room: neighbours, backpackers, street performers and food stalls. On value it is the best deal near the centre. The walls and Las Bóvedas are free to visit, the Museo del Oro Zenú is free (closed Mondays), and places such as La Cocina de Pepina sit in the budget band. The catch (a real one) is weekend noise and a neighbourhood already feeling gentrification, so spend locally. Calle de la Media Luna was rebuilt in 2026. Compare more hotels in Cartagena before you commit.

The yellow Torre del Reloj is the main gate of the walled city and the doorway between the old town and Getsemaní; locals call it the Boca del Puente. Inside are the Plaza de los Coches, the Portal de los Dulces sweet stalls (cocadas are the cheap treat) and the Plaza de la Aduana. Maintenance on the tower and the Aduana is scheduled to run to the end of December 2026, so expect scaffolding in your photos. Tourist boats leave only from the Muelle de La Bodeguita at the foot of the walls, so ignore touts selling trips on the street.

Plaza de Santo Domingo has the city's oldest surviving church and Botero's bronze 'Gertrudis', and fills with restaurant tables at night. San Diego, the northern half, feels more residential, with Plaza Fernández de Madrid for evening fritos (try the arepa de huevo, from busy stalls with fresh oil). Las Bóvedas, the vaults at the north-east corner, now sell crafts. Walking the ramparts is free and best early or from late afternoon: the ramps are steep, shade is scarce and the paving is uneven.

Peak season runs mid-December to mid-January, and Semana Santa fills fast, so book weeks ahead. My shoulder-week habit is late January to mid-March outside the festivals, or late April to May. What fills this area:

• Cartagena Festival de Música from 9 January 2027 and Hay Festival from 28 January 2027, with the Teatro Adolfo Mejía as a main stage
• Semana Santa, 21-28 March 2027, with processions from the old town's churches
• Independence festivities, 6-16 November 2026: the Cabildo de Getsemaní parade is on 14 November (road closures, loud nights)
• Christmas lights from early December; last year's included the Plaza de la Trinidad

If dates are tentative, browse Cartagena hotel options with free cancellation.

Crespo wraps around the airport, with mid-range hotels, a long seafront avenue and the Túnel de Crespo, which speeds traffic towards the centre. It has less personality than Getsemaní, and that is the point when your flight leaves at dawn. I will always trade one evening on the plaza for a stress-free morning, so spend the last night here and the rest of the trip in the old town.

North of the walls, a long windy beach runs past El Cabrero, home of the Casa Museo Rafael Núñez (free, closed Mondays), the house of the president who wrote the national anthem's lyrics. He is buried in the Ermita del Cabrero opposite. Marbella is a residential area with strong waves and few tourists, so swim only where lifeguards and flags say it is safe (the currents are real). It is a calm base if beach and airport matter more than nightlife.

Beyond the airport, the coastal road reaches La Boquilla, an Afro-Colombian fishing village between the sea and the Ciénaga de la Virgen. Community guides run mangrove canoe trips with local fishermen, kiosks fry whole fish with coconut rice (agree prices before ordering), and kitesurfing lessons run in the windy season. Part of the beach carries a Blue Flag. It is a half-day out from the old town, not a stroll, so choose it only if sand is the point.

Most trips here go smoothly, and these habits keep it that way:

• Phones: keep them out of sight on the plaza and at café tables; lock away your passport and carry a copy
• Taxis: at night use apps, your hotel or a restaurant; never hail one on the street
• Drinks: never leave them unattended or accept anything from strangers (scopolamine is used to drug visitors)
• ATMs: use machines inside banks or malls, by day
• Prices: ask first; boats leave only from the Muelle de La Bodeguita; the 10 % restaurant tip is suggested, and you may refuse or change it
• Emergency number: 123

Follow these and you can enjoy the plaza with a clear head. Prices, shuttle runs and availability can change, so confirm when booking, and keep your hotel's address handy in Spanish.