Sick in Cartagena? How to See a Doctor as a Tourist
You woke up feeling unwell in Cartagena — or maybe it hit you in the middle of a day at Playa Blanca. The heat, a change in diet, some ice you shouldn’t have had, or just bad luck. Whatever the cause, getting medical care as a tourist in Colombia is not the same as going to your doctor back home.
The good news: Cartagena has private medical options that work, and you don’t always need to leave your hotel to get a diagnosis and prescription. Here’s everything you need to know.
Sick in Cartagena and need a doctor right now?
Online consultation with a licensed doctor — diagnosis and prescription in under 15 minutes. Available in English, 24/7.
CONSULT NOW — €30Healthcare in Cartagena for tourists — what to expect
Colombia’s public healthcare system (EPS) is for Colombian residents and affiliates. As a foreign tourist, you have no access to it. Your options in Cartagena are all private — which means you pay out of pocket or through travel insurance.
The private medical infrastructure in Cartagena is adequate for most tourist health issues. The main tourist zones (Centro Histórico, Bocagrande, Getsemaní) have pharmacies and private clinics within reach. For serious emergencies requiring intensive care, Bogotá or Medellín have better-equipped facilities.
Emergency number in Colombia: 123 (unified emergency line for ambulance, police and fire). For non-urgent care, pharmacies, online consultation or private clinics are your first step.
Your options for medical care in Cartagena
Main private clinics for tourists in Cartagena
- Clínica Boca Grande: the most referenced private clinic for tourists in Cartagena. Located in the Bocagrande neighborhood, close to hotels and the beach strip. Handles most tourist health issues.
- Medihelp Cartagena: smaller private center oriented toward travelers. Some English-speaking staff.
- Hospital Universitario del Caribe: public hospital, last resort option. Long waits, not oriented toward tourists, but handles serious emergencies.
Not feeling well in Cartagena? Skip the waiting room.
Video consultation with a licensed doctor · English available · prescription sent to your phone · 24/7 from your hotel or the beach.
GET PRESCRIPTION — €30Most common health issues for tourists in Cartagena
- Traveler’s diarrhea: the most frequent. Exposed to local bacteria through food and water. Resolve on their own in 3-5 days in most cases. See a doctor if there’s high fever, blood in stool or it lasts more than 72 hours.
- Heat exhaustion: Cartagena is tropical — year-round temperatures above 30°C with high humidity. Dehydration and overexposure are common. Drink 3+ liters of water daily and avoid peak sun hours (11am-4pm).
- Sunburn: UV index near the equator is extreme even on cloudy days. SPF 50+ is not optional.
- Urinary tract infections: heat and dehydration are risk factors. Requires antibiotic prescription — treatable online.
- Skin and throat infections: humidity and heat increase bacterial risk on minor cuts, abrasions, and mucous membranes.
- Dengue: endemic in Colombia’s tropical zones. Use DEET repellent especially at dusk. Symptoms: sudden high fever with severe bone/muscle pain and rash.
Dengue warning signs requiring immediate care: fever that breaks then returns, severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding from nose or gums, extreme fatigue. These are warning signs of severe dengue — go to an ER.
Pharmacies in Cartagena for tourists
The main pharmacy chains in Cartagena are Cruz Verde and Farmatodo, both present in Centro Histórico, Bocagrande and Getsemaní. Many medications that require a prescription in Europe or North America can be purchased without one in Colombia. However, antibiotics specifically should always come with a proper medical diagnosis — taking the wrong one can mask a serious infection without curing it.
💬 Real case: An American traveler staying in Bocagrande developed classic UTI symptoms on a Sunday — painful urination, urgency, no fever. The private clinic nearby was closed. She contacted TravelDoctores at 2pm. In 11 minutes she had her video consultation. The doctor confirmed the diagnosis and sent a prescription to her phone. She found Cruz Verde two blocks from her hotel, showed the prescription on screen, and picked up the medication. By Monday she was back on the boat tour she’d been looking forward to.
How TravelDoctores works from Cartagena
Sick in Cartagena and need care now?
Licensed doctor available in 15 minutes · English guaranteed · prescription to your phone · 24/7.
CONSULT NOW — €30Frequently asked questions: seeing a doctor in Cartagena
English-speaking doctors in Cartagena are available in private clinics in the Bocagrande area but not guaranteed everywhere. For guaranteed English care 24/7, TravelDoctores offers online consultations with licensed doctors who can issue digital prescriptions from wherever you are.
The main private option for tourists is Clínica Boca Grande in the Bocagrande neighborhood. Medihelp Cartagena is another alternative. For public emergency care, Hospital Universitario del Caribe is available but has long waits and is not tourist-oriented.
A private consultation costs between 80,000 and 250,000 Colombian pesos (€18–€57). Emergency room visits cost significantly more. TravelDoctores offers online consultations with prescription for €30, available 24/7 from your hotel.
Yes. TravelDoctores offers online consultations from Cartagena. In under 15 minutes you get a video consultation with a licensed doctor who can issue a digital prescription in Spanish. You can take that to any Cruz Verde or Farmatodo pharmacy in Cartagena.
Traveler’s diarrhea, heat exhaustion, sunburn, UTIs and skin/throat infections are the most frequent. Dengue is also seasonally present — use DEET repellent. Most of these can be evaluated and treated via online consultation without visiting a clinic.
Sick in Cartagena? A doctor is 15 minutes away.
Online consultation with a licensed doctor in English.
Diagnosis and prescription sent to your phone. €30 · No waiting room · 24/7.
Need an English-speaking doctor in Cartagena? Visit our dedicated English-speaking doctor in Cartagena service, available 24/7.
