How to get from Cartagena to Barranquilla

Why visit Barranquilla?

Barranquilla is a busy city in Colombia and is most popular for the iconic Carnival de Barranquilla — a vibrant celebration of dance and music. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people join this carnival, the 2nd largest in the world (next to the one in Rio de Janeiro)!

During the carnival (February-March), Barranquilla bustles with tourists and festivities. But beyond this time, there’s really not much to do in this seaport. If you find yourself here in the off-peak season, we recommend exploring the historic centre, enjoying the vibrant nightlife, and tasting the incredible cuisine in Barranquilla.

There are 3 ways to travel the 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Cartagena to Barranquilla. You can choose between the bus, minivan and taxi. The journey takes 1 hour 40 minutes to 4 hours and the quickest way is by taxi. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by minivan with tickets starting at 38,000 COP ($9.10).

Travelling by minivan from Cartagena to Barranquilla is the most convenient and cheapest option.

There is only one minivan operator for this route, but they offer hourly trips from morning until evening. You still have a lot of choices, and you can just choose the departure time that is most convenient for you.

Travel time is just 2 to 4 hours, and a ticket costs 38,000 COP ($9.10).

Departure and arrival station

Minivans are available along Carrera 2 in Bocagrande. This area is by the beach and is about 12 km away from the city centre.

You will then be dropped off at Calle 93, which is in the northern part of Barranquilla city centre.

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From 438,000 COP ($105)

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Instead of a minivan, you can also take a bus from Cartagena to Barranquilla. The bus ride itself is cheaper than the minivan. However, the bus terminals are both outside the city centres, so you will have to take additional trips.

Since there are bus departures in the late evening and even after midnight, the bus can be your go-to option when the minivans have stopped operating for the day.

If you’re staying in the city centre or in the hotels at the beachfront, you need to take a taxi to Cartagena Transportation Terminal. This terminal is on the easternmost part of Cartagena.

The easiest and safest way to get to the bus station is by taxi. Rates start from 7,000 COP ($1.70) and the journey only takes 10 minutes.

There are several buses plying the Cartagena to Barranquilla route. We suggest taking either Unitrasco or Copetran, as they offer several departures from morning to night. There are bus departures as early as 04:00 and operate until 20:40.

The buses for this route are very comfortable, as they will have reclining seats, AC, toilet, and television. Tickets start from 30,000 COP ($7.20) and the journey takes around 2h 15m - 3h 15m.

Buses arrive at Barranquilla Bus Terminal in the southern district of Soledad. The terminal is outside the city centre and is a few kilometres away from the airport.

The area where the terminal is located is not the safest. Thus, we recommend taking a taxi to the city centre that will take around 30 minutes and cost 20,000 COP ($4.80).

It is also possible to take the metro bus. From the bus terminal, you need to take a 15-minute walk to Pacho Galan station and take a metro bus going to Joe Arroyo station in Barranquilla city centre. The bus ticket costs 2,000 COP ($0.50).

However, we don’t really recommend taking the metro bus, especially at night, since you would have to walk some distance to the station. The metro bus is also usually crowded, which is not ideal if you have some luggage.

If you don’t want to take public transportation, you can also get to Barranquilla by taxi or private transfer. Since taxis are very common in Colombia, you can easily hail one or have your hotel book one for you.

Travel time from Cartagena to Barranquilla by taxi is only around 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes, but expect to pay an expensive fare, around 442,000 COP ($105).

It’s important to note that taxis in Cartagena have no meters. Drivers tend to overcharge tourists, so make sure that you agree on a price before entering the taxi.

There is also an option to book a private transport in advance via BookAway. You can book a car with rates starting from 484,000 COP ($115). This option already includes airport or hotel pick-up and drop-off.