Cartagena eats like the Caribbean coast it belongs to: coconut rice, fried mojarra, corozo juice and shrimp ceviche. This three-day route runs from the pre-dawn chaos of Mercado de Bazurto to Getsemaní's research kitchens and rum bars.
Cartagena's chaotic wholesale market on Avenida Pedro de Heredia, trading 04:00–16:00. Stalls of ñame, yuca, sábalo and mojarra; cooks ladle mote de queso and sancocho de bocachico from tin pots at plastic tables.
Getsemaní institution on Calle Vicente serving Cartagenera home cooking: arroz de frijolito cabecita negra, posta negra, mote de queso and cazuela de mariscos. Around a dozen tables in a low colonial house.
Brunch bar on Calle del Espíritu Santo inside a restored Getsemaní house. Colombian single-origin filter coffee, arepa de huevo with suero costeño, corozo and tamarind juices, plus a raspao cart on the corner.
From 17:00 the square in front of Iglesia de la Santísima Trinidad fills with carts: arepas de huevo, carimañolas de carne, empanadas with ají picante, patacón con todo and buckets of cold Águila beer.
Cupping room of the Boyacá estate on Calle Santos de Piedra. The guided tasting works through washed, honey and natural lots, scoring aroma and acidity before a barista pour-over of the estate's Gran Reserva.
Nine-table cevichería on Calle Stuart in San Diego, with a queue along the pavement most days. Ceviche de camarones in coconut milk, cazuela de mariscos and langostinos al ajillo, served with fried plantain chips.
Patio and rooftop kitchen on Calle de las Carretas cooking recipes collected from Cartagena grandmothers: arroz de camarón con coco, posta cartagenera, mote de queso and dessert of enyucado with coconut.
Research kitchen on Calle del Espíritu Santo mapping Caribbean ingredients from La Guajira to the Montes de María: corozo, chontaduro, smoked bocachico and native chillies across a nine-course Bio-Diverso menu.
Bakery-café on Calle de la Iglesia run by chef Mila Ríos. Costeño breakfast of huevos pericos with arepa, pandebono and carimañolas, followed by the tres leches or guava cheesecake the place is known for.
Cavernous corriente canteen on Calle del Porvenir where office workers queue for the menú del día: soup, fresh juice and a plate of fried mojarra or carne guisada with coconut rice, salad and patacón.
Calle del Arsenal rum bar with more than 200 bottles, built around Cartagena's own Dictador distillery. The flight compares 12 Años, 20 Años and a vintage solera, with aguardiente antioqueño for contrast.
Three-floor bar in a restored mansion on Calle del Colegio, a regular on Latin America's 50 Best Bars list. Drinks are built on Colombian corozo, viche, cacao and Amazonian fruit distilled in the ground-floor lab.