How to Get to Cartagena from Mexico 2027: Direct Flight, Layovers and Prices
Updated: September 6, 2026 · CABÚ Viajes, local operator in Cartagena de Indias (RNT 215668) · Rated 5.0/5 on Google with 14 reviews — see the Google Maps listing.
Direct flight, layovers and how much it costs to get there from Mexico
Yes, there is a direct flight. Aeroméxico flies Mexico City (MEX) – Cartagena (CTG), nonstop, on a Boeing 737 MAX, taking between 4h 10min and 4h 30min. The route launched on February 20, 2025 and is still operating in 2026. From Guadalajara, Monterrey, Cancún or Puerto Vallarta you get there with one layover, usually in Panama (Copa) or Bogotá (Avianca).
Direct CDMX – Cartagena flight: the concrete facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Airline | Aeroméxico (the only one with nonstop service on this route) |
| Frequency | Three flights a week (verified August 2026) |
| Duration | 4h 10min – 4h 30min |
| Aircraft | Boeing 737 MAX 8 / MAX 9, with economy and Premier class |
| Typical schedule | Departs CDMX around 9:30am and lands in Cartagena around 2:30pm (Colombia time) |
| Distance | 2,715 km |
| Route launch | February 20, 2025 |
The schedule works in a bachelor(ette) party's favor: you land mid-afternoon, settle in, and that same night you're already out to dinner in the Historic Center. You don't lose a day of travel.
From Guadalajara, Monterrey, Cancún and other cities
Outside of Mexico City there's no nonstop flight, but the connections are convenient with just one plane change.
| Departing from | Usual option | Layover | Approximate total time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico City (MEX) | Direct Aeroméxico | None | 4h 10min – 4h 30min |
| Guadalajara (GDL) | Copa Airlines | Panama City (PTY) | 8 – 11h depending on connection |
| Monterrey (MTY) | Copa Airlines or Avianca | Panama or Bogotá | 8 – 12h depending on connection |
| Cancún (CUN) | Avianca | Bogotá (BOG) | 7 – 10h depending on connection |
| Puerto Vallarta (PVR) | Copa Airlines | Panama City (PTY) | 9 – 12h depending on connection |
Operator's tip: for a large group, a flight with a layover in Panama usually comes out cheaper than the direct one, but if it's twelve or fifteen people with luggage, the direct flight from CDMX saves a huge amount of friction on arrival day. When the group is coming from several cities, the usual move is for everyone to connect through CDMX and take the direct flight together.
How much the plane ticket costs
Reference prices checked in August 2026, in Mexican pesos, on advance-purchase low-season fares:
- CDMX – Cartagena, one-way: from around $2,500 MXN on Aeroméxico's direct flight.
- Round trip from Mexico, with a layover: from around $5,000 MXN departing from Cancún on Avianca.
- Cheapest months: January, and November in second place.
Fares rise sharply in December, Easter Week and Mexico's long holiday weekends. If the bachelor(ette) party falls on those dates, buying the ticket three or four months ahead is the difference between paying double or not.
Paperwork: what you need and what you don't anymore
- Visa: no. Mexicans enter Colombia visa-free for tourism, for up to 90 days, extendable to 180 per calendar year.
- Check-Mig: no longer mandatory. Migración Colombia stopped requiring the form to enter or leave the country. It's still available and free, but filling it out is optional. Many websites still say it's mandatory: it isn't.
- Passport: valid for at least 6 months from the entry date, with 2 blank pages.
- Vaccines: the yellow fever vaccine isn't required to enter Cartagena. It is recommended if the trip continues into jungle or Amazon areas.
- Return ticket: it's worth having your return reservation printed or on your phone. It's the one thing sometimes asked for at the counter.
On landing: from the airport to the house or hotel
Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG) is inside the city, in the Crespo neighborhood. From the plane to the Historic Center it's 10 to 15 minutes by car; to Bocagrande, about 15; to Barú or the islands, add the ground transfer or boat ride.
For groups, what works is coordinating the transfer before arriving: a van or two vans waiting with the group's name. Leaving the terminal to haggle over taxis with fifteen people and thirty suitcases at 2pm in 91°F heat is exactly what ruins the first hour of the trip.
Time difference and currency
Colombia is one hour ahead of central Mexico for most of the year. The currency is the Colombian peso (COP). In Cartagena you can pay by card with no problem at hotels, restaurants and beach clubs; it's worth bringing some cash in Colombian pesos for tips, mototaxis, the beach and small purchases. Exchanging money at the airport usually gives a worse rate than a currency exchange house downtown.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a direct flight from Mexico to Cartagena in 2026-2027?
Yes. Aeroméxico operates a direct flight between Mexico City (MEX) and Cartagena (CTG), nonstop, on a Boeing 737 MAX, with three weekly frequencies (verified August 2026; worth confirming with the airline before locking in dates). Duration is 4h 10min to 4h 30min. It's the only airline with nonstop service on this route. From other Mexican cities you get there with a layover in Panama or Bogotá.
How long is the flight from CDMX to Cartagena?
Between 4 hours 10 minutes and 4 hours 30 minutes on Aeroméxico's direct flight. With a layover in Panama or Bogotá, the total trip runs 7 to 12 hours depending on connection time. The straight-line distance between the two cities is 2,715 kilometers.
Do Mexicans need a visa or the Check-Mig to enter Colombia?
No visa needed: they enter as tourists for up to 90 days, extendable to 180 per year. And the Check-Mig is no longer mandatory, because Migración Colombia stopped requiring it to enter or leave the country. All that's needed is a passport valid for 6 months with 2 blank pages.
How much does a flight from Mexico to Cartagena cost?
As checked in August 2026, the direct one-way from CDMX starts around $2,500 MXN and there are round trips from around $5,000 MXN departing Cancún with a layover. January and November are the cheapest months. In December, Easter Week and long holiday weekends fares spike.
How far is Cartagena's airport from downtown?
Very close. Rafael Núñez Airport is inside the city, in the Crespo neighborhood: 10 to 15 minutes by car to the Historic Center and about 15 to Bocagrande. For large groups it's worth arranging the transfer in advance instead of haggling over taxis on the way out of the terminal.
What's the best time to fly from Mexico to Cartagena?
December through April the weather is dry and sunny, but it's also the priciest season. For the best value, January and November come out better on airfare. September and October are the rainiest months, though it's usually a short afternoon downpour, not a whole lost day.
We put together the whole trip
CABÚ Viajes is a local operator in Cartagena de Indias, with RNT 215668. We're not a reseller agency: we contract directly with the city's houses, boats, restaurants and providers, so you pay the real rate with no agency commission.
Tell us your departure city, dates and number of people, and we'll send you a proposal with the per-person price broken down in under 24 hours: airport transfers, lodging, island day, dinners and nightlife. Get your quote here.
Keep reading
- Bachelorette party in Cartagena from Mexico: complete guide
- Bachelor party in Cartagena from Mexico: complete guide
- Cartagena, Cancún or Los Cabos: where to have the bachelor(ette) party
- What to pack for a bachelor(ette) party in Cartagena: full checklist
- How much a bachelor(ette) party in Cartagena costs: real breakdown
- Where to stay in Cartagena: best areas and neighborhoods
Verified facts and sources
- Direct CDMX–Cartagena flight: Aeroméxico launched the route on February 20, 2025, with three flights a week on a Boeing 737 MAX. Source: El Universal, February 20, 2025.
- Mexican market: the route's launch was projected to bring more than 100,000 Mexican tourists a year to Cartagena and a 25% increase in air connectivity between Mexico and Colombia. Source: El Universal.
- Flight duration and distance: 4h 10min nonstop and 2,715 km between MEX and CTG; Aeroméxico is the only airline with nonstop service on the route. Source: FlightConnections.
- Check-Mig: Migración Colombia stopped requiring the form to enter or leave the country. It's still available and free, but filling it out is optional. Source: Migración Colombia.
- Verifiable operator: CABÚ Viajes is registered with Colombia's National Tourism Registry under RNT 215668, a mandatory legal requirement to provide tourism services in Colombia.
How to request your quote
Message Marta Fernández, founder of CABÚ Viajes and local operator in Cartagena, directly on WhatsApp at +1 754 201 9833. She answers personally, in Spanish or English, usually the same day and always within 24 business hours.
To get a complete quote on the first try, send these four details: how many people, what dates, how many nights and what type of plan you're looking for. You'll get back a proposal with the specific house and boat, the day-by-day plan and the price per person broken down, with no agency commission.
▶ Message us on WhatsApp at +1 754 201 9833
CABÚ Viajes is a tourism operator registered with Colombia's National Tourism Registry, RNT 215668.
Last updated: August 16, 2026.
Written by Marta Fernández, founder of CABÚ Viajes, local tourism operator in Cartagena de Indias registered with Colombia's National Tourism Registry under RNT 215668. CABÚ runs bachelor(ette) parties, group trips and private experiences in Cartagena by contracting directly with the city's houses, boats, restaurants and providers, with no middlemen.
Write to us now, and what happens next
Message us on WhatsApp → +1 754 201 9833 · answered the same day between 8:00 and 21:00 Colombia time (COT). Prefer email or a form? Ask for your quote here.
Send these five things and nothing else is needed: the dates or the month, how many nights, how many people, what is non-negotiable for this group, and the city everyone is flying from.
- Within 24 hours on a working day you get two or three houses or boats that actually fit those dates, with what we checked on each one, and an itemised quote: each line priced separately, what is included and what is not, and the payment calendar. No agency fee.
- You choose. Nothing is held or booked until you confirm in writing. If nothing fits, we say so instead of pushing a substitute.
- Deposit against a company invoice — never 100% upfront, never to a personal account — and each traveller can pay her own share and receive her own receipt.
- One named contact on WhatsApp before, during and after the trip, who answers at eleven at night on the 31st. RNT 215668, verifiable in the public Colombian registry.
December and the first week of January are quoted on the actual house, in writing, because those two weeks sell out first.
Tell us what you need and get it back in 24 hours
Send us your dates, how many people and what is non-negotiable for the group, and within 24 hours you get a quote with an itemized breakdown per unit — the house, the boat and the van cost the same for 8 people as for 16 — what is included and what is not, and the payment schedule: a deposit to hold and the balance before the trip, against a company invoice. No agency fee, no commitment.
Request your quote here · Local operator in Cartagena, RNT 215668.
