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Food tours in Cartagena: what to eat and which tour to book
Cartagena cooks Caribbean coastal food: fried fish with coconut rice and patacones, seafood ceviche, and a lot of frying in general. The street snack everyone tries is the arepa de huevo, a corn arepa fried, opened, filled with an egg and fried again. Fritos (fried snacks), fresh fruit from palenquera vendors, cold juices and coconut sweets fill the gaps between meals. The walled city and Getsemaní are full of restaurants, but prices inside the walls are some of the highest in Colombia. Locals buy food at Mercado de Bazurto, a large, chaotic market outside the old town.
Use this page to know what to order and where to eat without overpaying. The tours shown are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as they appeared when we checked; confirm the current price on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Cartagena
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egg arepa arepa de huevo | A corn-dough arepa fried, split open, filled with a raw egg (sometimes with minced meat) and fried again until the egg sets. A Caribbean-coast breakfast and snack. | Street fritos stands in the old town, Getsemaní and around the city, mostly in the morning and early evening. | roughly COP 4,000–8,000 (€0.90–1.80) |
| Fried fish with coconut rice mojarra frita con arroz de coco y patacones | Whole fried fish (often mojarra or red snapper) served with coconut rice, patacones (twice-fried green plantain) and salad. The standard coastal lunch. | Local restaurants in Getsemaní, Bocagrande and La Boquilla, and simple eateries at Bazurto. | roughly COP 35,000–70,000 (€7.70–15) outside the walled city; more inside |
| Coastal ceviche ceviche / cóctel de camarones | Cartagena ceviche is usually shrimp or fish in a sweeter, tomato-based sauce with lime, onion and coriander, served with crackers or patacones. | Street carts on the city walls and in squares, and cevicherías in the old town. | roughly COP 15,000–35,000 (€3.30–7.70) from a cart; more at restaurants |
| Cheese and yam soup mote de queso | A thick soup of ñame (yam) and salty coastal cheese with onion, garlic and lime, from the Caribbean coast. Often a lunch starter. | Traditional coastal restaurants and market eateries. | roughly COP 15,000–25,000 (€3.30–5.50) |
| Caramelised beef posta negra cartagenera | Beef braised slowly in a sauce of panela (unrefined cane sugar), cola or wine and spices until the sauce is dark and sticky. A Cartagena speciality, served with coconut rice. | Traditional restaurants in the centre and Getsemaní. | roughly COP 35,000–60,000 (€7.70–13) |
| Fried snacks fritos: carimañola, buñuelo de frijol, empanada | Carimañolas are cassava-dough torpedoes filled with meat or cheese; buñuelos de frijol are black-eyed-pea fritters; plus corn empanadas. Bought by the piece from fritos stands. | Fritos stands in the old town and Getsemaní, especially in the morning and late afternoon. | roughly COP 2,500–5,000 (€0.55–1.10) each |
| Coconut and tamarind sweets cocadas / dulces típicos | Cocadas (coconut sweets) plain or flavoured with arequipe or pineapple, tamarind balls, and milk sweets (dulce de leche) sold from jars. | El Portal de los Dulces, the arcade of sweet stalls at Plaza de los Coches by the Clock Tower. | roughly COP 2,000–5,000 (€0.45–1.10) per piece |
| Fresh juices and fruit jugos naturales / frutas de las palenqueras | Fresh juices of mango, níspero, corozo, maracuyá, tamarind and lulo, and cut fruit sold by the palenqueras, women in colourful dresses from San Basilio de Palenque who carry bowls of fruit on their heads. | Juice stands everywhere; palenqueras in the old town squares. | roughly COP 5,000–10,000 (€1.10–2.20) for a juice or fruit cup |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Mercado de Bazurto
Cartagena's main working market, outside the old town: fish, meat, fruit and vegetables, plus simple eateries serving fried fish and soups to market workers. Crowded, hot and messy, and the real thing.
Getsemaní
The neighbourhood just outside the walls with street art, small restaurants and street food around Plaza de la Trinidad, where vendors sell arepas, fritos and snacks in the evening. Better value than inside the walls.
Walled City (Ciudad Amurallada)
The colonial centre with most of Cartagena's well-known restaurants, rooftop bars and cevicherías, plus El Portal de los Dulces for sweets and palenqueras selling fruit. The most expensive area.
La Boquilla
A fishing village on the beach north of the city where beach shacks serve fried fish, coconut rice and patacones.
Bocagrande
The high-rise beach district with seafood restaurants and fast-food spots used by Colombian tourists; ceviche carts and juice stands along the beach road.
Food tours in Cartagena compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small-Group Cooking Class in Cartagena with Local Chef | 3 - 5 hours | from €72 per person | — | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Cartagena Street Food Tour: 10 Tastings in the Walled City | 2.5 hours | from €49 per person | — | First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go. | Check dates |
| Cartagena: Guided Walking Tour with Tapas and Drinks | 3 hours | from €56 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Private Street Food Tour in Walled City and Getsemani | 4 hours | from €67 per person | private | Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them. | Check dates |
| 4h Cooking Class in Cartagena:10 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks | 3.5 hours | from €62 per person | max 8 | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Cartagena: Street Food Walking Tour | 2 hours | from €49 per person | — | First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go. | Check dates |
Small-Group Cooking Class in Cartagena with Local Chef
On GetYourGuide · run by Lunático Experience SAS
- Length
- 3 - 5 hours
- Price
- from €72 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 195 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
Cartagena Street Food Tour: 10 Tastings in the Walled City
On GetYourGuide · run by Nexperience
- Length
- 2.5 hours
- Price
- from €49 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 1,051 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Suits
- First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go.
- Starts
- Plaza Cervantes
Cartagena: Guided Walking Tour with Tapas and Drinks
On GetYourGuide · run by Mediterranean Unique Experience
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €56 per person
- Rating
- 4.5 ★ from 176 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Mare Nostrum
Private Street Food Tour in Walled City and Getsemani
On GetYourGuide · run by Gran Colombia Tours
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €67 per person
- Rating
- 3.9 ★ from 11 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- private
- Included
- Gran Colombia Tours Guide Samples of typical foods and drinks of the region (fruits, desserts, finger foods, refreshments) Lunch Extra purchases
- Suits
- Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them.
4h Cooking Class in Cartagena:10 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks
On GetYourGuide · run by Cook in Fiesta
- Length
- 3.5 hours
- Price
- from €62 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 7 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 8
- Included
- Dinner or lunch depending on the class schedule. Alcoholic Beverages Soda/Pop/Bottled water Snacks Transfers
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
- Starts
- Cl. 36 #15-117, Torices, Cartagena de Indias, Bolívar, Colombia
Cartagena: Street Food Walking Tour
On GetYourGuide · run by DISCOVER CARTAGENA BY LOCALS
- Length
- 2 hours
- Price
- from €49 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 6 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Host or greeter Provides guidance in the form of purchasing a ticket and waiting in line with customers, but doesn't provide a full guided tour of the attraction. A greeter might give an introduction to an activity. T…
- Suits
- First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go.
- Starts
- LONCHERIA POLO NORTE
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Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Cartagena's street food is fried and cheap: arepas de huevo, carimañolas, empanadas and buñuelos from fritos stands, ceviche and shrimp cocktails from carts, and cut fruit and juices. The best time is morning and around sunset, when it is cooler and the stands are busiest.
Sit-down meals
Inside the walls, restaurants are expensive by Colombian standards and many are aimed at visitors. Getsemaní and neighbourhoods outside the centre serve the coastal set lunch (fried fish or meat, coconut rice, patacones, salad, juice) at much lower prices. Dinner is late-ish, from about 19:30, because of the heat.
Cooking classes
Cooking classes in Cartagena usually start with a market visit, often to Bazurto, and then teach coconut rice, patacones, ceviche and fried fish, sometimes with a cocktail. Classes run in the morning to fit market hours and avoid the afternoon heat.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | roughly COP 60,000–90,000 / €13–20 (fritos breakfast, set lunch outside the walls, street snacks) |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | roughly COP 150,000–250,000 / €33–55 (seafood lunch and a dinner in the old town with drinks) |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | roughly COP 400,000+ / €88+ (a well-known old-town restaurant with cocktails or wine) |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Moderately easy. Coconut rice, patacones, arepas, egg arepas, mote de queso, salads, fruit and juices are vegetarian, but many fritos contain meat and rice may be cooked with stock. Restaurants in the walled city and Getsemaní increasingly have vegetarian options.
Halal: Halal-certified food is rare. Seafood is everywhere and is the easiest option; pork appears in some fritos and stews. Ask how dishes are prepared.
Gluten-free: Corn, cassava, plantain, rice and fish dominate, so many dishes are naturally gluten-free. Fried snacks may share oil with wheat-based items, and some sweets contain flour. Coeliac awareness is limited outside upmarket restaurants; say 'sin gluten, soy celíaco'.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Beach vendors at Playa Blanca, Bocagrande and La Boquilla who offer 'free' oysters, ceviche or massages and then demand a large payment. Say a firm 'no, gracias' and never accept anything without agreeing the price first. If you want lunch, agree the full price before the fish is cooked.
- Overpriced lobster or seafood lunches on island and beach trips, with prices told only after you eat. Ask for the menu or the price per plate in writing before ordering, and pay in pesos.
- Palenqueras or street performers who pose for a photo and then ask for money, or sell fruit at very high prices. Paying for a photo is normal here; agree an amount first (a few thousand pesos), and ask the fruit price before it is cut.
- Menus without prices and restaurants inside the walls adding service and 'cover' charges. Ask for the menu with prices, check whether the 10% 'propina voluntaria' is already included, and eat in Getsemaní for better value.
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
Is Cartagena expensive for food?
Inside the walled city, yes, by Colombian standards: dinner at a well-known restaurant can cost as much as in Europe. Outside the walls it is much cheaper. Getsemaní, Bocagrande and local neighbourhoods serve a full set lunch for roughly COP 20,000–35,000 (€4.40–7.70), and street snacks cost a few thousand pesos each.
Do I need to tip?
Restaurants usually add or suggest a 10% 'propina voluntaria' (voluntary tip) and ask whether you want to include it. You can decline; no further tip is expected if you accept. Street stands and fritos sellers do not expect tips. On food tours, a tip for a good guide is appreciated.
Is street food safe in Cartagena?
Fried food cooked in front of you is generally safe. Be more careful with ceviche and seafood from carts in the heat: choose busy carts and eat it fresh. Many visitors drink bottled water. Peeled fruit from vendors is fine, but cut fruit that has been sitting in the sun is riskier.
Should I visit Mercado de Bazurto?
If you want to see where Cartagena actually shops, yes, but it is crowded, hot, wet underfoot and not set up for visitors. Go in the morning, wear closed shoes, carry little cash and no valuables, and ideally go with a guide or a local. Many cooking classes and market tours include it. Check current hours.
How much should I budget for food per day?
On a budget, about COP 60,000–90,000 (€13–20) covers fritos for breakfast, a set lunch outside the walls and snacks. With a seafood lunch and a dinner in the old town with drinks, plan roughly COP 150,000–250,000 (€33–55). Top restaurants inside the walls cost from about COP 250,000 per person before drinks.
When should I eat to avoid the heat?
Locals eat a big lunch from about 12:00 and stay out of the midday sun. Street food stands are busiest in the morning and from about 17:00, when it cools down. Dinner in the old town usually starts from about 19:30. Book ahead at popular restaurants inside the walls in high season (December to April).
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.