What to Eat in Cartagena

Cartagena cooks at the meeting point of the Caribbean Sea, tropical mangroves, and inland savannas. The humid heat shapes meals that balance freshness with energy: seafood, coconut, plantain, maize, and yuca anchor daily plates. African, Indigenous, and Spanish techniques mingle in stews, fritters, and rice dishes.

Locals favor early breakfasts, a substantial midday almuerzo, and lighter evening bites when the air cools. Street vendors supply hot fritos at dawn, while home kitchens simmer soups or braises for weekends and holidays. Citrus, suero costeño, and herbs cut through the climate’s warmth.

The arepa de huevo—also called arepa e’ huevo—is a hallmark of Cartagena’s morning street food. A disk of yellow corn masa is deep-fried until it puffs, then slit open to nestle a raw egg inside, sealed, and briefly refried so the white sets and the yolk stays creamy. Salted masa offers a toasty corn aroma and a crisp-chewy shell, while the egg adds richness; some versions include a spoon of seasoned ground beef before the second fry. Rooted in the region’s tradition of fritos costeños, it reflects African-descended frying techniques and the corn legacy of Indigenous peoples. You’ll find it at first light and mid-morning from mobile griddles and sidewalk cauldrons, eaten hot with a squeeze of lime or a dab of ají.

Posta negra cartagenera transforms a lean beef cut—often eye of round—into a tender, glossy braise built on panela, Colombia’s unrefined cane sugar. Cooks season and marinate the meat with garlic, cumin, black pepper, and vinegar, then sear it hard to develop a dark crust; panela is melted and reduced to a mahogany syrup that bathes the beef as it gently simmers with onion and spices. The result is sliceable meat with a caramelized, bittersweet sauce balanced by savory depth, commonly served with arroz con coco, patacones, and a simple salad. The dish channels Spanish braising methods, local sugarcane heritage, and coastal tastes, appearing at Sunday lunches, family celebrations, and festive gatherings when a substantial, shareable centerpiece is expected around midday.

Cartagena’s arroz con coco features two classic styles: blanco, made with coconut milk, and negrito, where the milk is reduced to titoté—brown, nutty coconut solids and oil—before rice, water, salt, and a touch of sugar (often with raisins) are added. The rice cooks until fluffy with toasty pockets and a gentle sweetness that pairs naturally with a whole fried fish such as mojarra or pargo, seasoned simply with garlic, lime, and salt. The fish emerges with crackling skin and moist flakes, usually plated alongside patacones and a tart onion-tomato salad. This beachside lunch captures Cartagena’s maritime rhythm—coconut from coastal palms, daily catch fried to order—and is most popular at midday when the sea breeze helps temper the heat.

Locally called ceviche though distinct from the raw, citrus-cured versions elsewhere, Cartagena’s coctel de camarón uses fully cooked shrimp. The shrimp are gently poached, chilled, and folded into salsa rosada—a mixture of ketchup and mayonnaise—brightened with fresh lime juice, diced red onion, and cilantro; some vendors add a hint of hot sauce or a splash of citrus soda for sweetness. Served in cups with a spoon and crisp soda crackers, it delivers a cool, creamy-tangy bite ideal for the city’s humidity. The cocktail reflects coastal street culture and adaptation of international influences to local taste, and is a favored afternoon or early evening snack in plazas and along the waterfront, when the sun softens and strolling becomes part of the meal.

Mote de queso is a Caribbean-Coast soup built around ñame—yam varieties such as espino—whose starch gives body to the broth. Cubes of peeled ñame simmer with aliños (onion, scallion, garlic) until tender; diced queso costeño, a firm, salty coastal cheese, is added to soften in the heat. The pot is finished with suero costeño and a squeeze of lime or bitter orange, yielding a creamy, tangy-salty profile with gentle sweetness from the tuber. Though associated with nearby departments like Córdoba and Sucre, it is widely prepared in Cartagena, especially during Lent and Holy Week as a meatless main. Served at lunch with white rice or a plain arepa, it balances substance and freshness—well-suited to the climate while drawing on pastoral ingredients from the surrounding savannas.

Cartagena’s cuisine stands out for its coastal pantry—coconut, seafood, plantain—and the way African, Indigenous, and Spanish techniques still shape daily cooking. Meals are timed to the heat, with street fritos at dawn, seafood and coconut rice at midday, and cool snacks by evening. Explore more regional foods and climate-smart travel ideas on Sunheron.com.