Have you ever thought about riding a bus that was, at the same time, a kind of party and a tourist tour? In Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, this is very common and almost a tourist attraction in its own right. Colorful, eye-catching and without doors or windows, Chivas are figures stamped throughout the city’s streets. In the past, buses of this type were used to transport workers from rural areas, until someone saw a strong tourist potential in the transport.
During the day, the Chivas leave the Clock Tower, the main entrance to the Historic Center, between 1:30 pm and 2 pm, for a city tour of Cartagena. The tour covers the main points of the city, such as Bocagrande, Convento de La Popa (which is great, since there is no public transport there), Castelo de San Felipe and Bóvedas. This can be a nice way to get to know Cartagena’s most important attractions, especially if you don’t have a guide and are a fan of group tours. But there is a more fun way to ride this bus.
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Rumba in Chiva
As sunset approaches, Chiva transforms into a walking club. The tourist attractions remain on the itinerary, but now they are accompanied by typical music and several doses of Cuba Libre. It is impossible to walk through the streets of Cartagena at night without coming across these buses full of lively people and lots of dancing.
Once passengers are seated, each row receives a bottle of rum, a bottle of coke and a bucket of ice to share. The service is open bar, which means you can order more if necessary, and sometimes it includes beer too. A traditional band, seated at the back of the bus, performs the rumba and salsa for the evening.
The party is led by a tour guide who, in addition to providing information about the places visited, also acts as an entertainer. He is the one in charge of lifting the passengers up, encouraging them to dance and enjoy the music.
One of the highlights of the tour is the stop at the top of the Old City wall, in the Las Bóvedas region, where your tour will meet up with others for an outdoor party. Outside the bus, tourists take the opportunity to dance with each other and, perhaps, actually learn some typical Colombian dance steps.
With an average duration of 2h30, the tour ends at Plaza dos Coches, very close to the Clock Tower, a great location for those looking for a restaurant or even a bar to end the night.
Despite being an original and very famous tour in the city, Rumba in Chiva is essentially touristic, which means that you won’t see many Colombians in your Chiva. But, contrary to what many may think, it is also not just frequented by young university backpackers living the crazy life.
People of all ages, including families with children – despite the warning that minors are not allowed – make up the audience for this different party. The goal is not to have a great night out, but to see the city in an unusual way and have fun.
Service: The tour can be booked directly with your hotel, hostel or cruise, purchased at travel agencies (there are some in the historic center) or on this website. Expect to pay around 40,000 Colombian pesos (about 17 dollars).
Read too: Hotels in Cartagena de Indias – Where to stay
*The Chiva Bus tour was part of the Southern Caribbean and Antilles Cruise, made at the invitation of Pullmantur Cruzeiros.
