Cartagena 2026: The Challenge of Growing While We Transform

A few months ago, while reviewing our forecast for the 2026 calls, I stopped to reflect on what the numbers are telling us. And the message was clear: we are facing a historic year.

2026 is shaping up to be the most important cruise season to date for Cartagena. We are not just talking about exceeding figures for calls and passengers. We are talking about reaping the rewards of a job well done over the years. Seeing the list of confirmed ships confirms a reality: the trust that major cruise lines placed in our destination long ago is not only maintained but strengthened with record figures.

However, this milestone comes with an important nuance that we cannot overlook. It will be a year of success, yes, but also of adaptation.

As announced by the Port Authority of Cartagena, 2026 will also be the year the port begins significant construction works. These interventions are necessary. They are the mandatory step to modernize our infrastructure, become more sustainable and offer an even better experience in the long term. But in the short term they imply a logistical challenge: managing a volume of visitors never seen before in an environment that will be, literally, under construction.

At The Best Day, we see this scenario not as a problem, but as a test of the destination’s maturity. Cartagena’s ability to welcome thousands of cruisers while reinventing itself will demonstrate the quality of our services and the professionalism of everyone working in the tourism sector.

2026 will be a year of hustle and bustle, full docks and machinery at work. It will be the year where we prove that records can be broken while building the foundations of the future. We are ready.