Visit Bazurto Market
Offering a deep dive into local life, visiting Bazurto Market is a wonderful way to experience Cartagena’s living culture up close.
Amidst the market's labyrinth of passages, you’ll find a huge variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and seafood that are unique to the region.
Food aside, the market has a section devoted to handmade crafts, jewellery, and traditional clothing, with musicians showcasing traditional champeta and vallenato music.
Editor’s tip: foodies could look to book a food-themed walking tour of the market or wider city, during which you’ll most likely find yourself sampling regional specialties like arepas and ceviche at their best.
Explore museums and galleries
From the Museo del Oro Zenú (Gold Museum) which showcases exquisite gold artefacts, to the Caribbean Naval Museum, Cartagena isn’t short of fascinating museums to enjoy during rainier periods.
While these tend to attract big crowds during the high season, June’s moderate visitor numbers will see you explore them in a more immersive fashion.
We also recommend checking out Casa Museo Rafael Núñez, the home of a four-time president of Colombia. Meanwhile, art aficionados will want to head to the Museum of Modern Art) to see contemporary and modern works by Colombian and Latin American artists.
Editor’s tip: head to the colourful Getsemaní district to soak up local culture and street art — there are plenty of bars and cafés to shelter in when showers strike.
Watch wildlife in Agricola las Camelias
Thanks to the rain, June renders the countryside around Cartagena lush and green, which adds extra beauty to wildlife-focussed tours.
We suggest you pack your raincoat and set off early to tour Agricola las Camelias in the footsteps of esteemed naturalist Alexander von Humboldt.
About 50 minutes from Cartagena, this 60-hectare nature reserve plays host to 200+ species of birds. You’re also likely to catch sight of howler monkeys, sloths, and anteaters.
Editor’s tip: if you’re into wildlife and nature, take a canoe tour of La Boquilla’s mangrove forests.
Still, making up your mind? Read up on the best things to do in Colombia, and get The Rough Guide to Colombia.