Mobile data in Cartagena for visitors
In Cartagena the phone comes out for the taxi from the airport, the map of the walled city at night and the boat details for a day on the islands. The Colombia eSIM connects to Claro on 4G, comes in 3 GB and 20 GB, and is data only, so WhatsApp stays on your usual number.
At a glance
- Does an eSIM work in Colombia?
- Yes. It connects to Claro (4G).
- Price
- From 13,79 € (3 GB, 15 days).
- For a one-week trip
- 20 GB for 30 days: 69,79 €.
- Does an EU phone plan work there?
- No: Colombia is outside EU roaming, so even a plan from an EU country charges it as abroad.
- When does the plan start?
- When your phone first connects to a network in Colombia. The QR code arrives by email within minutes.
Rafael Núñez: a short ride into the old town
Rafael Núñez airport is in Crespo, on the city's north-eastern edge by the sea, about 15 to 20 minutes by car from the walled city. Take a taxi from the official rank and ignore drivers who approach you inside the arrivals hall. Cartagena's taxi fares are set by the city and are not always metered, so ask the price before you get in.
Ride apps also work in Cartagena, although their legal status in Colombia has been disputed for years. Whichever you choose, switch on the eSIM's line and data roaming when you land, so you can send the driver the hotel address or open the app right at the kerb.
eSIM for Colombia
Data on your phone the moment you land in Colombia. No account, no app, no shop.
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For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
Buy up to 180 days before you fly: the plan only starts when the eSIM connects at your destination.
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Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
Not sure about your model? Ask us before you pay and we will tell you — a person answers within 24 hours.
How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
Walled city, Getsemaní and Transcaribe
The walled city and Getsemaní are best on foot, and most of what visitors come for is within a few blocks of the Torre del Reloj. Bocagrande, with the high-rise hotels and the city beach, is a short taxi ride away. Transcaribe, the bus rapid transit system, runs on a rechargeable card, and you cannot pay in cash on board.
In the old town the most useful thing is an offline map of the centre: at night the streets look very alike. In the heat, with the screen bright and the GPS on, the battery goes faster than you expect, and a small power bank saves a trip back to the hotel to charge.
Rosario Islands, Barú and the mud volcano
Boats to the Rosario Islands and to Playa Blanca on Barú leave in the morning from the Muelle de La Bodeguita, on Avenida Blas de Lezo near the Torre del Reloj, and come back in the early afternoon. A port tax is charged on top of the tour, so carry some cash. The islands are Colombia and the eSIM works there, but at sea and on the smaller islands the signal comes and goes: save the boat's name, the operator's number and the return time before you board.
By road, the Totumo mud volcano is about 50 km away, under an hour, and San Basilio de Palenque, the first free town of the Americas, about an hour south-east. If you continue to Santa Marta or fly to Medellín, the same pack keeps working across the country; the Medellín guide covers that next stop.
A cruise stop or a week: 3 GB or 20 GB
A week in Cartagena with a day on the islands, sleeping in a hotel with wifi, fits the 3 GB pack, valid for 15 days, with room for maps, taxis and photos. The 20 GB pack, valid for 30 days, makes sense if you work from a rented flat, share the connection with your family or travel on through Colombia for weeks. There is no size in between, but the 3 GB eSIM tops up without reinstalling.
If you only spend a day ashore from a cruise, install the eSIM at home and switch its line on once the ship docks: the 15 days start with that first connection in Colombia. At sea the phone may join the ship's own network, which your home carrier bills separately, so keep data roaming off on your usual line. All the details are on the Colombia page.
Is there a 5 or 10 GB pack for Colombia?
No, only 3 GB for 15 days and 20 GB for 30 days. For a week in Cartagena 3 GB is usually enough, and you can top it up if you run low.
Does the eSIM start counting while my cruise ship is at sea?
No. It starts the first time it connects to a network in Colombia, so it begins when the ship docks in Cartagena and you switch its line on.
Will the same eSIM work if I fly on to Medellín or Bogotá?
Yes. It covers all of Colombia, so domestic flights change nothing.
Do I need data to get a taxi at the airport?
Not at the official taxi rank, but it helps: you can show the driver the hotel on the map, compare with a ride app and tell your host you are on the way.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
See eSIMs for Colombia