Cartagena cruise port to Old City taxi fare - USD or CP

[bigdaddy930]

Just wondering how much is a taxi fare from cruise port to Old City? I have a few questions.

1) I heard I need to ask the price first before I get in the cab.

2)  Is taxi fare cheaper if I get out of the port area.

3) Do they accept USD? Or I need to get some COP cash from port ATM?

4) I can't speak any Spanish ... will this is be any issue? I plan to write down "Torre del Reloj" clock tower to show them.

Appreciate any of your comment.

[mcarney]

I would like to know these things as well

[BigJon]

I was in Cartagena last week on the Disney Wonder. Definitely agree on the price before you get in the taxi. Inside the port is slightly higher than outside the port. As I approached the taxi area, a guy asked me where I wanted to go, and I said the clock tower. He told me it would be $20 for 3 people. I told him "no thanks", and he immediately said, "$15". I told him "how about $12", and he grimaced a little, and said "okay". The taxi drivers in the port area wear a blue shirt with TAXI written all over it. He took us straight to the clock tower, but he tried to get us to let him take us on a tour, that included La Popa. We did a tour like that the first time we went to Cartagena, so I told him we just needed a ride to town. Once we did our walking tour of the old town, as I got near the clock tower, a guy approached me and asked if we needed a cab ride to the port, and I said "how much", and he told me $10. We followed him outside the clock tower entrance wall to a taxi, and once we got in I asked the driver if the total price was $10, and he said "yes". That guy did not have the TAXI shirt, and his car was slightly smaller, but it was fine. I was wondering if he would drop us off outside the port, but he dropped us off inside the port. They take US dollars.......jonathan

[mcarney]

9 hours ago, BigJon said:

I was in Cartagena last week on the Disney Wonder. Definitely agree on the price before you get in the taxi. Inside the port is slightly higher than outside the port. As I approached the taxi area, a guy asked me where I wanted to go, and I said the clock tower. He told me it would be $20 for 3 people. I told him "no thanks", and he immediately said, "$15". I told him "how about $12", and he grimaced a little, and said "okay". The taxi drivers in the port area wear a blue shirt with TAXI written all over it. He took us straight to the clock tower, but he tried to get us to let him take us on a tour, that included La Popa. We did a tour like that the first time we went to Cartagena, so I told him we just needed a ride to town. Once we did our walking tour of the old town, as I got near the clock tower, a guy approached me and asked if we needed a cab ride to the port, and I said "how much", and he told me $10. We followed him outside the clock tower entrance wall to a taxi, and once we got in I asked the driver if the total price was $10, and he said "yes". That guy did not have the TAXI shirt, and his car was slightly smaller, but it was fine. I was wondering if he would drop us off outside the port, but he dropped us off inside the port. They take US dollars.......jonathan

Thank you!  We will be in Cartagena in February and we were just thinking of stopping by the fort for pictures and then on to the walled city (I'm assuming that is the clock tower) to tool around, maybe some lunch and then before boarding, go to the free wildlife place at the port.

 

This help a lot --- go outside of port for taxi, negotiate and agree on a price before getting in the car - thank you again!

[MrBreeze]

On ‎11‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 9:54 PM, BigJon said:

I was in Cartagena last week on the Disney Wonder. Definitely agree on the price before you get in the taxi. Inside the port is slightly higher than outside the port. As I approached the taxi area, a guy asked me where I wanted to go, and I said the clock tower. He told me it would be $20 for 3 people. I told him "no thanks", and he immediately said, "$15". I told him "how about $12", and he grimaced a little, and said "okay". The taxi drivers in the port area wear a blue shirt with TAXI written all over it. He took us straight to the clock tower, but he tried to get us to let him take us on a tour, that included La Popa. We did a tour like that the first time we went to Cartagena, so I told him we just needed a ride to town. Once we did our walking tour of the old town, as I got near the clock tower, a guy approached me and asked if we needed a cab ride to the port, and I said "how much", and he told me $10. We followed him outside the clock tower entrance wall to a taxi, and once we got in I asked the driver if the total price was $10, and he said "yes". That guy did not have the TAXI shirt, and his car was slightly smaller, but it was fine. I was wondering if he would drop us off outside the port, but he dropped us off inside the port. They take US dollars.......jonathan

Thanks for the great information. But a quick question if I may. What is the drive time from the port to the clock tower? Or from the clock tower back to the port? Thanks in advance.  

[BigJon]

I entered the starting place (port) to the clock tower in Google maps and got 18 minutes. I was thinking about 15 minutes, but I didn’t check the time while I was there. Definitely too far to walk. Just make sure you don’t accept the $20 price when you approach the taxi area.....jonathan

[SimplyMarvie]

Just FYI -- there is NO ATM in the port area, despite there being a whole mess of shopping there. No idea why this is, but make sure you have cash (USD is fine) before you get off your ship, because trying to convince your taxi driver to take you to an ATM and then to the old city is difficult and raises the price significantly. (We ended up walking back to the ship and getting cash, because that was easier overall)

[Turtles06]

We were in Cartagena a couple of weeks ago. You won’t need local currency for cabs, but be sure to have U.S. cash.  And do agree on the price up front. 

[bstel]

do vendors in the wall city and around the fort take US dollars?