From Rafael Nunez International Airport, the normal backpacker move is Transcaribe T102 from Crespo toward Centro or Chambacu, then walk into Centro or Getsemani. Buy or recharge a Transcaribe card before you ride, because cash onboard is not the normal path; the checked August 2026 fare is COP 3,900. If you land after T102 stops, or you are going straight to Bocagrande, Manga, or a late first-night check-in, use the airport's authorized taxi stands at the national or international exits instead of negotiating with drivers in the scrum.
Cartagena has no metro, train, tram, or airport rail link. The useful fixed-route system is Transcaribe BRT/bus: T102 for CTG/Crespo, X104 from the intercity bus terminal toward Centro/La Bodeguita, and short walking from La Bodeguita into the old-city edge, per the Transcaribe system route information.
Rafael Nunez International Airport (CTG) to Cartagena
Rafael Nunez International Airport is Cartagena's main air gateway for Centro, Getsemani, Bocagrande, Manga, and Crespo, and the airport's own passenger information names Transcaribe T102 as the public-transport route from the airport area. As checked in August 2026, the airport FAQ lists T102 running Monday-Friday 05:00-21:00, Saturday 05:30-20:30, and Sunday/holidays 06:00-20:00 on the official CTG airport FAQ.
For T102, leave arrivals into Crespo; the bus is not inside the terminal. Use the nearby Carrera 4/Carrera 2 stops for the airport-to-city direction, with Centro or Chambacu as the useful handoff for the walled city and Getsemani. Local wayfinding coverage also notes that airport-bound stops are around Iglesia Cristo Rey/Carrera 6, so do not assume the return stop is the same curb you used after landing; check the airport Transcaribe guide before your return.
Transcaribe fare is COP 3,900 as of the 23 January 2026 city fare decree, and the normal payment move is a system card or ticket bought or recharged through staffed stations or listed external recharge points, not cash onboard. Use the Transcaribe external recharge network and the 2026 Cartagena fare decree for the current payment setup. The airport pages checked in August 2026 did not verify that a Transcaribe card can be bought or recharged inside CTG arrivals, so have enough COP for the first move or use a taxi if you cannot sort the card before boarding.
The low-friction fallback is an authorized airport taxi. CTG says two authorized taxi stations are at the national and international exits and recommends using those stations; the airport tariff sheet lists Getsemani/Crespo/Cabrero at COP 20,200, La Bodeguita at COP 24,300, Manga at COP 28,500, Bocagrande/Laguito at COP 34,400, Terminal de Transporte at COP 51,000, plus a COP 1,100 night surcharge from 19:00 to 05:00 on the official CTG transport page and airport taxi tariff sheet. Uber pickup is also supported at CTG, but the exact pickup point is assigned in the app; match the plate and car in the Uber CTG pickup flow and do not follow unsolicited drivers.
Walking from CTG is only a normal choice if you are staying in Crespo. The terminal exits onto Crespo streets, but walking to Centro, Getsemani, or Bocagrande with a backpack is a bad default in heat or after dark; use T102, an authorized taxi, or the app-assigned pickup instead.
For safety geometry, keep the airport-to-street move boring: signed authorized taxi exit, app-assigned pickup, or the Crespo T102 stop. Cartagena's DATT mediated a 2025 airport taxi agreement to reduce informal service and fare abuse, and 2026 traveler reports still describe airport overquote attempts, so the practical move is to use the signed taxi queue or plate-matched app car backed by the DATT airport taxi agreement notice.
Accessibility at CTG is airline-led for wheelchair assistance: request help before travel, then contact airline staff on arrival. ANI lists ramps, accessible toilets in arrival and boarding areas, a priority assistance module in the main hall, priority lines, PMR parking, and PMR telephones at Rafael Nunez; Transcaribe public pages did not publish a visitor-ready step-free guarantee for the CTG arrival route when checked in August 2026, so use airport assistance plus authorized taxi if you need a step-free chain. See the CTG airport FAQ and ANI's airport accessibility listing.
For phone data at CTG, do not bank on a physical SIM inside arrivals. The official CTG shops and connectivity pages checked in August 2026 did not list a named Claro, Tigo, Movistar, WOM, IZI, or eSIM desk, and they did not publish cash or card acceptance for SIM sales. Use the airport's 30-minute Wi-Fi from the CTG connectivity page, then buy from a staffed Claro, Tigo, Movistar, or WOM store in town if you want local registration handled properly.
For eSIM, the clean first-day option is to install before you land or while CTG Wi-Fi still works. Airalo sells Colombia eSIMs online from USD 4 and accepts credit/debit cards, PayPal, Airmoney, Apple Pay where available, Google Pay, and app-only Alipay; cash is not a supported payment path, and some packages require valid ID verification. Use the Airalo Colombia eSIM page and Airalo payment-method page before airport Wi-Fi becomes your single point of failure.
Colombian local SIM friction is mostly registration, not coverage. Claro, Tigo, Movistar, and WOM all publish registration or IMEI/legalization workflows: Claro supports eSIM on compatible phones through App Mi Claro or service points, Tigo accepts passport in SIM workflows and publishes blocked-IMEI support, Movistar says foreign-purchased phones need homologation before IMEI registration, and WOM sells prepaid physical SIM/eSIM products but requires store or delivery steps. Use staffed activation if you go local, and keep passport plus phone-purchase proof available; the operator pages are Claro eSIM and SIM legalization, Tigo mobile help, Movistar IMEI guidance, and WOM prepaid registration.
CTG has named ATMs in the main hall from Banco de Bogota, Itau, BBVA, and Bancolombia, plus Servibanca in the external national-arrivals zone, according to the official CTG ATM directory. The airport page does not publish operator access fees. If a machine offers dynamic currency conversion, inspect the displayed conversion and fees before accepting; no airport-specific DCC outcome was verified in August 2026.
Currency exchange exists at CTG, but treat it as convenience cash. Official listings show Americambios in international arrivals 07:00-24:00, Globo Cambio in the external national-arrivals zone 24 hours, and another Globo Cambio in international arrivals operations on the CTG currency-exchange page. You do not need airport exchange for the recommended T102 route if you already have a charged Transcaribe card or ticket; you may need COP if you are taking a taxi or still need to sort the bus card.
Terminal de Transporte de Cartagena S.A. Bus Terminal to Cartagena
Terminal de Transporte de Cartagena S.A. is the main intercity road-passenger terminal on Carretera La Cordialidad in El Pozon. Municipal material says intermunicipal buses must enter and leave through the terminal, so this is the normal bus-arrival point rather than the tourist core; see the terminal's official contact page and the city's intermunicipal-bus terminal notice.
The public move is Transcaribe X104 Terminal-Pedro Romero-Centro. As checked in August 2026, Transcaribe lists X104 in its SITM route inventory, the city describes it as Terminal-Pedro Romero-Centro, and the fare is COP 3,900 under the 2026 fare decree. General pretroncal service is roughly 05:00-21:00 on weekdays, but the public material checked did not publish a visitor-ready X104 first/last table for every day, so verify live departures before you commit.
Board X104 from the terminal-side Transcaribe boarding area rather than walking out along La Cordialidad with your backpack. The current X104 notice says buses start from Terminal de Transportes and have active detours around Avenida Pedro Romero works, so ask terminal staff or check live route information before assuming every old Pedro Romero stop is served; the detour notice is on the city's X104 works update.
Pay X104 the same way as other Transcaribe services: system card or ticket, not cash onboard as the normal path. The terminal pages checked in August 2026 did not verify a specific on-site Transcaribe card-sales window, bank-card acceptance for recharge, or app ticketing for visitors, so check the Transcaribe recharge network before arrival or keep COP for a taxi if you arrive without a usable card.
The fallback is terminal taxi or app pickup from the terminal area, especially after the bus operating window or if X104 detours make your stop awkward. Cartagena's 2026 taxi decree sets a citywide minimum fare of COP 12,250, a COP 1,100 night surcharge from 19:00 to 05:00, and requires drivers to display the tariff control card; use the 2026 Cartagena taxi tariff decree as the baseline. With one normal backpack, you do not need to bail to taxi by default; late arrival, mobility needs, multiple bags, or a broken transfer are better reasons.
For safety, stay inside the terminal until you board X104, an authorized taxi, or an app ride. The terminal is in El Pozon on La Cordialidad, not in Centro or Getsemani, so the bad move is wandering out to improvise a roadside transfer when the terminal already gives you bus, taxi, and app pickup options.
Accessibility is only partly published. Transcaribe describes itself as the city's mass-transport operator and publishes disability fare-registration channels, but the public pages checked in August 2026 did not give a visitor-ready step-free guarantee from Terminal de Transporte to Centro. If you need an assured step-free arrival, use terminal taxi/app pickup or prearranged assistance rather than relying on X104; start with Transcaribe's official system page for service checks.
Money at the bus terminal is not as cleanly documented as CTG. The official terminal site publishes corporate contact details but no ATM directory; a third-party terminal listing reports ATMs, restaurants, waiting rooms, Wi-Fi, luggage storage, taxis, and buses, but not bank/operator-specific fees. Treat cash access as likely rather than guaranteed, and keep enough COP for the first transfer; verify on the official terminal site and the Terminales Colombia Cartagena listing.
Muelle Turistico La Bodeguita Passenger Ferry Terminal to Cartagena
Muelle Turistico La Bodeguita on Avenida Blas de Lezo is the authorized tourist-boat gateway for Rosario Islands and Cartagena's insular zone, with safety controls and authorized operators rather than a normal urban ferry network. If you are returning from the islands, the practical handoff is usually walking: Parque de La Marina and the historic-centre edge are immediately beside the dock area, and Getsemani is close enough that the next decision is your exact hostel address, not another long transfer.
Island returns are time-sensitive. As checked in August 2026, the common return window is about 15:00-16:00, and Cartagena's February 2026 notice said island departures resumed only under DIMAR yellow-flag monitoring after cold-front restrictions. Confirm same-day maritime status before relying on a late boat; the useful official alert pattern is in the city's La Bodeguita operations notice, while operator day-trip timing is described in this Rosario Islands 2026 guide.
Wayfinding is simple once you are off the boat: exit through the authorized pier gates toward Avenida Blas de Lezo and Parque de La Marina, then walk into the historic centre or Getsemani if that is your first-night area. For onward bus moves, Transcaribe lists La Bodeguita/Centro services including X104 and C001 in the SITM route inventory, but the pages checked in August 2026 did not publish a pier-specific first/last table or ticket-sale point, so use live route checks if you are not walking.
For payment, walking costs nothing and is the normal city-side handoff. If you use Transcaribe from the La Bodeguita/Centro area, the fare is COP 3,900 under the 2026 fare decree, and the normal payment path is a Transcaribe card or ticket rather than cash onboard through the recharge network. The pier material checked did not verify a card purchase or recharge point inside La Bodeguita.
The service-gap fallback is to sort the problem before you leave the island, not after the last boat fails to run. DIMAR weather flags can suspend or restrict operations, so if yellow-flag monitoring or cold-front conditions are in play, confirm with the operator and the pier before counting on a same-day return. Once you are back at La Bodeguita, late-night onward fallback is taxi/app from the city-side curb; no pier-specific regulated taxi tariff was published in the checked material.
For safety, use authorized embarkation points and keep the boring boat rules boring. Parques Nacionales advises choosing authorized departure points, checking that the boat has life jackets, wearing one, and staying seated during navigation on the Rosario and San Bernardo park page.
Accessibility details for La Bodeguita were not published in a visitor-ready pier procedure in the checked August 2026 material. If you need step-free boarding, assistance carrying bags, or adapted boat access, verify directly with your operator before the travel day and use the official La Bodeguita safety/operations notice as the place to start.
Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport (BAQ) to Cartagena
Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport is in Soledad, serves Barranquilla and Atlantico, and is only a secondary gateway for Cartagena. Treat it as a two-leg arrival: taxi or app ride from BAQ to a Barranquilla coach point, then coach to Cartagena, then X104 or taxi/app from Terminal de Transporte de Cartagena depending on your arrival time and where you are sleeping.
As checked in August 2026, Berlitur is the clearest published coach option. It states Terminal BAQ-La 93-Terminal CTG routing, COP 35,000 per person, La 93 departures every 30 minutes from 05:30 and from 06:15 on Sundays/holidays, and Terminal Cartagena departures every 30 minutes 05:00-19:00 on the Berlitur route and booking page. Do not assume you can buy an airport-to-Cartagena through-ticket inside BAQ unless Berlitur or the airport confirms it for your day.
Wayfinding from BAQ starts with leaving the airport by taxi/app to a Barranquilla coach point such as Terminal de Transportes or Berlitur/Berlinas/Berlitur La 93, then boarding the Cartagena coach. Uber says BAQ Taxi and Taxi Priority can be requested 24/7 and are operated by licensed taxi drivers on the BAQ airport taxi page. Walking is not an option for Cartagena: BAQ is in Soledad about 7 km from central Barranquilla and far from Cartagena, so the first leg is a vehicle transfer, backed by Barranquilla's how to arrive guide.
For tickets and payment, Berlitur publishes online purchase plus in-person sales and payment methods including Efecty, Baloto, Nequi, Daviplata, online payment, and payment links on the Berlitur site. The checked BAQ material did not verify a coach counter inside the airport, cash/card acceptance at an airport desk, or a direct airport coach boarding bay, so buy online where possible or go to the published Barranquilla coach point.
The service-gap fallback is a longer private ride or staying in Barranquilla, not hoping for a late public link that is not published. If your flight lands after the coach window, use BAQ's 24/7 licensed taxi/app option to reach a hotel or arrange a private onward ride; then check the next Berlitur departure. Marsol is another regional transfer operator to check for schedules, but use its current booking flow rather than assuming the same timings as Berlitur; start from Marsol's official site.
BAQ accessibility is thinly documented. ANI lists two elevators, ramps, and accessible toilets at Ernesto Cortissoz, but the current airport site did not publish a passenger assistance procedure in August 2026. Request wheelchair help through your airline before arrival and budget for taxi/app plus coach assistance rather than a guaranteed step-free public-transit chain; the sources are ANI's airport accessibility listing and the current BAQ airport site.
For BAQ phone data, the airport site checked in August 2026 showed only a launch-soon page and no official facility directory, so there is no source-backed Claro, Tigo, Movistar, WOM, or eSIM seller inside BAQ. Physical SIM cash and card acceptance inside BAQ were not verified. Use a preinstalled eSIM before arrival, or wait for a staffed carrier store after you reach Barranquilla or Cartagena; the airport status gap is visible on aeropuertobaq.com.
For BAQ eSIM, the same first-day rule applies: online before landing is the only source-backed option with a known payment outcome. Airalo supports card and digital-wallet-style payment methods but not cash, and some Colombia packages require valid ID verification; use the Airalo Colombia eSIM and Airalo payment-method pages before you are standing in Soledad trying to solve data and transport at the same time.
BAQ money facilities are also an August 2026 gap. The official airport website did not publish ATM brands, exchange desks, fees, hours, or DCC behavior, so arrive with enough COP for the first taxi/app move or withdraw after reaching Barranquilla or Cartagena. Do not rely on a specific BAQ ATM or exchange counter until the airport publishes facility details on aeropuertobaq.com.
Phone, data, and money on arrival
Sort out data before the terminal Wi-Fi becomes a plot twist. If you plan to use a travel eSIM, install it before flying and switch it on only when its activation terms say to. Save the hostel address, booking, first route, and one offline map while you still have a known-good connection.
Colombia uses Colombian pesos (COP). Your operator may ask you to register the handset's IMEI; Colombia's communications regulator says missing the stated registration deadline causes the device to be blocked. Ask the official carrier shop whether the handset step applies and complete it before you leave if it does. (CRC)
IMEI guidance checked 29 July 2026; review after 29 October 2026.
Before leaving the terminal
- Make sure your ride or transit app can still log in before removing or disabling the SIM that receives its verification texts.
- If you buy local service, use an official carrier shop or clearly branded counter, bring your passport, and confirm the line works before walking away.
- Screenshot the hostel address in the local language and the route you intend to use. A dead phone should be annoying, not mission-ending.
Cash, cards, and ATMs
An ATM can involve four different costs: the machine operator's surcharge, your bank's fee, the card network's exchange-rate markup, and—on a credit card—a cash-advance fee. The amount shown on the machine is not necessarily the whole bill. Read the confirmation screen and cancel if the fee or currency is unclear.
At an ATM or card reader, decline dynamic currency conversion and choose the local currency. Keep a small cash fallback until you have personally confirmed that your first transit route, hostel, and nearby food options accept your card; “cards usually work” is not an arrival plan.
First Night in Cartagena
Centro and Getsemani are the cleanest first-night targets for most backpackers: CTG reaches them by T102 to Centro/Chambacu or authorized taxi to Getsemani/Centro, the bus terminal reaches them by X104 or taxi/app, and La Bodeguita is already on the old-city edge. Bocagrande, Laguito, and Manga are better first-night taxi/app targets from CTG if you are arriving late or do not want to decode routes with a bag; the official CTG taxi tariff lists Bocagrande/Laguito at COP 34,400 and Manga at COP 28,500 on the airport taxi tariff sheet.
