Mister Babilla is a mainstay in the Cartagena nightlife scene: the go-to option when it comes to dancing, crowds, and beautiful people. Don’t expect any warehouse clubs with foam though, as Mister Babilla resembles more an antique converted mansion (which is probably what it originally was) with lots of segmented rooms and the kind of decoration that wouldn’t be out of place on the wall of someone’s home.

It’s been around since the early 1990’s, Mister Babilla, located in the Getsemani neighborhood, an up-and-coming portion of old-town Cartagena near the city’s convention center. Unlike some of the sterile clubs found elsewhere in Cartagena, Mister Babilla certainly has its own unique vibe: something like colonial hip. DJ’s throw Latin music, people both sit at tables and dance, and rum is purchased, as so often elsewhere in Colombia, by the bottle (or the glass if you’re feeling like a pansy). A long accessible bar area on one side of the joint makes for few lines and the beers are relatively inexpensive.

Mister Babilla usually charges a cover of a few dollars and doesn’t get roaring until past midnight. One little known fact amongst tourists, the place actually serves up some decent tapas (though you’ll rarely see them on the table during a late-night rager). Order the jamon Serrano or patatas bravas when nobody else is, a Spanish rendition of fried potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce, and you’re a God in being able to offer some to the beautiful girl beside you (of which there are many in Mister Babilla). If you don’t have food, brush up on your Spanish as the general demographic for Mister Babilla-goers is local.

Mister Babilla regularly has its famous theme parties, usually in sync with some world holiday like Halloween or a particularly good football match. Get there early to get a table or late to simply melt into the crowd of gyrating couples: Mister Babilla, a great place for the single traveler.