{"id":418584,"date":"2026-09-04T10:39:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T08:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/?p=418584"},"modified":"2026-09-06T02:55:44","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T00:55:44","slug":"where-stay-cartagena-colombia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudavymkrokem.cz\/en\/where-stay-cartagena-colombia\/","title":{"rendered":"Where to Stay in Cartagena, Colombia: 18 Best Hotels & Neighborhoods for 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When you start planning a trip and sorting out accommodation in Cartagena, Colombia<\/strong>, you’ll probably be instantly captivated by photos of colorful colonial streets and balconies draped in bougainvillea. But choosing the right place to stay in this Caribbean city is a bit of a science, and it pays to know a few crucial local rules<\/strong> so you’re not disappointed on arrival or needlessly out of pocket. The single most important secret is the Colombian tax system, which exempts foreign tourists from paying the 19% value added tax (IVA)<\/strong> on hotel nights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sounds great, but there’s one significant catch, because in practice you have to keep a close eye on this exemption yourself<\/strong>. To avoid the tax, your passport must carry a tourist entry stamp marked PIP-5, which you receive automatically on arrival. The hotel then has to make a copy of your passport with that stamp. Roughly half of the properties will deduct the tax automatically<\/strong>, but the other half will try to charge it to you. So at check-in, ask to be safe whether your stay is tax-free, and at checkout carefully double-check the final bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another Cartagena quirk is that here you pay for location by the meter<\/strong>. The historic walled center is fairly small and you can walk across it in twenty minutes. But room prices drop steeply with every block you move away from the main squares. On top of that, factor in the ever-present heat between 31 and 33 degrees Celsius<\/strong> and enormous humidity. Air conditioning and at least a small pool aren’t a needless luxury here but absolutely essential survival equipment<\/strong>, because in the afternoon you simply can’t walk the sun-baked streets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Dr. Thomas Liptak \/ Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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