Air Canada Vacations announces the addition of Cartagena, Colombia, to its winter line up.

Air Canada Vacations will offer 11 hotels, located throughout the main areas of the city: Bocagrande beach, the Old Town and the northern area. To cater to every style and budget, Air Canada Vacations will feature accommodations ranging from properties offering comfortable services, to more luxurious hotels with an extensive choice of facilities and amenities. Hotels will offer a choice of meal plans, as well as the more traditional all-inclusive option.

Cartagena is located on the northern coast of Colombia, facing the Caribbean Sea, and has a tropical climate. It is widely popular for its beaches, colonial architecture, excellent cuisine, original street art and relaxed atmosphere. Travellers will find a range of restaurants, boutiques and nightlife to choose from. Some of the main tourist attractions in the city include the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, the Walls of Cartagena de Indias, the Cartagena Gold Museum, the Palace of the Inquisition and the Clock Tower.

The new, non-stop Toronto-Cartagena flights will be operated by 136-seat Air Canada Rouge Airbus A319 aircraft offering two classes of service: Premium Rouge and Economy. Flights will depart Toronto each Monday starting December 18, 2017

Caratgena Entry Tax

Canadians are required to pay a tax to enter Colombia. Children under the age of 14 and adults older than 79 years are exempted. Canadians travelling only to the archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina are also excluded. For all other points of entry, Canadians will be obligated to pay 171,000 pesos (approx. CAD$77) to customs officials, in cash or by credit or debit card. You will be issued a platinum card (Tiquete Platinum). Customs procedures may be delayed by the processing of payment of the tax. You must keep the platinum card in order to show it upon exit from Colombia. Consult Migración Colombia (in Spanish), the country’s immigration department, for more information.

You will visit the following 2 places:

Colombia

Colombia - perfectly located at the northern tip of South America, is a country of lush rainforest, towering mountains and coffee plantations. Twice the size of France, and with a diversity of landscapes and cultures that would be hard to find even in countries five times its size, Colombia should by all rights be one of the world's top travel destinations! If you don't want to sit still, head off into the Amazon or any of the country's other many inland jungles, snow-capped volcanoes, rocky deserts, endless plains, lush valleys, coffee plantations, alpine lakes, deserted beaches.

Cartagena

Cartagena is Colombia's most famous tourist destination on the Caribbean coast. The city is renowned for its colonial and colourful architecture. With a tropical climate, the city is also a popular beach destination. The city was founded on June 1, 1533, and named after Cartagena, Spain, itself after the original Carthage in Tunisia. However, settlement in this region around Cartagena Bay by various indigenous people dates back to 4000 BC. During the colonial period Cartagena served a key role in administration and expansion of the Spanish empire. It was a center of political and economic activity due to the presence of royalty and wealthy viceroys. In 1984 Cartagena's colonial walled city and fortress were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.