Barranquilla, Colombia 🇨🇴 Gringo's Guide
This coastal city offers more than Carnival...
Barranquilla is an often-overlooked place in Colombia, simply because the nearest beach is almost an hour away.
But, for those of you who really like the heat, this place has a lot to offer the adventurous expat/digital nomad type, if they know where to look.
This is no hamlet in the middle of nowhere. This is a mature and sophisticated city with a surprising amount of positives — along with some stuff to look out for, as well.
Let's look further into what locals call "La Curramba" on the coast.
Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia 🇨🇴
Population:
A lot of people may not realize this, but Barranquilla is actually Colombia's fourth-largest city, after…
Around 1.3 million people call this city home.
But the metro area of Barranquilla is home to nearly 2.4 million people.
Weather:
Barranquilla's weather is no joke! You will be tested on whether you really like the heat here…or not.
As the chart below states, this data is all at least 20 years old, so things are probably going to be even hotter for you in 2023…
I've personally seen the mercury at around 92 F in the wee hours of the morning in this city.
Also, it almost never rains here, but when it does, it's absolute chaos for a couple of days. Some people would say this is part of the whole Barranquilla experience, though. The city is super flood-prone, so "arroyos" form in the streets.
I once stayed with a family that had a 4x4, and they absolutely insisted on me going out with them in the vehicle with the streets full of water. I won't deny it; it was pretty damn fun!
Why Visit Barranquilla, Colombia?
Barranquilla is often bad-mouthed by other Colombians, so I had low expectations the first time I went there.
I must say I was pleasantly surprised in many ways…
Women here are drop-dead gorgeous
It's great value for your dollar
The city's nightlife is on par with just about anywhere else in the world
Amenities are actually pretty good, including hotels, living spaces, etc.
Barranquilla is FAR from a “shithole” these days, especially in the nicer areas.
But don’t tell that to someone from Bogota, Medellin, or Cali ;(
How to Get to Barranquilla 🇨🇴
Once again, if you're already somewhere on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, you can get there by land.
Otherwise, you're almost definitely going to want to fly there.
The BAQ airport goes to and from 15 destinations, 7 of them being international. However, there is not a lot on the menu here. International destinations are limited to:
Curacao
Dominican Republic (JBQ and SDQ)
Panama (PTY and BLB)
Miami (MIA and FLL)
P.S: More intel on flights here.
As such, it's not a super easy-to-reach destination for anybody living north of Miami or south of Bogotá. It's also not a bad idea to get a flight into Cartagena, and then reach Barranquilla by land — the trip usually takes a couple hours.
You should also be aware that the airport is located way in the south of the metro area, in the municipality of Soledad. You will almost certainly not be staying anywhere near it — read more on that below.
Allow lots of time to get to and from the airport, as the way is often jam-packed with city traffic.
Best Neighborhoods in Barranquilla, Colombia 🇨🇴
In general, the further north you go in the Barranquilla area, the nicer it is.
If you get a place to stay anywhere within this map just below, you are in one of the nicer neighborhoods in this town:
The absolutely most upscale neighborhoods in Barranquilla are actually located a little bit south of the extreme north of the city. If you want the fanciest places Barranquilla has to offer, check out:
El Golf
Ciudad Jardín
Villa Country
These neighborhoods are really great places to stay in Barranquilla.
They put you steps away from the nightlife. Because of that, they can get a bit noisy, though. Also, this part of the city is very modern and full of high-rises, like these:
If you are one of the people who prefers colonial architecture, I would recommend the El Prado and Prado Alto neighborhoods. These places also have more of a neighborhood vibe and are more relaxed.
If you want to be a bit away from all the action in a more peaceful neighborhood, Riomar, in the extreme northwest is recommended.
Other Neighborhoods in Barranquilla
South of this, there are a lot of perfectly acceptable middle-class neighborhoods where you can stay if you want to stretch your dollars/spend them on something else than lodging.
Just be aware, the further south you go, the hairier it gets here. This is especially important because your crime risk really increases here as you keep going south.
After the Barranquilla city limits, Soledad follows, and then Malambo. Most Barranquilleros won't even go there unless they 1) live there or 2) have some other compelling reason to go.
I've walked around at night in Soledad without issue before, but it's clearly not Sunday school over there! I recommend you stay north as much as you can in this town.
Places to Stay in Barranquilla 🇨🇴
You can see some great deals in some of the best areas. Honestly, everything priced above $1000 a month in the above pic is at least a two-bedroom unit.
For bros on a budget…
This nice little Art Deco place in Prado is an especially good deal, in my almost-humble opinion.
If you prefer to ball out a lil’ bit…
Something like this “penthouse” offers great value at $1,300-1,400 USD per month.
As far as hotels go, you can expect far better deals for nice places here than you could in either Cartagena or Santa Marta:
The top hotels in Barranquilla are actually mainly clustered around El Prado, which puts you close to the museums and the historic center.
The Radisson in El Prado is a good bet; reasonably priced, and excellently located. It also has a stellar complimentary breakfast.
The bh in Prado Alto is a better option for people who want more peace and quiet at night, and prefer to walk or take a car down to El Prado.
People who want a hotel in El Golf probably want to stay in the Hotel Barranquilla Plaza. This place has two swimming pools, and a rooftop restaurant-bar which is probably one of the top dating spots in the city.
Typical Costs of Living in Barranquilla, Colombia
Barranquilla is a unique spot because you could easily live a great life here for $1,500 USD a month all-in.
However, you can also get solid value spending $3,000-5,000 USD a month and balling out.
Below are some of the costs of living in Barranquilla. All prices are in USD:
Airbnb Apartment in Best Area: $500-2,000
Hotel in Best Area: $1,000-2,500
Maid: usually included
Grocery Store: $200-600
Eating Out / Delivery: $300-600
Gym: $25-50
BJJ / MMA: $40
Partying / Dating / Social: $200-1,000
Cell Data: $20
How Safe is Barranquilla?
Barranquilla is far from being the safest place on earth.
However, this is a city where the vast majority of the crime is relegated to the extreme southern sections of the metro area, especially outside Barranquilla city limits.
I found the whole north part of the city to be super walkable at all hours, with no problems.
It's important to note that I was always stone sober when I did this.
And, as always, be careful when you are out enjoying the city's nightlife and similar. Take all the usual precautions.
But overall…
The northern area of Barranquilla is quite safe if you take normal precautions and have an understanding of what scopolamine is.
The Dating Scene in Barranquilla 🇨🇴
The Caribbean coast of Colombia is a tough place for dating in general. Women in this area are called "rogadas" — or "hard-to-get"
Barranquilla, however, is not nearly as bad in this sense as its neighbors, Cartagena and Santa Marta. It really helps that it's not a tourist town at all. Also, people in Barranquilla are much more open and friendly than they are in those two other cities, which is probably corollary to the lack of tourists.
To be honest, Barranquilla is literally the opposite of Cartagena and Santa Marta when it comes to dating.
Here’s the thing…
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