Cartagena Street Food Tour: Taste Local Vendors & Historic Plazas

What do locals actually eat in Cartagena's old city?

You walk through four historic plazas in Cartagena's old city, tasting artisan street food at each stop: empanadas, croquetas, fresh drinks and local sweets made by vendors who've worked the same squares for years. The tour includes all tastings and a local guide who knows where the real food is, and you return to your starting point by late afternoon.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Santo Domingo Church20m
2. Bolivar Square20m
3. Plaza de San Diego20m

Explore Cartagena's historic plazas and gates

• Visit Santo Domingo Plaza
• See San Pedro Claver Plaza and statue
• Walk around Bolivar Square
• Rest at San Diego Square terrace
• View La Puerta del Reloj gate
• Explore Plaza de los Coches and sweets

The experience

That's the question Julie answers by walking you through the plazas where vendors have been selling the same recipes for decades. You start at Santo Domingo Church, where a Botero sculpture sits in the square alongside outdoor bars and street musicians, and the food stalls are already busy by mid-morning. Everything you taste here is made by hand: empanadas, croquetas, fresh fruit drinks, the kind of thing you'd miss if you stuck to the tourist restaurants on the next block over.

From there you move through the historic center on foot, stopping at Plaza de San Pedro Claver, where the church and a row of shops frame the square, and then Bolívar Square, the formal heart of the old city with its cathedral and government buildings rising around you. The street food tour doesn't rush between stops. You eat, you watch the vendors work, you see how the plazas actually function, not as photo backdrops but as places where people meet, eat lunch, sit in the shade. San Diego Plaza, tucked in the San Diego neighborhood, is quieter, with terraces where locals rest between errands, and that's where the rhythm of the tour shifts a bit.

The Portal de los Dulces at Plaza de los Coches is the last major stop, famous for its candy vendors and sweets that have been sold there for generations. By that point you've walked the main arteries of Cartagena's historic center and tasted enough to understand what street food means here, not a quick bite, but a way of eating that's tied to specific places and specific people. The whole thing is walkable, accessible, and built around what's actually happening in the plazas that day, not a fixed script.

What’s included

All tastings of artisan street food at each plaza stop, a local guide who knows the vendors and the history of each square, and access to the main attractions including Santo Domingo Church, San Pedro Claver, Bolívar Square, San Diego Plaza, and the Portal de los Dulces.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight 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.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Tasting Cartagena with Julie Munera

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to eat what locals eat rather than what restaurants serve, and who'd rather walk the plazas with someone who knows the vendors than navigate the old city alone trying to figure out which stall is worth stopping at.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What kind of food will I taste?

Artisan street food made by local vendors: empanadas, croquetas, fresh fruit drinks, and traditional sweets from the Portal de los Dulces. All tastings are included.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the tour is wheelchair accessible and suitable for all fitness levels. It is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or pregnant travelers.

Which plazas does the tour visit?

Santo Domingo Church, Plaza de San Pedro Claver, Bolívar Square, San Diego Plaza, and the Portal de los Dulces at Plaza de los Coches.

Can infants join the tour?

Yes, infants are welcome but must sit on an adult's lap during the tour.

Is transportation included?

The tour is conducted on foot through Cartagena's historic center. Transportation options are wheelchair accessible if needed.