Best Party Hostels
in Cartagena

Media Luna Hostel

Cartagena's nightlife is split across two very different worlds, and knowing which side of the old wall to be on makes all the difference. Media Luna Hostel is in Getsemaní, which puts it at the start of that circuit. Alquimico on Calle del Colegio, Centro Histórico. A three-floor bar in the walled city that somehow manages to be both fancy and affordable. La Jugada on Calle del Colegio, Centro Histórico is the fallback option if the first place is packed. The hostel runs salsa classes run most evenings, free breakfast, useful for people arriving without a plan. At €11 a night and rated 7.5. The 7.5 score is low, but at €11 a night it's priced to account for the trade-offs.

Viajero Cartagena Hostel

Cartagena's nightlife is split across two very different worlds, and knowing which side of the old wall to be on makes all the difference. Viajero Cartagena Hostel is in Getsemaní, which puts it at the start of that circuit. Alquimico on Calle del Colegio, Centro Histórico. A three-floor bar in the walled city that somehow manages to be both fancy and affordable. La Jugada on Calle del Colegio, Centro Histórico is the fallback option if the first place is packed. The hostel runs salsa classes run most evenings, useful for people arriving without a plan. At €17 a night and rated 9.4. A 9.4 rating is consistently high for Cartagena, it holds up across multiple review cycles.

Casa del Puerto Hostel & Suites

Cartagena's nightlife is split across two very different worlds, and knowing which side of the old wall to be on makes all the difference. Casa del Puerto Hostel & Suites is in Getsemaní, which puts it at the start of that circuit. Alquimico on Calle del Colegio, Centro Histórico. A three-floor bar in the walled city that somehow manages to be both fancy and affordable. La Jugada on Calle del Colegio, Centro Histórico is the fallback option if the first place is packed. At €8 a night and rated 9.6. A 9.6 rating is consistently high for Cartagena, it holds up across multiple review cycles.

Los Patios Hostel

At €16 a night and rated 9.6, Los Patios Hostel has a rooftop bar, a combination that narrows the field in Cartagena. Alquimico on Calle del Colegio, Centro Histórico. A three-floor bar in the walled city that somehow manages to be both fancy and affordable. La Jugada on Calle del Colegio, Centro Histórico is the fallback option if the first place is packed.

Republica Hostel Cartagena

Cartagena's nightlife is split across two very different worlds, and knowing which side of the old wall to be on makes all the difference. Republica Hostel Cartagena is in Getsemaní, which puts it at the start of that circuit. Alquimico on Calle del Colegio, Centro Histórico. A three-floor bar in the walled city that somehow manages to be both fancy and affordable. La Jugada on Calle del Colegio, Centro Histórico is the fallback option if the first place is packed. At €13 a night and rated 9.2. At 9.2, it's near the top of Cartagena's hostel field without being the standout leader.

Getsemaní

This is where backpackers base themselves. Calle de la Sierpe and Plaza de la Trinidad are the social heart of the neighbourhood, lined with hostels, bars, and cheap restaurants that get going after dark. It sits just outside the walled city, a short walk from the Puerta del Reloj.

Centro Histórico (Walled City)

The old walled city is Cartagena's most photogenic area, with cobbled streets, colourful colonial buildings, and rooftop bars like Café del Mar overlooking the sea. Prices are higher here, but it's worth exploring before heading back to Getsemaní for the real nightlife.

Bocagrande

Bocagrande is Cartagena's modern beach strip, a peninsula of high-rise hotels and seafront restaurants about 20 minutes by taxi from Getsemaní. It's quieter for backpackers but good for a beach day, and Avenida San Martín has a handful of clubs that run late on weekends.

A three-floor bar in the walled city that somehow manages to be both fancy and affordable. Cocktails are well-made and reasonably priced for the setting, and the rooftop fills up quickly after 9pm. It draws a sociable mix of locals and travellers throughout the week.

Right across from Alquimico, La Jugada is a firm favourite on the Getsemaní and old-town bar circuit. It gets packed on weekends with a younger crowd looking for good music and cold drinks at decent prices. Arrive before midnight if you want a spot without a wait.

Perched on top of the old city walls, Café del Mar is one of Cartagena's most famous sunset spots. Drinks are on the pricier side, but the view over the Caribbean as the sun drops is genuinely hard to beat. Come for sundowners, then move on to Getsemaní for the rest of the night.

The plaza itself isn't one bar but a collection of open-air spots and street vendors surrounding the central square in Getsemaní. It's where the neighbourhood comes alive every evening, with locals and backpackers drinking cold Águila beers on plastic chairs. Cheap, social, and the best place to start any night out.

A long-running salsa and champeta club in Getsemaní that stays open into the early hours. The dance floor fills up by midnight with a loud, sweaty, brilliant crowd, and the music is all live or DJ-mixed Colombian genres. Entrance is cheap and the rum is even cheaper.

A rooftop gastro bar with views across the old city that features on several pub crawl itineraries. It blends food, cocktails, and a relaxed party atmosphere in one spot. Gets busier later in the evening when crawl groups roll through.