Tag: Museum

Cartagena Highlights

Cartagena is one of the biggest cities we’ve sailed into, and even with Covid lockdowns, we found it lively and entertaining. Even though this isn’t our first visit to Cartagena, we still had a lot to see and discover. I went on some tours my first time here, but I’ve done a lot in the 5 years in between visits, so the city seems new to me. It’s been a blast exploring Cartagena again. Read on for my Cartagena highlights.

Orientation to Cartagena

When you arrive in Cartagena, the views are stunning. The ocean is next to skyscrapers and old stone walls. There’s an ancient clock-tower and a modern gold building. On the water are old wooden sailing ships and luxurious catamarans. On the streets are women in colorful traditional costumes, including fruit hats, alongside hundreds of people driving mopeds.

Old and new in Cartagena Colombia
Old and new in Cartagena Colombia
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Top Things to Do in Santa Marta Colombia

Stuck in Santa Marta, Colombia? Maybe you’ve already visited Tayrona National Park and have a few days to kick back in the city. After six weeks there on our sailboat at the marina, I know the top things to do in Santa Marta Colombia.

About Santa Marta Colombia

This city is the capital of the Magdalena region and bases its economy on tourism, followed by commerce, the port and fishing. Nestled in a valley beneath Colombia’s Sierra Nevada mountain range, it’s a great jumping off point to visit the mountain town of Minca. However, don’t skip these attractions in Santa Marta.

VISIT THE museo del oro/gold museum

The gold museum is in a two-story building in the historic centre of Santa Marta. While not as big as its namesake in Bogota, the Santa Marta museum’s artifacts and displays within are interesting. In addition to showcasing gold unearthed from ancient cultures in the surrounding mountains, the museum provides a nice historical overview of the region and the city in particular. Good news, all of the displays are in English as well as Spanish.

exterior of Gold Museum in Santa Marta
Exterior of Museo de Oro de Santa Marta
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5 Curaçao Rainy Day Activities

It’s rainy season in Curaçao which means day after day of downpours. Want to know what to do on this Caribbean island when the weather is bad? Here are 5 Curaçao rainy day activities, so you can still have fun without the sun.

Curaçao rain
Rainy day view from our boat in Curaçao

Curaçao Museum

Housed in a pretty former hospital building in the heart of Willemstad’s UNESCO historic district, The Curaçao Museum‘s collection honors the island’s history.

Curaçao Museum
Curaçao Museum

Art, crafts and furniture fill up the main building, but the highlight of the museum is the old airplane in the hangar in the back. So either bring your umbrella for the run through the raindrops, or find a break in the rain because you want to see the tiny aircraft in the shed. The Snip carried 4 crew and Christmas mail from Europe to the Caribbean in the 1930s, marking the first KLM trans-Atlantic mail flight, which took 8 days. They had to take off the wings to fit it in the barn, but it’s a cool exhibit and story.

The Curaçao Museum is located in Otrabanda Willemsted.

Snip plane 5 Curaçao rainy day activities
The Snip at the Curaçao Museum

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