Welcome David,
Also, is Cartagena a safe city for an american to stay in and is it a good choice to land there instead of alternative airports? If so, does anyone have any recommendations for a decent hotel or B & B in Cartagena? I am looking to travel around January or february.
Yes Cartagena is a safe city, particularly the Old City. There are a lot of tourists and also a lot of police. I have strolled around the Old City aimlessly for hours at night with a camera several times and I never felt unsafe. There it is basically normal. This is something I would never do in Bogota, Cali, etc. In those cities you usually want to look like you are going somewhere or at least waiting for someone - esp at night.
There is a slum area of Cartegena that tourists never see. Obviously that area is not safe but it is not an area you will end up in by accident.
If you are going for a week or more than do what I did and rent an appartment. I rented a brand new airconditioned 2 bedroom appartment with all the facilities including a swimming pool, right next to the beach with a great view of the sea. Taxis to and from the old city were $5 each way. Agree a price before you get in the taxi.
The central city and business area is next to the Old City and it is safe as well, but be aware of your surroundings. You will find all the shops and services you are likely to need.
Cartegena has certain days that are moto free. I forget which days these are but that is the best time to get around the city.
Don't bother with the small buses. In Cartegena they are too hot, crowded, slow and uncomfortable to be worth your while. I went on one and I was glad I did it for the experience but once was enough. In Bogota I used them a lot.
There are several things you can do as a tourist with or without a date. So you can arrange to meet women at neutral locations and if they are no shows you still have things you can do.
If you are going there to meet a specific woman then not only are there things to do but you can take longer trips beyond the city and have a really nice time exploring the region while you get to know each other.
Cartegena is one place were you will see other gringos with latinas out and about.
The airport is small which is a good thing. It makes everything easier in my experience. It is basically in the city so transport to and from via taxi is easy and cheap.
As far as searching for a wife, there are also some draw backs to Cartegena in my view.
However perhaps for your first visit it could be a good option. If you have intermediate Spanish then there are better options IMHO.
Note that Cartegena has a tropical climate. Which can be good or bad or both depending on your view point and what you want to do.
