Cartagena, Colombia Travel Guide
Accessibility in Cartagena, Colombia
Wheelchair accessibility in Cartagena, Colombia
Overview: Overall, I managed to get around Cartagena but there were being a wheelchair user. You have to be somewhat adventurous, however, and put up with some challenges. In Cartagena ramps maybe hard to find and often, they have a 3 to 5 inch height, likely due to water drainage. The traffic can be an issue, particularly the bumper-to-bumper traffic in Getsemani.
The good news is that the powers that be in Cartagena have paid some attention to accessibility in terms of infrastructure. I’m thinking of the Old City where you’ll see ramps, especially near the Clock Tower in the Plaza de los Coches area, to negotiate sidewalks. The sidewalks and ramps are cleaner and more event in Bocagrande and Camellón de los Mártires. Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, by original design, has paths to reach the base of the tower.
GETSEMANI
The challenge is present for people who can walk and for those in motorized wheelchairs, scooters, and wheelchair users who have various levels of mobility and strength. The sidewalks in Getsemani are a bit rugged, crumbly, sometimes narrow, and sometimes have vehicles blocking your way. Driveways for vehicles but sometimes do not have ramps on either side to resume wheeling on the sidewalks. Traffic on Calle Large (Calle 25) is bumper-to-bumper and drivers will heed if you cross when there is a short break in the traffic. As in the Old City, fruit vendors also sometimes block ramps.
Access to buildings and plazas in Getsemani may take a little hunting. Sometimes you have to wheel around to find an entrance with no steps. For items such as bottles of water and other necessities, you can just speak with the shop employee in front of the store and conduct transactions there. Many of the restaurants have small to large steps.
On Calle Larga, there is the Centro Comercial Y Empresarial. It’s a winding plaza with many small shops, internet cafe, and a convenience store, Something Special, which also sells food and coffee. There is a ramp as you go up the driveway.
LA MATUNA
In La Matuna, you have to look for ramps and driveways and their appearance seems a bit random. Storefronts and hotels, especially the hostels in La Matuna, have steps to enter. There are also, at times, chairs and tables in front of restaurants and bars blocking sidewalk paths. However, down side streets, you can wheel around and the neighborhood is worth visiting to see all the colorful avenues.
OLD CITY
I found the Old City to be reasonable to wheel around. However, it does sometimes have narrow sidewalks and I found myself wheeling in the streets. Ramps aren’t everywhere in the Old City. Centro, the western neighborhood of Cartagena’s Old City is easier to wheel around, especially if you want to visit the wonderful cathedrals and museums around Plaza de Bolivar and eat in the large patio setting in the north part of Centro, Plaza de Santo Domingo.
The San Diego area, which is in the northeastern part of the Old City, is much less congested with crowds and cars but the sidewalks and ramps are more difficult to use. Because Old City’s San Diego area has much fewer crowds, it’s much easier to wheel on the streets.
Access to places in Cartagena’s Old City often is spotty. There are steps up or down into establishments, especially the small restaurants.
BOCAGRANDE
Bocagrande is the modern part of Cartagena and is easier to wheel around than Getsemani and La Matuna. However, the area still has some uneven sidewalks and ramps may be 3 to 5 inches high. It’s particularly a challenge when it rains. The streets themselves aren’t built to maximize water drainage and there are often very large puddles. Be ready to get your wheels and rims dirty, thus your hands.
Tip
To access some of the venues in Old City, the employees are willing to help you in. For the tourist attractions such as La Popa and Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, you might want to think about hiring a driver to stay with you and help you out.
For lodging, if you have the money, you may want to stay in the modern Hotel Cartagena Plaza in Bocagrande right across from the beach or Cartagena de Indias Hotel on Calle Velez Danies (#4-39) in the Old City’s Centro area.