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CARTAGENA DE INDIAS
C O L O M B I A
WCPA STEERING COMMITTEE From 27th to 30th of March 201
INFORMATION NOTE FOR PARTICIPANTS
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Cartagena de Indias
1.2. Currency and Credit Cards
1.3. Electricity
1.4. Language
1.5. Temperature
1.6. Time
1.7. Tipping
2. BEFORE LEAVING FOR CARTAGENA
2.1. Accommodation
2.2. Visas
2.3. Yellow Fever Vaccination
2.4. Documents
2.5. Dress Code
3. UPON ARRIVAL
3.1. Arriving to Colombia
3.2. Meeting Venue
3.3. WCPA Dinner
3.4. On-site Registration
3.5. Cocktail
3.6. Field Trip
3.7. Farewell Event
4. OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION
4.1 List of National Natural Parks in the Caribbean region
4.2 Tourism in Cartagena
(Http://www.cartagenadeindias.travel)
1 . I N T R O D U C T I O N
CARTAGENA DE INDIAS
Cartagena de Indias is a city located on the northern coast of
Colombia, capital of the department of Bolívar, and was founded by
the Pedro de Heredia from Spain in 1533. Since then, the city
became one of the most important ports of the Caribbean Sea. The
iconic city walls, beautifully preserved despite the passage of time,
were built to prevent attacks by pirates and enemies.
Recognized by UNESCO since 1984 for its historical value and heritage
for humanity, as the gate of America, and is considered one of the most
international and safest cities in Colombia.
Cartagena is a center of economic activity in the Caribbean region
and a popular tourist destination for domestic and foreign people,
and is chosen by many as an ideal venue for professional meetings.
1.2. Currency and Credit Cards
The official currency of Colombia is the Colombian Peso (COP), which has denominations in bills of $ 1,000, $ 2,000, $ 5,000, $ 10,000, $ 20,000 and $ 50,000; and coins of $ 50, $ 100, $ 200, $ 500 and $ 1,000.
Currently, the official exchange rate of US dollar fluctuates between $ 2,935 and $ 3,000 COP per US dollar.
All participants are advised to avoid changing money outside the
authorized sites. You can change currency at the meeting headquarters.
The main credit and debit cards (MasterCard, Visa) are accepted at most hotels, major restaurants and shops.
1.3. Electricity
Voltage in Colombia is 110-120 volts and frequency 60 Hz. The image below
shows a Colombian power outlet.
1.4. Language
The official language of Colombia is Spanish; however English is spoken in hotels and main touristic places.
1.5. Weather Information and Time Zone
Cartagena is a Caribbean city, with an average relative humidity of 85% from December to March. Usually during these months there is breeze and a pleasant climate. The temperature is around 30°C.
The standard time zone is GMT -5.
1.6. Tipping
Tipping is a common practice in Colombia. In restaurants the tip is usually included in the bill but its payment is voluntary. If not included, a 10% tip is customary in restaurants.
Each delegate requiring a visa must apply for a TP-1 (courtesy) visa. Further information on visa application for Colombia is available on the web site of the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs at:
Http://www.cancilleria.gov.co/en/procedures_services/visas.
This visa TP-1 visa must be processed through the following link:
Https://tramitesmre.cancilleria.gov.co/tramites/enlinea/solicitarVisa.xhtml
The system will ask you to upload supporting documents:
(Http://en.hotelcaribe.com)
2 . B E F O R E L E A V I N G F O R
CARTAGENA DE INDIAS 2.1. Accommodation
The IUCN will cover the hotel costs, your room is booked at the following venue: CARIBE BY FARANDA HOTEL FARANDA HOTELS, Carrera 1 # 2- 87, Bocagrande.
(Check-in Sunday, March 26, check-out Friday, March 31)**.
** Please take into account the days of arrival and departure of hotels. Any change or additional nights should be covered by the participant. Any item hotel expenses are for your own account (dinner, mini bar, bar, phone calls and room services). The additional charges for accompanying persons must be paid directly to the hotel.
The hotel offers a list of services and facilities as restaurants and shops. Free WIFI will be available in all areas of the hotel.
2.2. Visas
Delegates to the Steering Committee SC must obtain visas if necessary in order to travel, enter and stay in Colombia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs- Coordination of Visas and Immigration, has taken the necessary measures to facilitate entry to the country.
1. A copy of the main page of the valid passport where the personal data of the holder appear, 2. Supporting letter informing length of stay ( we will send an invitation letter to all participants) 3. A passport style photograph with a white background.
• Once you've completed the visa application, the system will give you a registration number. Please inform your nearest consulate of this number, the name, passport number and date of birth of the applicant, to be able to authorize the visa.
• Once the application is approved, an email notification with the e-visa included will be sent to the email registered on the application, allowing the person to travel with the e-visa • P l e a s e n o t i f y M s . A n g e l a R i v e r a b y e m a i l : [email protected] once you have uploaded your application.
IMPORTANT: The Colombian Government is not responsible for the procedures and validity of transit visas required by the event's participants to
enter and exit Colombia. On the other hand, we strongly recommend you to confirm with your consulate if you require International Health Certificate for Yellow Fever Vaccination.
Finally, find attached the list of Nationalities that require Colombian Visa
2.3. Yellow Fever Vaccination
The participants from countries or have been in areas whit a high risk of infection, yellow fever vaccines are recommended. Please contact the appropriate authorities in your country, in order to confirm if any vaccination is required to enter in Colombia before travel.
2.4. Documents 3.2. Meeting Venue
To minimize negative environmental impacts to the greatest possible degree, we request all participants to bring their own copies of the working papers, as no copies will be available at the meeting venue.
2.5. Dress Code
We recommend the use of comfortable clothes, preferably in a "business
casual" style (like for Hawaii). Please note that the temperature at the meeting venue will be around 20 ° C
The meeting will take place at the Hotel Caribe in Cartagena, a historical beachfront hotel in El Laguito, Bocagrande: one of the most beautiful areas of Cartagena de Indias.
This hotel is considered one of the national monuments of Cartagena de Indias, due to its spectacular colonial architecture with a Spanish style, large corridors and arches and its gardens and historical elements.
3.3. WCPA Annual Dinner on 28 March 2017
3 . U P O N A R R I V A L
3.1. Arriving in Colombia
The Rafael Núñez International Airport in Cartagena is just 10 minutes
away from downtown and 15 minutes from the Caribe hotel.
A shuttle service from the hotel will be waiting for participants at the arrival gate of the airport on March 26th. For those who arrive before the date of the meeting a taxi station can be found at
the Rafael Núñez International Airport (USD10 Approx.). For security reasons, we suggest you to take your taxi from a taxi station authorized by the airport authorities.
WCPA invites all the participants for a dinner at the restaurant Club
de Pesca: http://clubdepesca.com/es/reservas.htm#1.
Address: Manga, Fuerte de San Sebastián del Pastelillo - Cartagena
de Indias Colombia - Tel: (+57 5) 651 7400 - Cel: (+57) 321
727 9856
You can go to the restaurant and return by: Walking - with a
distance of 4,6 km taking about 1 hour. You need to be at the
lobby of the Hotel Caribe by 18:00 to join the group. Please see the
map below.
Taxi the cost will not be covered by WCPA.
3.4. On-site Registration
Registration for participants will be held on Monday, March 27, from 07:00 a.m. at the Caribe Hotel.
3.5. Cocktail Monday 27 March 2017 (Hosted by
National Natural Parks and WWF) The Government of Colombia will host a cocktail for all participants to SC on Monday 27 at the Marqués de Valdehoyos house (logistics will be
announced during the meeting). After the Cocktail participants are free to make their own arrangements for dinner.
3.6. Field Trip**
There will be a full day field trip on Wednesday 29 March 2017 to the National Park Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo by boat. Please bring the right clothes and shoes, sun protection, bathing suit and equipment for snorkelling activities (optional).
Time: 6:30 a.m. 16:30 p.m.
7:00 a.m. Members of the WCPA Committee leave the Caribe
Hotel to the Touristic Dock La Bodeguita - Cartagena.
7:15 a.m. Arrival at the dock and boarding.
7:40 - 8:40 a.m. Departure from the dock to the National Natural Park
Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo. Information briefing
about Cartagena and the Park.
8:40 - 10:00 a.m. Brief tour through the Park. Moment to enjoy the coral
beauties of the Park (Optional snorkeling activities)
10:00 -10:15 a.m. Tour from the Corales Park to La Isleta, an island located
in the Cholón Swamp.
10:15 - 13:30 p.m. La Isleta visit White sand beach and crystalline water.
Lunch.
13:30 - 13:45 a.m. Departure. Boat transportation to Punta Iguana
13:45 - 14:00 p.m. Bus transportation to the National Colombian Aviary
14:00 - 16:00p.m. Guided visit through the Aviary: meeting point of
Scientists, bird enthusiasts, biology scholars and tourists
16:15 - 17:00 p.m. Return to Cartagena. Bus transportation Caribe Hotel
Dinner (own arrangements) ** Please take into account that this event could have some minor logistical changes.
Additional information will be provided during the meeting
3.7. Farewell Event Thursday 30 March 2017
Dinner Hosted by Palmarito Foundation and GHL Hotels in the Marea Restaurant by Rausch
18:15 p.m. Departure from Caribe Hotel to the Convention Center of
Cartagena de Indias, neighbourhood of Getsemani. 18:30 p.m. Welcoming Reception and Dinner
Gastronomic performance by the renowned Colombian
chef Jorge Rausch, one of the precursors of the consumption of Lion Fish, an invader species of the Colombian Caribbean Sea.
20:30 p.m. Return to Caribe Hotel on your own.
4 . O T H E R U S E F U L I N F O R M A T I O N
4.1. List of National Natural Parks in the Caribbean region
National Natural Parks of Colombia is the entity in charge of the
administration and management of the Systems of National Natural Parks, it is represented in 59 natural areas that belong to the Systems of National Natural Parks, which represent 14,268,224,3 hectares. It is also responsible of the coordination of the National System of Protected Areas with 23.810.280.9 hectares, which includes both, public and private protected areas of the regional and national order.
In the Caribbean area of Colombia there are 14 protected areas of the System of National Natural Parks of Colombia.
Bahía Portete Kaurrele National Natural Park: It is a coastal- marine protected area that fosters the development and maintenance of traditional practices associated with Wayuu culture.
Acandi, Playón and Playona Wildlife Sanctuary: This is an area for Conservation of Coastal and Marine Ecosystems, as well as the protection zone of the leatherback sea turtle (nesting habitat).
Corales de Profundidad National Natural Park: It houses a sample of deep corals and high diversity of invertebrates associated with them. This
represents 67% of the coral reef formations of the Colombian Caribbean.
Los Colorados Wildlife Sanctuary: The abundance of Red Howler (monkey howler), gives its name to the Park, which preserves a sample of dry tropical forest in the Serrania of San Jacinto.
El Corchal “El Mono Hernandez” Fauna and Flora Sanctuary: Preserves the unique representative samples of pure stands and swamp forests of dragonblood tree and mangrove forests.
Flora and Fauna Sanctuary of the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta: This Sanctuary is located in the north of Colombia, and it is part of the core area of the Biosphere Reserve and Ramsar Wetland Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, integrating a set of wetlands of great importance in the Colombian Caribbean. It includes Isla de Salamanca National Park.
Paramillo National Natural Park: Due to the different altitudes, the National Park has many different Ecosystems reaching from desert to floodplains, Andean Forest and Tropical rainforests. It is home of indigenous communities like Embera katío.
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Natural Park: home of the Tayrona civilization and of 30,000 indigenous people including the Kogi, Arhuaco, Kankuamo, and Wiwa ethnicities. This protected area is also home to the two highest mountains in Colombia, the snowy peaks of Colón and Bolívar (3.5 and 3.4 miles above sea level, respectively). Due to its variety of ecosystems, thermal floors, its unique beauty and its historical and cultural richness, this Park constitutes a unique place to visit; UNESCO declared it a Biosphere Reserve in 1979.
McBean Lagoon Old Providence National Nature Park: It is part of the
Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, declared by UNESCO in 1979. It has a 32 km. long coral reef and a small hill known as Iron Hill Wood. In this protected area, where there is a dry forest of 48 hectares, you can go hiking, diving, snorkeling and bird watching, among others.
Macuira National Natural Park: It is a green oasis located in the desert of upper Guajira region. It is ideal for bird watching given that 140 different bird species have been recorded at the site17 of which can be seen there and nowhere else. Various forest ecosystems can be found within the reserve.
Los Flamencos Fauna and Flora Sanctuary: The representative ecosystems are the coastal lagoons: Laguna Navío Quebrado and Laguna Grande, where it is possible to see a great variety of resident and migratory water birds.
Salamanca Island Road Park: It is located in the Caribbean Region of Colombia, on the eastern outskirts of the city of Barranquilla in the Magdalena Department. The flora and fauna is abundant due to the confluence of sweet water flowing from the Magdalena River and saline water of the Caribbean Sea. It was created in 1964 to protect the abundant bird life and coastal mangroves.
Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo National Natural Park: The Protected Area is located on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. It includes a large marine area within the jurisdiction of the Tourist and Cultural District of Cartagena de Indias. There we find the most important continental reef formations in the country, unique samples of coastal mangrove forests, extensive sea-grass that borders the islands, diversity of invertebrates and crowds of multi-coloured reef fish. These is why it is the most visited National Park in the country.
4.2. Tourism in Cartagena
For participants interested in cultural activities, tours and sightseeing in Cartagena and/or Colombia before or after the meeting, information is available at the following web sites:
Http://www.colombia.travel
www.cartagenamagica.com
Tourism Office
Muelle Turístico La Bodeguita Piso 2
Tel. +57-1-56550211 - 6550277
Additional information on Cartagena de Indias is available on:
www.cartagenacaribe.com
