Meet our Cartagena, Colombia Partners: Impulse Travel

Partnership is at the core of BOOKED Trips book-inspired experiences. We support local creatives, guides, and businesses on each our experiences. We’re excited to partner with Impulse Travel for our December 4-8, 2025 trip to Cartagena, Colombia inspired by Gabriel Garcia Márquez’s book “Love in the Time of Cholera“. Impulse Travel is a Colombian-owned, socially responsible B-corp that has built a community of changemakers across the country: chefs, artists, coffee farmers, ex-combatants, and social entrepreneurs who are shaping a new narrative for Colombia.

We are so excited about the values alignment between BOOKED Trips and Impulse Travel. Their work is guided by their HEART framework:

• Human Connection: Travel is about people. Every experience we offer is designed to foster genuine encounters that go beyond surface-level tourism.
• Economic Opportunities: We intentionally link travel to local income generation—because a stronger local economy builds safer, more resilient communities.
• Authentic Experiences: These aren’t staged moments. They’re real stories, voices, and traditions, curated with care and context.
• Regenerative Approach: We go beyond minimizing harm. We aim to contribute to community well-being and ecosystem restoration actively.
• Top Quality: Because impact and excellence should always go hand in hand.

We got the chance to sit down with Juliana Medina, CEO and co-owner of Impulse Travel to learn a little bit more about her and her work. Juliana is a social entrepreneur in the tourism sector born and raised in Cartagena, Colombia. After living in Germany and traveling to many countries, Juliana started her career in the tourism industry as a tour guide to help pay for her degree in finance. Unexpectedly, she fell in love with the job. Hear how that love undergirds her work.

1. Tell us a little bit about you and what inspired you to start Impulse Travel.

I was born in a country at war, and my mom always tells the story of how she found out she was having a girl the same day Pablo Escobar died — a bittersweet coincidence that has stayed with me.

I started working in tourism while I was still at university, and right away, I realized how powerful it can be as a tool for peace-building. Over time, I saw how travelers could connect deeply with local changemakers, artists, and communities, and I knew I wanted to build a company that made those connections possible — human, meaningful, and rooted in dignity.
That’s how Impulse Travel was born: with the belief that people are the real destinations, and that tourism can be a force for good.

2. Describe your perfect weekend in Cartagena. What are some of the underrated experiences you wish more people would have in the city?

My perfect weekend in Cartagena would start with a rooftop parranda with live music from one of our changemaker musicians, then a walk through the old town before the city fully wakes up. I’d definitely include some time in the mangroves with our friend Rafael — a local drummer and gondolier who turns every paddle into poetry.
I wish more people would venture beyond the beaches and discover the Afro-Caribbean culture, the flavors, the rhythms, and the resilience of the people. Dancing isn’t just nightlife here — it’s family, it’s history, it’s how we breathe.

3. Our Cartagena, Colombia trip will be inspired by Gabriel García Márquez’s book Love in the Time of Cholera. You’ve hosted previous experiences inspired by his work. What do you love about his writing and how does it capture the essence of Cartagena?

Gabo’s writing is soaked in Cartagena’s essence — the humidity, the longing, the magic. Love in the Time of Cholera isn’t just a love story; it’s a portrait of a city suspended in time, where reality and fantasy coexist.
I love how his words make the invisible visible — the movements, the silences, the smells. His Cartagena is romantic and nostalgic, but also raw and real. When we create experiences inspired by his work, we try to let travelers feel that world — through music, local voices, hidden corners, and intimate stories.

4. What’s a book that transports you to a specific place in the world that you’d recommend to others?
Magdalena: River of Dreams by Wade Davis.
This book beautifully captures the soul of Colombia through the lens of our most important river — the Magdalena. It’s a journey through geography, history, and culture, but also a deeply emotional reflection on resilience, conflict, and hope.
Wade’s writing helps you understand Colombia not just as a destination, but as a living, breathing story — complex, layered, and full of beauty.

5. How can people support you and your work?
Travel consciously. Choose experiences that center local voices, invest in small businesses, and ask deeper questions.
At Impulse, we welcome travelers, but also collaborators, storytellers, and dreamers. If you’re planning a trip to Colombia — or just curious — follow our journey, share our stories, and let us co-create something meaningful together.

Ready to travel to Cartagena, Colombia – join us December 4-8, 2025. Spots open on Friday, May 30, 2025.