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Taking a chiva tour is a touristy way to get acquainted with some of the highlights of Cartagena. A chiva is a colorful bus that was historically used in more rural parts of Colombia (and sometimes used today). Many cities now use them to give tours or as party buses.
Our Chiva Tour
My cousin Anna and I wanted to have easy access to attractions outside the city walls. One of the “vultures” outside of the Old Town named Angelo convinced us to buy a chiva tour from him. The tour began at 1pm just outside the Puerta del Reloj.
Angelo accompanied us to the bus where we paid him for the tour and he walked away. There was a little confusion when the tour operator asked us for our tickets and I thought Angelo had pulled a fast one. When I explained the situation to them, they knew exactly who he was and tracked him down. He came back and smoothed things over. The city tour only should cost about COP$41,000 for adults and COP$37,500 for kids age 4-10, and the city tour plus admission to La Popa should cost about to COP$80,000 for adults and COP$75,000 for kids age 4-10 (as of October 2024).
Bocagrande
The tour began in a downpour flooding the streets of the city. We first drove through the modern section of the city called Bocagrande. It’s a small strip of land populated with skyscrapers towering above a beach. Many modern hotels, shops, nightclubs, and restaurants are located there. The Miss Colombia pageant also takes place in Bocagrande. I couldn’t take any photos because of the terrible rain, so the photo below is from a boat the following morning.
The Old Shoes
As the rain subsided, we drove up to an interesting monument called The Old Shoes (Los Zapatos Viejos). The name says it all. They’re two large bronze shoes. The fortress in the background would be visited later in the day.
La Popa
Next, we took a ride up to the highest point in Cartagena for a visit to La Popa, a convent founded in 1607. We had to pay extra for admission because it wasn’t included in the price Angelo had sold us.
Castillo San Felipe
We came back down from the monastery and were able to visit one of the most important spots in Cartagena, Castillo San Felipe de Barajas. It was originally built in 1536 and is the strongest fort ever constructed by the Spanish anywhere in the world. It’s included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing for Cartagena. Admission was included in this tour.
Walking Tour
The chiva tour finished with a quick shopping stop at Las Bóvedas in the old city and a short walking tour of San Diego and El Centro. The walking tour didn’t cover many important places. To be honest, it’s better to just walk through the old city on your own. You’ll discover a lot more. Anyway, the whole tour was over at about 6:30pm.
My Thoughts on the Chiva Tour
Overall, it was enjoyable and the guide did a very good job explaining everything about the history of Cartagena and the significance of the places we visited. The tour was only in Spanish, but there are chiva tours in English as well.
