Cartagena, Colombia: Finding Cecilia's at the Market (Mercado de Bazurto)
We like to check out the free walking tours in a city to orient ourselves, learn some history, and swap tips with fellow travelers (don't forget to tip!) but we typically shy away from tours from both a cost and flexibility perspective.
In Cartagena, locals and Tripadvisor recommended doing a tour to visit the local market, Mercado de Bazurto and I couldn't find much information about visiting on your own (the tour is $50USD). Well, I am here to report: it's a great trip to do by yourself! Of course, use common sense when visiting because it can be quite crowded - no flashy jewelry, keep your valuables in front of you and not in backpacks or back pockets.
If you're staying in Old Town or Getsemani (we recommend Getsemani because it's way less touristy and just as picturesque), it's a 7-10,000 COP ($2-3USD) to take a taxi to the market, about 10 minutes away. Your cab driver will definitely know where it is and will probably ask you where you want to get dropped off, depending on what you're looking for, because the market is huge - the equivalent of four square blocks.
The energy and look and feel of the market reminded us of markets in Asia. We enjoyed seeing lots of fruit vendors and haggle for a couple of our favorites (custard apple and granadilla, a sweet passionfruit). Watch out for the carts of goods that whiz through the market!
The best part of our trip was tracking down an Anthony Bourdain's recommended eat, Cecilia's (or Restaurante Cecilia's). She was not easy to find in the labyrinth of shops and stalls within the huge market, so here are two tips for you....Find her using GPS using our Google Maps pin (yes, technology!) or ask for directions to the fried fish section, which is in the same section as the restaurants (¿Dónde está la sección de pescado frito?) You'll know when you've found here when you see the helpful sign, "Aqui es Cecilia" (Here is Ceclia).
For 8,000 COP (<$3), we got a large bowl of delicious fish soup (sopa de pescado) with amazing depth of flavor and a plate of her seafood rice dishes. And, I'm talking a crazy heaping plate of food here. We were able to ask Cecilia for several tastes of multiple dishes in one plate instead of just one dish. We tried the famous crab rice (good, but eating the whole crab was just too much work for us) and an amazing chicken and rice dish. Try whatever looks good to you, I'm sure it will be amazing! You'll enjoy your food at plastic tables, a perfect place to people watch as lots of locals were fueling up here after running their errands in the market.
Total cost: 25,000COP ($8) for transportation and lunch for 2
In Cartagena, locals and Tripadvisor recommended doing a tour to visit the local market, Mercado de Bazurto and I couldn't find much information about visiting on your own (the tour is $50USD). Well, I am here to report: it's a great trip to do by yourself! Of course, use common sense when visiting because it can be quite crowded - no flashy jewelry, keep your valuables in front of you and not in backpacks or back pockets.
If you're staying in Old Town or Getsemani (we recommend Getsemani because it's way less touristy and just as picturesque), it's a 7-10,000 COP ($2-3USD) to take a taxi to the market, about 10 minutes away. Your cab driver will definitely know where it is and will probably ask you where you want to get dropped off, depending on what you're looking for, because the market is huge - the equivalent of four square blocks.
The energy and look and feel of the market reminded us of markets in Asia. We enjoyed seeing lots of fruit vendors and haggle for a couple of our favorites (custard apple and granadilla, a sweet passionfruit). Watch out for the carts of goods that whiz through the market!
The best part of our trip was tracking down an Anthony Bourdain's recommended eat, Cecilia's (or Restaurante Cecilia's). She was not easy to find in the labyrinth of shops and stalls within the huge market, so here are two tips for you....Find her using GPS using our Google Maps pin (yes, technology!) or ask for directions to the fried fish section, which is in the same section as the restaurants (¿Dónde está la sección de pescado frito?) You'll know when you've found here when you see the helpful sign, "Aqui es Cecilia" (Here is Ceclia).
For 8,000 COP (<$3), we got a large bowl of delicious fish soup (sopa de pescado) with amazing depth of flavor and a plate of her seafood rice dishes. And, I'm talking a crazy heaping plate of food here. We were able to ask Cecilia for several tastes of multiple dishes in one plate instead of just one dish. We tried the famous crab rice (good, but eating the whole crab was just too much work for us) and an amazing chicken and rice dish. Try whatever looks good to you, I'm sure it will be amazing! You'll enjoy your food at plastic tables, a perfect place to people watch as lots of locals were fueling up here after running their errands in the market.
Total cost: 25,000COP ($8) for transportation and lunch for 2
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