Cartagena: Rooftop Salsa & Champeta Dance Class with Drinks

Grass Under Your Feet, Latin Rhythms in Your Hips

You spend three hours on a private grass rooftop in Getsemani learning salsa, bachata, merengue and champeta from an instructor who teaches step by step. Drinks (wine, beer, rum) come throughout, and you get a video of everything you learned so you can practice later. No experience needed, and the sunset over the fort is just there while you dance.

Step-by-step itinerary

Learn Latin dances on rooftop

• Arrive at secret rooftop in Getsemani
• Enjoy views of neighborhood and San Felipe fort
• Learn Salsa basic steps and turns
• Practice Merengue steps and choreography
• Learn Bachata steps and twists
• Practice Champeta, Cartagena's native dance
• Drink wine, beers, and typical rum
• Learn common Cartagena slang
• Combine steps into choreographies
• Receive video tutorial after class

The experience

Grass beneath your bare feet. A private rooftop in Getsemani, the neighborhood where Cartagena's street art bleeds into colonial walls, and from where you can see the Fort of San Felipe catching the last light. You're three floors up, the city spreading out around you, and someone is about to teach you how to move to salsa, bachata, merengue and champeta. The rhythm that was born right here, in this city. The class runs three hours, and it starts the moment you step onto that grass.

Your instructor breaks down each dance step by step, no rushing. Salsa first (the basic step, the turn, the twist), then merengue, then bachata, and finally champeta, the native Cartagena sound that feels less like a dance and more like a conversation with the street. Between rhythms, there's wine, beer, rum shots from Colombia, and water to keep you steady. You're not performing for anyone. You're learning the actual movement, the weight shift, the hip roll that makes sense only when your body figures it out. By the end, you've got a choreography for each one, something you can actually do, and the instructors send you a video tutorial afterward so you can keep practicing at home, which, honestly, you probably will.

The rooftop itself is the thing. Grass instead of concrete, views that shift as the sun moves, and the kind of privacy that makes you forget you're in a city at all. Public transport stops are nearby if you need them, and the class welcomes all fitness levels. This isn't about being good, it's about learning the steps and feeling the music in a place where that music was made.

What’s included

Your three hours on the rooftop include instruction in four dance styles (salsa, bachata, merengue and champeta), two beers, two glasses of wine, two rum shots and two bottles of water per person, a choreography for each dance, and a video tutorial sent after the class so you can keep practicing.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and SundayDeparts at 17:00

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (10 to 17 years) · Under 10: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 8

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Real Experience Cartagena

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want to learn actual Latin dances in the neighborhood where one of them was born, without the formality of a studio: the rooftop and the drinks and the grass floor are what make it feel like something more than a class.

Traveler reviews

4.92★★★★★★★★★★

376 verified traveler reviews

5 ★364

4 ★4

3 ★3

2 ★0

1 ★5

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (10 to 17 years). Under 10: they can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How long is the dance class?

Three hours on the rooftop, with breaks for drinks and instruction between each dance style.

What dances do you learn?

Salsa, bachata, merengue, and champeta, the native Cartagena rhythm. Each one gets broken down into basic steps, turns and twists, then combined into a short choreography.

What drinks are included?

Two beers, two glasses of wine, two rum shots and two bottles of water per person.

Do I need dance experience?

No. The class is designed for all fitness levels and beginners. The instructor teaches step by step with patience.

Where exactly is the rooftop?

In the Getsemani neighborhood of Cartagena's old city, on a third-floor private rooftop with views of the surrounding area and Fort San Felipe.

What's the floor like?

Grass, so you dance barefoot. It's comfortable and different from a typical studio floor.

Do you get anything after the class?

Yes, the instructors send you a video tutorial of all the steps and choreographies you learned, so you can practice at home.

Is there parking or public transport nearby?

Public transportation options are available near the rooftop. Parking details should be confirmed when you book.