Penthouse sur la baie – lever de soleil & navires

The first thing people do here is walk out onto the terrace and stop talking for a minute.

You are at the top of the building, looking out over the whole bay: the beaches of Castillogrande across the water, the city skyline behind them, the lagoon below, and the harbor entrance beyond. Every ship going in or out of Cartagena passes the tip of the peninsula, right in front of you - container ships, cruise ships, small boats heading out to the islands. In the early morning the light comes up behind the city and the whole bay turns orange. It is the kind of view people photograph on their first evening and then keep looking at for the rest of the stay.
The terrace runs the length of the apartment, covered, with seating and a table. Most of the day ends up happening out there.

THE APARTMENT
About 100 square meters - roughly twice the size of a standard apartment in this building.
One bedroom, sleeping two guests, and two full bathrooms - which for two people is a luxury rather than a necessity.
The living room is open and bright, with the terrace along one side. The kitchen is a proper separate kitchen, fully equipped - not a kitchenette in a corner. If you plan to cook rather than eat out twice a day, this is a kitchen you can actually work in.
There is a modern LG washer , which on a longer stay is worth more than it sounds. You can wash and dry indoor or outdoor your clothes or use a paid laundry service on the first floor in the building.
Air conditioning, fast internet that holds up for video calls, and a work setup for anyone who needs to put in hours while they are here.

IF YOU ARE STAYING LONGER
Most of our guests stay weeks rather than nights, and this apartment is set up for it.
Space is the main difference. Two people can spend a month here without getting in each other's way - a separate bedroom, a living room you can actually sit in, two bathrooms, a real kitchen, and a terrace big enough that going outside is not a project.
For monthly stays the rate is all-inclusive: electricity, water, building administration fees and one cleaning per week are part of the price. Cartagena is hot, the air conditioning runs, and we would rather absorb that than send you a bill at the end. No resort fee, no utility surcharge, no cleaning fee at checkout.

THE BUILDING
El Conquistador is one of the largest residential buildings in Colombia, at the tip of El Laguito next to the Hilton. Twenty-four hour reception and security, and every person entering is registered - which is exactly why it feels fine to come home late.
It is also a lively building, full of holiday guests, many of them Colombian families here to enjoy themselves. That is part of its character, and we would rather tell you now than have you discover it on a Saturday night. Music from elsewhere in the building or from nearby can happen on a weekend. The bedroom has thermo-acoustic windows - close them and the room stays quiet. Quiet hours run from 11 PM to 6 AM and are enforced by the building, and being at the top of the building helps as well.

EL LAGUITO
El Laguito sits at the very tip of the peninsula, with water on three sides.
You are never more than a few minutes from the sea, and there are three separate beaches within walking distance, each with its own character. It is noticeably greener than the rest of the tourist area - Bocagrande is high-rises and traffic; here there are trees, and the streets go quiet as soon as you step off the main road.
A few places we go ourselves. Intriga Tropical sits on the lagoon directly behind the building. Richissimo is unpretentious, with its dining area right by the sea. El Muelle is on the beach itself, built in the traditional style. And Wala is the beach club, for a day with a lounger and someone bringing you things. None of them are chains.
For everything else there are two small supermarkets, and convenience stores and pharmacies that stay open late - so when you realize at 10 PM that you are out of coffee, you walk around the corner instead of taking a taxi into town.
The old walled city is about five minutes away by taxi depending on the traffic when the road is clear, and closer to twenty in rush hour. Then you come home to somewhere calm.

HOW WE HOST
Most apartments in Cartagena are rented out remotely by owners who live in another country and a cleaner who holds the keys. This one is different.
We manage it ourselves and our team is in the building. You are met in person when you arrive - not handed a code and left to figure it out. Reception handles your registration, and we cover the registration fee rather than passing it on to you. If something needs attention on a Tuesday, someone is there on Tuesday.
We communicate by WhatsApp, which is how everything works in Colombia, and we answer quickly. Before you arrive you will get clear instructions: how to get here from the airport, how to get in, what to know about the building. Nothing is left for you to guess.
Between us we are reachable in English, German, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese.

A FEW HONEST NOTES
We would rather you know these before you book than discover them after.
Occupancy: two people sleep in the apartment, including you. This is set by the apartment and by the building.
Visitors: you are welcome to have people over. Every visitor registers at reception with a valid ID or passport and must be of legal age - without ID, building security will not let them up. Up to seven people in total can be registered for your booking, including you. Registering a visitor is free and we arrange it. If you are staying 22 nights or longer and need more, just ask. Full details are in the house rules.
Air conditioning: the apartment has an energy-saving system, so the A/C switches off when you leave. It cools quickly when you come back. It is not designed to run all day in an empty apartment, and that is part of why the monthly rate can stay all-inclusive.
Check-in is from 8:00 AM and check-out is before 1:00 PM. Earlier or later is sometimes possible - ask us and we will do what we can.
We also have a second apartment in the same building, a smaller one-bedroom on the 22nd floor facing the open sea and the island of Tierra Bomba. If you are travelling with friends or family who want their own space, the two can be booked together. Just ask.
If anything here is unclear, message us before you book. We would rather answer ten questions now than have you arrive expecting something different.