Cartagena: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Cartagena is a city of 914,552 people in Colombia (Bolívar), 20 m (66 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Rafael Nuñez International Airport (CTG), 5 km (3 mi) from the centre. Our booking partner lists 1,125+ places to stay.
Key facts
Daylight in Cartagena runs from about 11 h 33 min a day in late December to 12 h 46 min in late June (computed for 10.4° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Cartagena is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Rafael Nuñez International Airport (CTG), 5 km (3 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 8,530 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport (BAQ, 95 km).
Flights to Cartagena: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Cartagena · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 1,125+ places to stay in Cartagena (statistics below are from the first 1,000). Of the 987 with a star rating, the largest group is 2-star (476), and 7 are five-star. Across 38 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.5 out of 10. Guests have left 6,651 reviews in total.
Hotels in Cartagena: the full picture, and book
Our booking partner lists 59 hostels in Cartagena, out of 1,125 places to stay of every kind — 5.2% of everywhere it lists in the city, an above-average share: hostels here compete with each other rather than filling a gap. Guests have left 314 reviews across them.
Hostels in Cartagena: the full picture, and book
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Barranquilla, 100 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Santa Marta, 170 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Montería, 188 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Valledupar, 245 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Soledad, 98 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Sincelejo, 122 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Riohacha, 310 km — flights · buses · car rental
- Maicao, 372 km — flights
- Machiques, 324 km (Venezuela) — flights · buses · car rental
- Malambo, 94 km — buses · car rental · tours
Common questions
Which airport serves Cartagena?
Rafael Nuñez International Airport (CTG), 5 km (3 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Cartagena?
About 914,552 people live in Cartagena (GeoNames).
What time zone is Cartagena in?
America/Bogota, currently UTC-5.
What currency is used in Cartagena?
The Peso (COP). Traffic drives on the right.
Are there hostels in Cartagena?
59 of them, bookable on this site. Hostels in Cartagena.
How many hotels are there in Cartagena?
Our booking partner lists 1,125 or more places to stay in Cartagena, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Cartagena?
Barranquilla (100 km), Santa Marta (170 km), Montería (188 km), Valledupar (245 km), Soledad (98 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.