Mercado Bazurto
Mercado Bazurto
3.5
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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3.5
135 reviews
Excellent
51
Very good
38
Average
21
Poor
8
Terrible
17
Mick M
49 contributions
Nov 2023 • Solo
Probably the worst experience from my World travels that include some questionable areas of Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam & Thailand!
Do not risk either your health or safety in this undesirable location!
PS, l am amazed ANYONE would ever recommend this cess pit, let alone tha Tripadvisor would encourage people to go there.....maybe one of their staff should actually visit this place!
Do not risk either your health or safety in this undesirable location!
PS, l am amazed ANYONE would ever recommend this cess pit, let alone tha Tripadvisor would encourage people to go there.....maybe one of their staff should actually visit this place!
Written 2 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura V
6 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
Well below expectations.
I've worked as a chef and love food markets around the world but this market is one to avoid. Open sewers, lots of closed up stalls, piles of rubbish. There are some basic food stalls to eat at but it all feels very dirty and run down.
Not a bustling, busy, vibrant market that I have seen elsewhere in Colombia. Feels like a shanty town. Save your time and money and don't go.
I've worked as a chef and love food markets around the world but this market is one to avoid. Open sewers, lots of closed up stalls, piles of rubbish. There are some basic food stalls to eat at but it all feels very dirty and run down.
Not a bustling, busy, vibrant market that I have seen elsewhere in Colombia. Feels like a shanty town. Save your time and money and don't go.
Written 13 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kathleen
Cartagena, Colombia2 contributions
Jul 2023
I was pretty astounded for about 20 minutes but I kept going. I found fruits and veggies I was looking for and even made it back to the fish market. It was very fragrant back there.
Written 7 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
msa23_2000
Chino Hills, CA1 440 contributions
Jun 2023 • Friends
We went with a guide, which was very helpful. I would not try this on my own. Having been to many countries of the world, this market is very similar to market you’ll find in other communities. It is very much where the people who live in Cartagena go to shop. You can basically buy anything or receive just about any service. It is very crowded and it has the smells of all the people and the things they are selling, so be prepared for that.
Written 2 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Naaz T
4 contributions
Mar 2023 • Friends
Going to the Market was a game changer!!! It was great to be submerged in the culture. The cooking class was very interactive and we all learned so much. The food was sooo delicous!!! Yum Coco Rice!!!! Chef Andres was engaging and fun to be around!!!
Written 16 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cartagena Auténtica Experiences
Cartagena, Colombia26 contributions
Oct 2021
This 3 hours experience has a top 10 eating stations in which we walk all over the four neighborhoods downtown, where you will share, interact and taste what we locals daily eat, besides you will learn about the culture, cuisine and local history.
Written 26 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
J D
United States164 contributions
Aug 2022
As others mention, this is a lively, bustling crowded market well worth visiting. I dropped my rating, however, for one reason. Vendors completely occupy most of the sidewalks surrounding the market, so pedestrians passing through the market zone are frequently forced to walk in the streets, which like the market itself, are also crowded and bustling -- so pedestrians, beware.
Written 6 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
G C
Geneva, Switzerland95 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
Yes, it is smelly, crowded and dirty. It is also a great experience. We went with a guide who helped us figure out the kinds of fish, the dishes, and to navigate the maze. There were a few dark alleys i wouldn't have taken without him. We felt very safe, nobody tried to aggressively sell us anything, or approached us in some threatening way. I personally wouldn't eat there, but lots of people were. I think you need to be resistant to the local bacteria to do it safely. Very crowded in the morning, much less happening in the afternoon, but you see the locals relaxing with their friends and drinking a beer and dancing after a hard day of work.
Written 4 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
alivisor
11 contributions
Feb 2022
I'm mainly leaving this review to reassure people who are paranoid about visiting this place that it isn't really much different from any other wet market around the world. It's not a maze, it's not filled with ruffians looking to mug you, it's just a local market that sells all the usual stuff you'd expect - cheap knock-off clothes, random knick-knacks that fell off the back of a truck, caged birds, cleaning products, oil, fruits, vegetables, fish and meat. It's busy and bustling, and the seafood section smells exactly like you'd expect it to. You can walk here from the old town - either along the waterfront, which is quieter and where there is more visible poverty, or along the main road where the buses run and you can probably grab an arepa to nibble along the way.
Example of a fun thing you might notice here is the guys buying a bag of mora berries from the fruit vendor, then setting up a juice stall where they mix small amounts with a bit of ice, milk and sugar and sell it at a mark-up. The free market in action!
It's a neat place to walk around if you like markets, but if you plan on buying fruit keep in mind what's in season - it's easy to get caught up in the moment and pick up something that isn't really in great shape for the price. To be honest it isn't all that different from what you'll find from the fruit vendors dotted around the rest of town, but there is perhaps something just a bit more fun about being in the heart of the action when you pick out your wares.
Example of a fun thing you might notice here is the guys buying a bag of mora berries from the fruit vendor, then setting up a juice stall where they mix small amounts with a bit of ice, milk and sugar and sell it at a mark-up. The free market in action!
It's a neat place to walk around if you like markets, but if you plan on buying fruit keep in mind what's in season - it's easy to get caught up in the moment and pick up something that isn't really in great shape for the price. To be honest it isn't all that different from what you'll find from the fruit vendors dotted around the rest of town, but there is perhaps something just a bit more fun about being in the heart of the action when you pick out your wares.
Written 25 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
joe1212
San Francisco, CA250 contributions
Dec 2021 • Couples
As others indicate, if you are a tourist go with a guide and also keep valuables in your money belt (or at home). Fine to use a smartphone but be discreet. I loved the experience with all the sounds and sights and smells. Nothing like what I see back home in the US. Which is why I love markets like this around the world :). Make sure to see the fish area in front and the slaughter/meat area behind it in the covered market. Go all the way through the market to the large road behind it and head south to see more chaos, crowds, and street vendors and malls (a step up from Mercado Bazurto in terms of niceness and safety, but still “rough”). Great way to see how the true locals shop. Oh, and the guide suggested we avoid the local food there to be safe and not have gastrointestinal “issues” later!
Written 1 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hola en este lugar se pueden encontrar piedras cuarzos y cosas por el estilo?
Inés Roman
San Antonio, Chile73 contributions
No vi esas cosas, tampoco perlas. El lugar no es el indicado para esos altículos.Sin embargo, vendían ropa a mitad del precio que en el centro...la misma. Artículos de casa, frutas, verduras, carnes y pescados....comida callejera.
Karina C
4 contributions
Hola Ana, nosotros vamos en Junio, es seguro el Mercado? Podemos ir solos como turistas? O es necesario ir con alguien local?
ageme
Santa Marta, Colombia33 contributions
Acabamos de visitarlo madre,padre e hija de 25 años. Ningún problema. Mucha gente, bullicio, música ensordecedora en algunos sitios pero no nos pareció inseguro para nada. Eso sí, hay que llevar cuidado con las pertenencias por si acaso. Había algunos turistas paseando también y "disfrutando" del caos. Si te gustan los mercadillos, adelante, pero eso sí no busques organización,higiene o cosas por el estilo. Es un batiburrillo de gente bociferando y todo tipo de mercancías.
Zach84Jake62
New York City, NY308 contributions
Hi - how do you get a FEM guide to take you through the Mercado Bazurto? We are going next week.
houstontraveler2017
Houston, TX215 contributions
We used our driver as a guide and just paid him extra to do so. We used the same driver throughout our trip- driver was arranged by our hotel.
Getupngo
Boca Raton, FL28 contributions
Catha C, my husband and i are headed to Cartagena in 2 weeks. Would love to go to the Mercado Bazurto and was wondering where you found your guide? Thank you
houstontraveler2017
Houston, TX215 contributions
My guide was my driver -- the driver was set up by the hotel Sofitel. we simply paid him extra to not only drive us to the Mercado but to escort us through the Mercado as well. It is a large space and I am glad i had a guide to go through the alleyways and paths in the Mercado. It would have been confusing without the guide.
Klara758
Florida22 contributions
Can you please tell me where to find a guide to take me to the Bazurto Market? Thank you.
John S
Bellevue, WA766 contributions
We were very pleased with Duran Duran Tours. They took us to market where we shopped for items that we then used to prepare a meal in their home. Cooking class was good and made going to the market purposeful.
hola buenas tardes hay posibilidad en la plaza de mercado de cartagena quien surta caña de azúcar y contactos por fabor
Hola aya en el mercado hay almacenes norma para el año qie viene compprar los utiles alla
A L
Baltimore, MD53 contributions
Hello,
Can anyone recommend a local guide who would be able to take my family and I on a market tour this summer? We have limited time and are not interested in a group tour. Preferably someone who could be hired for an hour or 2 atmost. Thank you!
andrew_branham
Boise, ID508 contributions
Yes, we were there last month and used Cartagena Connections and they were fabulous. I would ask for Jan (John in German). We was excellent, knew all the nooks and crannies, what to eat, and spoke great english.
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Claim your listingMERCADO BAZURTO: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Mercado Bazurto
- According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Mercado Bazurto:
- Local immersion in the Bazurto Market (From R 1 249,63)
- Cartagena's Bazurto Local Market Experience (From R 1 454,79)
- Is not just a market. (From R 1 025,81)
- Local Cartagena Tour (From R 2 499,25)
- Cartagena Local Market Tour (From R 1 492,09)
- Hotels near Mercado Bazurto:
- (0.35 km) Hotel Restaurante Nacional
- (0.45 km) Hotel Mangle Manzanillo Del Mar
- (0.51 km) Hotel La Esperanza Cartagena
- (0.48 km) The Experience House
- (2.22 km) Hotel Boutique Casa Isabel
- Restaurants near Mercado Bazurto:
- (0.08 km) El Punto De La Arepa
- (0.32 km) Roberts Gourmet
- (0.37 km) Clemente
- (0.35 km) Sandwich Qbano
- (0.30 km) Presto