Cartagena · Nightlife

The square in front of Getsemaní's church fills from about 8pm with people sitting on the church steps drinking beer bought from the shop on the corner, plus buskers, breakdancers and street food. No cover, no door policy, and the cheapest genuinely good night in the city.

Three floors of a restored house at Calle del Colegio #34-24 in the walled city, each with its own menu — Comunidad on the ground floor, alchemist classics on the second, farm-to-bar on the third. Open every night from 7pm, walk-in only, and it does not take reservations.

Named after the city's chaotic central market, this bar-restaurant at Av. del Centenario, Cra 9 #30-42 in Getsemaní puts live Caribbean music on most evenings with singers, dancers and a band rather than a DJ — champeta, salsa and cumbia.

The Getsemaní salsa bar on the corner of Calle del Guerrero and Calle de la Media Luna, with a live band, ceiling fans and a small crowded floor. It does not really begin until about 11pm, there is a cover at weekends, and the dancing is good enough that watching is a legitimate option.

Open-sided painted buses that tour the city with a live vallenato band on board and rum included, usually running 8pm to midnight and finishing at a club. Deeply touristy and genuinely enjoyable; it is sold from every hotel desk and street tout in the old town, so agree the price before you get on.