Cartagena is a historic port city on Colombia's Caribbean coast, its walled colonial center a dense maze of narrow streets, colorful balconies and plazas that almost nobody drives through, since the old town is best explored entirely on foot or by short taxi rides between neighborhoods. A rental car becomes genuinely useful once you are ready to leave the historic center behind, whether for beach days along the coast, visits to nearby towns, or trips out toward departure points for the Rosario Islands and other regional attractions that lie beyond comfortable walking or taxi range.
Rental desks in Cartagena operate both at Rafael Nunez International Airport, just north of the city, and at locations in the newer Bocagrande and Manga districts, run by international and local companies serving both business travelers and tourists. Traffic within the city, particularly around the old town's gates and the busy avenues connecting it to the airport, can be dense and slow-moving during the day, so many visitors treat their rental as a tool for day trips rather than in-town transport, leaving the car parked while they explore on foot and picking it up again for excursions.
Driving is on the right throughout Colombia, and coastal routes east and south of Cartagena toward beach towns and smaller fishing villages are generally paved, though conditions and signage can vary once you leave the main highways. Heat and humidity are constant, and afternoon rain is common during wetter months, so building flexibility into any day-trip itinerary is worthwhile. Fuel stations are readily available around the city and along the main coastal roads, and a standard sedan is sufficient for most day-trip routes, though checking road conditions ahead of more remote coastal destinations is a sensible precaution before setting out from Cartagena. Many visitors also weigh a rental against a hired driver, since city traffic congestion can make a private car feel like more effort than it saves for a single beach excursion.