Cartagena Cooking Class & Market Tour with Local Chef

Summary

Bazurto Market Food Experience & Beachside Cooking in Cartagena

This is your chance to shop Cartagena’s lively market with a local chef, learn Caribbean cooking in a real beach cabin, and share lunch overlooking the sea. Taste fresh flavors you picked yourself and get hands-on tips from someone who grew up here—it’s not just a meal, it’s a slice of daily life by the coast.

What’s the experience like?

“Try this one,” our guide grinned, handing me a tiny yellow fruit I’d never seen before. We were deep inside Cartagena’s Bazurto Market, weaving through narrow aisles packed with chatter and the clatter of knives on wooden boards. The air was thick with the smell of ripe mangoes and frying arepas, and every stall seemed to have its own soundtrack—vendors calling out prices, radios playing vallenato, someone laughing nearby.

After picking out plantains, fresh fish, and bunches of cilantro, we hopped into a van and left the city behind. The drive to the fishing village was quick but felt like another world; suddenly there was salty breeze coming through the windows and glimpses of blue water between palm trees. Our chef, Luz, chatted about her childhood recipes as we arrived at a simple wooden cabin right on the sand.

Cooking barefoot by the sea, I mashed avocados for guacamole while Luz showed us how to shape plantain cups—her hands moving fast, mine not so much. Coconut rice bubbled away on the stove, filling the kitchen with a sweet, nutty scent that mixed with ocean air. Lunch tasted even better after all that work: crispy fish, warm rice, tangy salad, and fried plantains eaten with our fingers as waves rolled in just steps away.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Market Visit and Cooking Class

• Buy ingredients at local market
• Visit fisher's town
• Cooking class in Caribbean cabin

Top questions

Is this Cartagena cooking class suitable for beginners?

Yes, absolutely! The chef guides you step by step—even if you’ve never cooked Colombian food before, you’ll feel comfortable joining in.

What kind of food will we prepare during the tour?

You’ll make plantain cups with guacamole plus a main dish of coconut or bean rice, fresh fish, salad, and fried plantain—all typical Caribbean recipes.

Where does the Cartagena local market tour take place?

The shopping happens at Bazurto Market in Cartagena—a busy spot full of local produce and fresh seafood vendors.

Is hotel pickup included for this experience?

Yes! Hotel pickup is included if you’re staying in Bocagrande, Laguito, Castillo Grande or Centro neighborhoods.

What’s included

Your day comes with hotel pickup from central neighborhoods like Bocagrande or Centro, plus all transport between stops. You’ll have a friendly local guide throughout—drinks are provided while you cook and taste along the way—and when it’s time for lunch everything you helped prepare is served right by the beach so you can relax after your hard work.