How safe is Cartagena?

Hunter says on Jun 15, 2004, 16:06:

Cartagena is very safe compared with other towns and Cities in Colombia.

Cartagena is very safe compared with most large US Cities.

Regarding accomadation, how much can you afford to spend each month.

I live in Colombia, spending several months a year in Ctg.

Hunter

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Lin says on Jun 16, 2004, 04:12:

Cartagena Hi Hunter,
Thanks for your comments. Hopefully I will be earning around 996,000 pesos a month. My partner who will be travelling with me will also be teaching although he has'nt had definite conformation on a job as yet.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jun 16, 2004, 10:44:

• Safety map
  
• Safety in Cartagena
  
• General Travel Safety - an introduction
  
• Safety Reassurance
  
• Common Travel Scams In Colombia
  
  
• Give Papaya
  
• How do Colombians deal with danger?
  

Poor but snappy

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Hunter says on Jun 16, 2004, 12:01:

Apts Regarding living a small apt in the Old City or close to it will probably set you back 400,000 pesos, mass o menos on a one year contract, without aircondition.

Make sure you get the apt through somebody you trust and have somebody you trust look over the contract, Ctg being a tourist city, there are lot of con artists.

Where are you going to be teaching.

Hunter

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Lin says on Jun 16, 2004, 12:25:

Cartagena Thanks for getting back to me. How much would an apartment with airconditioning cost?

I will be teaching in a local school which has yet to be confirmed. We have found out that my partner will be teaching at Colegio Colombo Britanico.

Can I also ask is it alright for a female to travel around the town on her own during the day? What is the safest mode of transport?

Cheers for your help!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Hunter says on Jun 16, 2004, 15:36:

Most of downtown is fine by day or night to walk around, don't need transport to get around there, when you arrive ask local friends to point out where the dodgy areas are, where there is potential of being mugged, like in parts of Getsemeni in the evenings and in the daytime if you are not carefull.

Your boyfriend will be working outside of town on the road to Baq, takes about 10 mins in a car, maybe 30 mins or so on a bus.

Most teachers I know don't have aircon, unless they came with some money, although the apt would not cost that much more, it costs a lot to run the aircon.

If both of you are going to be on the same income, you should have no problem finding a 2 bedroom apt for 400,000 - 800,000 pesos, depending on the location, the condition and if it is furnished or not.

I presume that you want to live in the Old historic City and not the Bocogrande modern tourist area.

Hunter

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Lin says on Jun 16, 2004, 16:11:

Travelling Is the road to Baq safe enough to travel along by bus?

Thanks for the info it's been really helpful.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

MYASSYOURASS123 says on Jun 16, 2004, 16:27:

Hear are some things you should know. Beware of guys wanting to show you hookers at night and sometimes during the day. Whenever someone starts a conversation with you its because they eventually want to you for money. Homeless kids will approach you on the street and some of the food will give you stomach cramps. Keep your ass out of the street because the buses and taxis will run you over. Drink plenty of bottled water because of the heat. Other than that it is pretty safe.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Hunter says on Jun 17, 2004, 02:33:

The road to Baq safe enough to travel along by bus.

Hunter

0 funny, 0 helpful.

CuriosJoe says on Jun 18, 2004, 13:21:

self protection? If staying in an apartment as mentioned above, is possible to buy some type of maze spray or a knife to have in the apartment for self defence? Where in CTG? Thanks

0 funny, 0 helpful.

tiopipe says on Jun 21, 2004, 18:23:

CTG is safe Just be smart...remember the papaya rule. Don't mix or mingle with locals that you don't know or meet by way of some other trusted friend. I'm amazed at the number of stupid things we gringos do in foreign countries, because we're on vacation and lose all sense of reality. If you wouldn't talk to the person in the US, DON'T do it in Colombia. Keep your backpack in front of you, so if there are pickpockets you've got half a chance. It's a great city, just keep your eyes open. Most crime there is theft of money or goods, left unattended momentarily, or taken of person in a deserted/bad area with no witnesses. 99% of Colombia is extremely honest, just follow them and don't get intrepid.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

morten66 says on Jul 7, 2004, 11:50:

How stupid is this question? The Colombians have obviously been given a bad reputation by (mainly) the damage the US has done in this region over decades.. It is a relatively poor country, in terms of how the wealth is being distributed, but this is a far safer country than Brazil and Venezuela (given that you don`t make a principle out of it and venture into the zones guaranteed you have been warned about), the thing about this place is that everyone is sick of war, everyone has their family war stories.. and can still sit around and talk about it without - seemeingly bitterness, at one stage everyone get`s enough and want`s to move on - Colombia... I think, feel, is moving on - without predjudice in a far better scale than the US and Europe, we should learn. As for the dangers... use your head, safer than the two forementioned continents on a saturday night...

Morten S

0 funny, 0 helpful.

anonimo says on Jul 8, 2004, 00:16:

I think that Cartagena is safer than Toronto, even walking the streets alone at 4:00AM

0 funny, 0 helpful.