1. January and February

As expected, January was the month of highest activity of the season by a solid margin: 35 ships brought 100.812 visitors (70.886 passengers, 29.926 crew members), which resulted in an economic impact of $ 10,773,69.24 USD. 3 maiden calls and 12 dates with multiple arrivals, some of up to 4 and 3 ships, complete the picture. The week from Monday 20 to Sunday 26 in particular received an extensive amount of media coverage, as four cruises arrived on the 24, bringing over 19,000 passengers in a single day.

February, meanwhile, marks the end of the high season for the 2024-2025 period. Despite that, it’s still a month of relatively high activity, as 22 cruises are expected to reach the Cartagena de Indias terminal and 6 dates will host multiple arrivals. In total, 64,487 visitors (45,841 passengers and 18,646 crew members) are expected to come.

2. March Forecast: stable numbers

March’s numbers are still very similar to February’s. The number of expected cruises is slightly higher at 23, although the number of total visitors is slightly lower at 61.876 (46.888 passengers and 14.988 crew members). Additionally, there will 6 dates with multiple arrivals, with the 26th being of special note, as three cruises will arrive on that date.

3. The Media Maratón del Mar (MMM)

The Port of Cartagena Group has hosted this massive event since 2018 and this year was the most demanding and stacked yet: 9,300 runners gathered at Dock 9 in Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Cartagena to compete in two different categories (21K and 10K). Seven years of impeccable logistics and planning have made this possible, and it remains one of the highlights of the organization’s yearly events. 

4. Discover the Red-Fan Parrot in Port Oasis EcoPark

As its name implies, the red-fan parrot (Deroptyus accipitrinus) sports a “fan” of feathers much like a peacock’s, though it’s instead located in its neck. It will display this fan when it feels threatened by another animal or interested in an object. This species can be found natively in the Amazon rainforest.

5. Find delicious liquors in the Colombian Shopping Village

The Colombian Shopping Village offers you a wide selection of colorful and finely-decorated ceramic pottery from several different cultures and towns, made by the hands of expert artisans. One of the premier localities is Raquira, which name means “City of Pots” and which has been well-known for the quality of its work in this regard. As much as 80% of the inhabitants of these localities live off making ceramic handcrafts.