Cartagena Corporate Retreat and Executive Offsite 2027: Private House, Boat Day and One Invoice
Updated: 23 September 2026 · Written by Marta Fernández, founder of CABÚ Viajes, ground operator in Cartagena de Indias (RNT 215668). Before CABÚ, our founder spent years running reward and incentive trips in Colombia for banks and their partners; this page is written for the person who has to sign off the budget.
In short: a corporate retreat or executive offsite in Cartagena for eight to twenty-five people works best as a colonial house inside the walls or in Getsemaní for the team (from about 600 USD a night sleeping sixteen, billed per house), or a boutique hotel with a private meeting room; one private boat day to the Rosario Islands (850–3,800 USD per boat by size) as the shared experience; a chef in the house for the working dinner; and a local host at 200–300 USD a day who runs logistics so nobody on the team does. Every line is priced per unit, invoiced by a registered company, and the whole trip fits on one document for your finance team. There is no agency fee: our coordination work is its own line.
Why Cartagena for an offsite
- Direct flights from your hubs. Miami and Fort Lauderdale year-round, and from 17 December 2026 United from Houston and Washington Dulles; Mexico City nonstop. Details in nonstop flights from the United States and how to get here from Mexico. Same time zone as the US East Coast or Central, depending on the season, so the team can still take a call.
- City and sea in one place. The walled city, a marina ten minutes away and the islands an hour out. One base, no internal transfers between hotels.
- A whole house for the price of a few suites. A colonial house with courtyard, rooftop and staff gives a team a private working space and a private dining room at once; the working dinner does not happen in a restaurant where the next table listens.
- Company invoicing and a registered operator. RNT 215668 on the public Colombian registry, deposit and balance against a company invoice, never 100% upfront and never to a personal account.
What a three-night offsite costs
Published figures in USD for a standard date. December and the January holiday weeks sit above them and are quoted on the actual house, in writing.
| Line | Published figure | How it is billed |
|---|---|---|
| Colonial house for the team, inside the walls or in Getsemaní | from about 600 USD a night for sixteen | Per house, per night. Three nights = 1,800 USD, or 112 USD per person among sixteen for the whole stay. |
| Boutique hotel with meeting room (alternative for teams that want single rooms) | hotel rate, booked by name | Per room. The properties are in luxury hotels in Cartagena; a private room for the sessions is arranged with the hotel. |
| Private boat day, Rosario Islands or Cholón | 850–1,500 USD (36–40 ft, up to about 12) · 1,500–2,500 USD (45–50 ft, 15–20) · 2,500–3,800 USD (larger vessel or a real yacht with crew) | Per boat. Park fee per person at the marina. |
| Chef in the house for the working dinner | per service | Market shop invoiced at cost. |
| Local host who runs logistics | 200–300 USD a day | Its own line, never a percentage. Twenty people, three days: 30–45 USD per person. |
| Restaurant dinners, rooftop tables | menu price | Booked, not marked up. |
| Transfers, AV, translator, facilitator, team activity | quoted per item | Only what you ask for, each as a line. |
Worked example, sixteen people, three nights in a house, one boat day on a 45–50 ft vessel, host for three days: 1,800 + about 2,000 + about 750 = roughly 4,550 USD, or about 285 USD per person for house, boat and host, before flights, meals and the chef. The per-unit rule and all base figures are in our published pricing.
A typical three-day programme
- Day 1 — arrive and open. Airport pick-ups by flight, check-in at the house or hotel, opening session on the rooftop in the late afternoon when the heat drops, welcome dinner inside the walls at menu price.
- Day 2 — work, then the sea. Sessions from eight to one in the courtyard or the hotel's room, with coffee and lunch in-house. At two, the private boat from the marina to the islands: a shared afternoon without an agenda is the part people remember. Back by sunset; chef dinner in the house.
- Day 3 — close and go out. Morning session, closing lunch, and a free afternoon: a guided walk through the walled city, an emerald or fashion appointment for those who want it, a sunset sail around the bay for the rest. Last dinner on a rooftop.
- Day 4 — depart. Transfers staggered by flight; every invoice on one document, itemised, for expenses.
What we check before quoting a house for a team
Air conditioning and water pressure in every room, how many real beds and whether the team needs single rooms (many teams do, which points to a hotel), Wi-Fi speed measured on the day and a mobile backup, a table that seats everyone for a session, what the street sounds like at night, and whether a vehicle reaches the door. A house we have not been inside does not go into a quote. The zones and their trade-offs are in staffed villa rental in Cartagena and where to stay.
Three things we say plainly
- In Cartagena "yacht" almost always means a 36–48 ft launch. A real yacht with crew exists and is priced in the top band. We say which one is in your quote, and what documents the boat carries. Details in Cartagena yacht charter.
- We are not a security company. We do not sell bodyguards or armoured vehicles. What we remove is the informal market — unlicensed boats, taxis that reroute, doors that charge what they like — with known drivers, documented boats and reservations at menu price. More in is Cartagena safe in 2027.
- We are a Cartagena operator, not an events agency. We do not design your agenda or facilitate your sessions; we can bring a facilitator or a translator as a line if you need one. We run the ground: the house, the boat, the table, the transfers, and the person who answers the phone.
When to book a 2027 offsite
For a specific week, three to five months out; for the dry season (December to April) and for any US or Mexican long weekend, earlier. First-quarter 2027 offsites should be in conversation now. If your travel manager, a travel advisor or a corporate card programme is handling the booking, they can work with us directly through our advisor and DMC page or the concierge and card-programme page. What other operators in the city publish for the same trip, next to our figures, is in Cartagena luxury operators compared; if you are weighing Cartagena against a Mexican resort offsite, read Cartagena vs Los Cabos and Tulum.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a corporate retreat in Cartagena cost per person?
For sixteen people over three nights with a colonial house, one private boat day and a local host, about 285 USD per person for those three lines, before flights, meals and the chef. Because house, boat and host are billed per unit, the figure falls as the team grows and rises sharply below eight people.
Do you provide company invoices and a single document for expenses?
Yes. Every line is invoiced by CABÚ Viajes, a registered Colombian operator (RNT 215668). Deposit and balance against a company invoice, and at the end one itemised document with all invoices for your finance team.
Can the team stay in a hotel instead of a house?
Yes. Teams that need single rooms usually do better in a boutique hotel with a private meeting room, and we book those by name. The boat day, the chef dinner in a private venue and the host work the same way.
Is the Wi-Fi in a colonial house good enough for a working session?
Often, not always. We measure it on the day before quoting a house and bring a mobile backup for the sessions. If the offsite is mostly screen time, we will say a hotel is the better base.
Is Cartagena safe for a company group?
Yes, with the same discipline as any Caribbean city: licensed boats, known drivers, reservations that exist and a host who answers the phone. We are not a security company; what we remove is the informal market, which is where the problems come from.
How far ahead should we book a 2027 offsite?
Three to five months for an ordinary week; more for December to April, for US and Mexican long weekends and for any date where a specific house matters.
