Best hostels in Cartagena

Cartagena spreads its hostel inventory across three distinct belts: the walled colonial core and its southern neighbor Getsemani, the high-rise beachfront strip of Bocagrande, and the quieter residential pockets of Manga, Marbella, and La Boquilla at the northern edge. Budget beds inside the walls run from $50 to $59 a night for private rooms; cross into Getsemani and the price drops to $18 for a dorm with privacy curtains and rooftop yoga. The beach strip trades colonial texture for ocean proximity and modern towers, while Manga offers bay-view rooms from $23 a night on a residential island connected to the old quarter by a single bridge. Choosing a neighborhood here means choosing between walking to the clock tower or walking to the sand. Both work, but the gap between them is a taxi ride, not a stroll. The densest hostel clusters line the Bocagrande peninsula and the walled city grid; the strongest value sits in the residential pockets outside them.

1. 1

   Bocagrande, Cartagena

   Beachfront peninsula west of the walled city

   High-rise beach strip with ocean-facing balconies and air conditioning in every tier.

   The Carrera 2 beachfront in Bocagrande, Cartagena lines up high-rise towers against the Caribbean, and the budget anchor here, Oz Hotel Luxury, holds a 9.1 at about $67 a night. Skip the resort lobbies at the peninsula's southern tip; the locals know the northern blocks near Avenida San Martín for cheaper eats and wider sand. Bocagrande trades colonial texture for ocean breeze and air conditioning. The walled city is a short taxi ride north, but the neighborhood has its own restaurant strip, pharmacies, and ATMs along the main drag. This is the area for travelers who want to wake up near the water, not in a courtyard. It does not pretend to be old Cartagena, and that honesty is its advantage.

   1. Budget

      Oz Hotel Luxury

      Room is upgraded with balcony for additional pay at check-in counter. Good experience with late check out at 1pm.

      9.1/10 rating ~$67/night
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2. 2

   La Boquilla, Cartagena

   Fishing village on Cartagena's northern Caribbean shore

   Mangrove lagoon on one side, open Caribbean on the other, and local fishing-village rhythm throughout.

   Sea breeze drifts through La Boquilla, Cartagena from the mangrove lagoon on one side and the open Caribbean on the other, and Hotel Serema anchors the budget tier with an 8.6 at about $60 a night. Don't bother with the beachfront hawker strip closer to the resort zone; the locals head to the lagoon-side tables for cheaper ceviche and quieter seats. The Ciénaga de la Virgen sits to the west, and the main road connects south to the city center by bus. La Boquilla was a fishing village before the city absorbed its northern edge, and it still runs on that rhythm. It suits the traveler who wants local pace over polished convenience and who does not mind a bus ride to reach the walled city's plazas.

   1. Budget

      Hotel Serema

      8.6/10 rating ~$60/night
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3. 3

   Marbella, Cartagena

   Coastal strip between the walled city and Bocagrande

   The seam between the colonial core and the beach district, with modern apartments and seawall joggers.

   The Avenida Santander coastline in Marbella, Cartagena curves between the walled city and Bocagrande, and the Bondo Hometel holds a 9.2 at about $75 a night from a modern building set back from the road. Avoid the loud bars that cluster near the convention center at night; the residential blocks one street inland stay quieter and put you within walking range of both the old town gates and the beach strip. Marbella is the seam between the colonial core and the peninsula, which means neither atmosphere fully takes hold. The locals know this stretch for its apartment towers and weekend joggers along the seawall. It suits travelers who want a clean, modern room and the flexibility to walk in either direction without committing to the tourist density of the center or the resort feel of the peninsula.

   1. Budget

      Bondo Hometel

      Classy apartments in modern building, with clean, spacious rooms. Everything is very comfortable, comfortable, there is everything necessary. Excellent location, kind staff.

      9.2/10 rating ~$75/night
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4. 4

   Getsemani, Cartagena

   Historic quarter south of the walled city walls

   Street-art-covered backpacker hub with dorm beds, rooftop bars, and Plaza de la Trinidad nightlife.

   Plaza de la Trinidad hums after dark in Getsemani, Cartagena, and the hostel scene here runs deeper than anywhere else inside the old walls. Masaya Cartagena anchors the dorm tier with an 8.7 at about $18 a night, privacy curtains on every bunk, and free yoga on the rooftop. Skip the souvenir shops lining the tourist route between the clock tower and the plaza; the locals prefer the side streets south of Calle de la Sierpe for empanadas and cold beer at half the markup. Getsemani was the working-class counterpart to the merchant quarter, and the street art on every other facade still carries that edge. It suits backpackers and solo travelers who want nightlife within stumbling distance, not a quiet retreat. The noise thins by sunrise, but expect drumming and bar chatter past midnight on weekends.

   1. Budget

      Masaya Cartagena

      Great location. I liked the privacy for each dorm bed. The free yoga and various activities were great too. Unfortunately the shower didn’t drain super well, so I was standing on the water in the show

      8.7/10 rating ~$18/night
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5. 5

   Manga, Cartagena

   Residential island south of Getsemani across the bay

   Quiet bay-wrapped residential island connected to the old quarter by one bridge.

   The waterfront at Manga, Cartagena catches the light from the bay on three sides, and Hotel Casa Castel holds an 8.2 at about $65 a night on this quiet residential island. Don't bother with the overpriced restaurants facing the tourist boats at the pier; the neighborhood bakeries and corner shops serve the residents who live here year-round. Manga connects to Getsemani by the Puente Román, which means the walled city's plazas are a short walk north. The island's streets stay calm after dark, lined with colonial houses that never became boutique hotels. It suits travelers who want to sleep in a residential pocket and walk to the old town without paying old-town prices.

   1. Budget

      Hotel Casa Castel

      8.2/10 rating ~$65/night
      Check rates
6. 6

   Bocagrande

   Mid-peninsula commercial strip along Carrera 3

   Practical mid-strip base with shopping, services, and beach access in both directions.

   At about $67 a night, Hotel Blue Concept scores an 8.4 and sits in the commercial heart of Bocagrande, where the Carrera 3 shopping strip runs parallel to the beach. Avoid the beachfront hawkers who charge tourist rates for umbrella rentals; the hotel pools in this tier offer better value for a half-day off the sand. Bocagrande's mid-peninsula blocks cluster restaurants, laundry services, and currency exchanges within a few streets of each other, which makes the area practical for travelers staying more than a weekend. The Transcaribe bus runs south along the main avenue toward the walled city, and taxis queue at every other corner after sunset. This part of the strip is less polished than the resort end but more self-sufficient, and it suits budget travelers who want beach access and city services without paying for a lobby fountain.

   1. Budget

      Hotel Blue Concept

      If I could give you more than 5 stars, I would. To be honest, a generally excellent hotel. Impeccable service, delicious food, clean and tidy facilities, comfortable rooms and in a very nice area. The

      8.4/10 rating ~$67/night
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7. 7

   Centro

   Colonial grid inside the walled city

   Dense old-town core with churches, plazas, and balconied guesthouses inside the stone walls.

   Street noise echoes off the stone walls inside Centro's colonial grid, and Hotel Marie Real Cartagena holds a 7.7 at about $50 a night near the cathedral plaza. Skip the jewelry shops along the main tourist drag; the locals know the side streets closer to the Universidad de Cartagena for cheaper lunches and fewer tour groups. Centro is the densest part of the walled city, packed with churches, plazas, and balconied mansions converted into guesthouses. The clock tower gate opens south toward Getsemani, and the northern ramparts face the sea. It suits travelers who want to be inside the postcard, walking distance from museums and restaurants, and who can tolerate the midday heat radiating off stone. The trade-off is noise: horse carriages and amplified music carry late, and the narrow streets hold the sound.

   1. Budget

      Hotel Marie Real Cartagena

      Excellent location, excellent service and delicious breakfast.

      7.7/10 rating ~$50/night
      Check rates
8. 8

   Centro, Cartagena

   Eastern quarter of the walled colonial core

   Converted colonial homes with tiled courtyards, thick walls, and fruit vendors at dawn.

   The colonial doorways along Calle del Santísimo in Centro, Cartagena open into courtyards that stay cool when the streets bake, and Casa Noa Colonial Rooms earns a 9.2 at about $59 a night behind one of those facades. The locals swear by the fruit vendors who set up before dawn near the Plaza de los Coches; the tourist restaurants a block east charge triple for the same mango. This part of the old town clusters guesthouses in converted colonial homes rather than purpose-built hotels, which means thick walls, tiled floors, and smaller rooms. The walled city's ramparts are a short walk north for evening breezes off the Caribbean. It suits the traveler who values character over amenities and wants to hear the neighborhood wake up through wooden shutters, not through plate glass.

   1. Budget

      Casa Noa Colonial Rooms

      The best, it is close to everything, I would never doubt host again.

      9.2/10 rating ~$59/night
      Check rates
9. 9

   Espinal, Cartagena

   Residential district southeast of the walled city

   Local residential grid with the city's strongest hostel rating at a fraction of old-town prices.

   Morning air drifts in from the bay toward Espinal, Cartagena, where the residential grid sits outside the tourist corridor and the prices show it. Hostel Caribe Cartagena holds a 9.4 at about $36 a night, one of the strongest ratings in the city at a fraction of the walled-city rate. Skip the hostels inside the old town that charge double for a colonial address and a rooftop bar; Espinal trades ambiance for value and quiet streets. The neighborhood connects to the city center by bus along the main avenue, and small tiendas and local eateries replace the tourist-facing restaurants found closer to the walls. It suits budget travelers and longer-stay visitors who want a residential base, clean beds, and the freedom to spend their money on day trips instead of rent.

   1. Budget

      Hostel Caribe Cartagena

      9.4/10 rating ~$36/night
      Check rates
10. 10

    Manga

    Bay-facing residential island linked by Puente Román

    The best budget value in the city on a quiet island within walking distance of the old quarter.

    At about $23 a night, Casa Stella Rooms scores a 9.9 in Manga and makes the case that the best hostel value in Cartagena sits outside the walled city entirely. The locals skip the overpriced guesthouses inside the old town and know Manga's residential streets for what they are: quiet blocks with bay views, bakeries, and none of the horse-carriage traffic. The Puente Román bridge connects Manga to Getsemani on foot, which puts the plazas and nightlife of the old quarter within reach without the noise at bedtime. Manga's island geography keeps through traffic low, and the waterfront path along the eastern shore stays empty most mornings. It suits the budget traveler who has figured out that proximity to the tourist core costs more than it delivers, and who would rather pocket the difference.

    1. Budget

       Casa Stella Rooms

       Excellent place, very clean and most importantly, it's welcoming

       9.9/10 rating ~$23/night
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