PBH / Colombia / Start Forums▼ (active) Travelguide Cheap hostels Pictures

Things to do with your novia(o) in Barranquilla

OK, I know many of you spend a lot of time in Barranquilla. I’m looking for good ideas for places to go and things to do, both during the day and the night. I’ve got two weeks to fill - can you help a guy out?

Here’s what we did on my first trip:

1. Day trip to the beach at Puerto Colombia (will stay out of the water next time!)
2. A couple afternoons by the hotel pool (el Prado)
3. Shopping at Buenavista and Portal del Prado (of course!)
4. Several dinners at Crepes y Wafles (again - of course)
5. A couple movies (can’t tell you how much fun a French movie with Spanish subtitles was … hahaha)
6. A jazz concert … I forget where it was
7. 4 days in El Rodadero/Santa Marta
8. An afternoon at the Museo Romantico (who needs air conditioning, right?!)
9. Other lunches and dinners every day, but none really memorable, except for an AWESOME fish lunch at Playa Blanca
10. A nightclub in El Rodadero for Dia del Amor y Amistad

Here are my plans so far for my next trip:

1. The zoo
2. Go out dancing once or twice … hmmm … but where …?
3. Another trip to El Rodadero, but it will be high season … not sure how easy it will be to get a condo/hotel room
4. OK, I got nothing …

Thanks!

Whitey

By wwwhitey on Nov 17, 2008, 16:43 in Friendly Talkzone.

turnmeon (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 17, 2008, 16:56:

go to Playa Veronica and rent a cabaña for the weekend, girls love that, take her to dance to a club in the north of the city, take her to a mall, to a movie, to eat to a nice restaurant, also take her to eat when in the mall, take her to Cartagena

0 funny, 0 helpful.

turnmeon (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 17, 2008, 16:57:

and Santa Marta

0 funny, 0 helpful.

august says on Nov 17, 2008, 17:08:

I think you're stressing way too much over planning things out. There's no way a Colombian is enjoying all that advanced planning. Besides that, most Colombian cities don't have that much "to do." It's not a huge tourist place yet right? Just go with it, you know, walk around and enjoy yourself.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

turnmeon (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 17, 2008, 17:16:

Barranquilla have a lot to do

0 funny, 0 helpful.

wwwhitey says on Nov 17, 2008, 17:25:

August, there's no stress ... I enjoy the research and planning phase of my trips. I'm certainly not looking to draw up an itinerary - we'll just take each day as it comes. Still, I've got two weeks to fill! I'm just looking for a bunch of ideas so we can just pick one that appeals to us each day.

I think most women like a man with some plans ... just not a rigid checklist and itinerary ...

OK, I'll bite ... where should I walk around? ;-)

Whitey

0 funny, 0 helpful.

august says on Nov 17, 2008, 18:49:

Fair enough, man. I've actually never been to Barranquilla - I'd like to, just haven't made it yet - so I sadly could offer little more than my general impressions of how time is passed in Colombia. I hope you get some more responses though and I'll bet you could find some good stuff by searching on the site.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Yellapage says on Nov 18, 2008, 04:14:

I've just come back from a week in Barranquilla, this was my first visit to South America and I loved every moment. I did find been followed around in every shop in Buenavista a little disconcerting (why is this?). Also went ten pin bowling (very 70's), is it me or do all Colombians have tiny fingers, I couldn't fit any of my salchita fingers into any of the balls then nearly dislocated my them in the process of chucking it down the isle. Went to many a bar and restaurants. I'll be back for the carnival in Feb, I've been warned to except an eye opening party experience and to lose my British reserved attitude. :O :O :O

Viva la vida

0 funny, 0 helpful.

PBHjon says on Nov 18, 2008, 04:26:

why not come to medellin next time, its twice as nice as barranquilla.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

justin.s says on Nov 18, 2008, 08:06:

Really PBHjon? I am coming to colombia for the first time in january too. I still havent quite decided where to go yet. I have a coworker from medellin, she swears its the best. I thought about visiting Bogota and Cartagena. So you think Medellin is where its at?

0 funny, 0 helpful.

august says on Nov 18, 2008, 09:40:

Justin, depends on what you're looking for. Lots prefer the coasts, as I think I do myself. The cities I feel like are very isolated up in the Andes - not so cosmopolitan. Fun for sure, but isolated.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

hongo_joe says on Nov 18, 2008, 09:44:

I would recommend going to Flores - an area beside the river in the north of Barranquilla. You can have another awesome fish meal - there are many restaurants right on the bank or over the river -, or take a boat across the river to a little zoo/park (I haven't done that...) , or take the "train" to Boca de Ceniza - the mouth of the Magdalena R.- I really enjoyed it. It is usually a little cooler beside the river, with a nice breeze - actually the wind can be surprisingly cool/cold if you take the train.

Flores is not an area to walk around in (go by taxi) and most places are closed at night.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

strata2woman says on Nov 18, 2008, 10:40:

Try a day trip to Galapa where carnival masks are carved in wood and made of papier-mache by local artisans. Best days to go are tuesday and thursdays.

- "con sombrero vueltiao y abarcas de tres puntá"

0 funny, 0 helpful.