Cartagena
Cartagena, Colombia: The City That Spent 200 Years Building Its Own Walls
The walls around Cartagena’s old city took nearly two centuries to complete. Construction began in the 1580s after pirate raids made clear how vulnerable the city was, and was not finished until 1796 – by which point the wealth the walls were meant to protect had long since shifted elsewhere. What remained was 11 kilometres of stone fortification, most of it still intact, enclosing a colonial city that is today one of the best-preserved in the Americas.
Cartagena was founded in 1533 and grew rich as the main port through which South American gold and silver passed on its way to Spain. That concentration of wealth attracted sustained attention from English and French privateers, including Sir Francis Drake, who sacked the city in 1586 and held it for ransom. The city’s response – decades of defensive construction, culminating in Castillo San Felipe de Barajas and the full circuit of walls – is what gives it its current character.
What to See
Old Town (Ciudad Vieja)
The walled city is the centre of the tourist experience, and it deserves the attention it receives. The UNESCO-listed historic district contains a density of well-preserved colonial architecture that rewards slow exploration on foot. Plaza de Bolivar, the main square, is flanked by the Catedral Santa Catalina de Alejandria, the Palacio de la Inquisicion, and the Museo del Oro Zenu. The cathedral dates from 1575 and still bears a cannonball impact in the tower from Drake’s 1586 raid.
The colored facades and overhanging balconies of the residential streets in El Centro and San Diego are photogenic, but the most honest part of Old Town is the detail: the brass door knockers shaped to indicate the owner’s profession, the interior courtyards visible through open gates, the informal economy of women selling fruit and sweets in the plazas.
Castillo San Felipe de Barajas
The fortress on the hill northeast of Old Town is the largest Spanish-built fortification in the Americas. The current structure dates largely from the 17th and 18th centuries, with the main body completed in 1657 and expanded repeatedly thereafter. The underground tunnel network is the most interesting part: approximately 200 metres of galleries with restored lighting and interpretive signage that explain the acoustic system used to detect approaching enemies. Entry costs around COP 50,000 for international visitors (verify at the gate as prices are updated periodically). Morning visits before 10:00 are cooler and less crowded.
Getsemani
Just outside the Old Town walls, Getsemani was enclosed in its own ring of fortifications in 1631 – earlier than the main city, because it controlled the only land access to Cartagena and was therefore strategically essential. For most of its history it was a working-class district: laborers, artisans, free Afro-Colombian merchants, and sailors. Today it is Cartagena’s most interesting neighbourhood for street art, informal food, and nightlife. The gentrification that has reshaped parts of it in recent years has also driven up prices and displaced some of the communities that gave it character. It remains, for now, a better place to eat and drink than Old Town’s tourist corridor.
Rosario Islands
Forty-five minutes by speedboat from the Muelle de los Pegasos dock, the Islas del Rosario are a coral archipelago with clear water and better beaches than Cartagena’s city beaches. Day trips are widely sold, typically including transportation, snorkelling equipment, and lunch at one of the island restaurants. Book through your hotel or a reputable operator; the dock attracts touts, and the quality difference between tours is significant.
Volcan de Lodo El Totumo
An hour’s drive northeast of Cartagena, the El Totumo mud volcano is a small conical hill with a shallow crater of warm mineral mud at the top. You climb in, float in the mud, get rinsed down in a nearby lagoon by attendants, and drive back. It is an odd experience that is genuinely hard to categorize – part curiosity, part spa treatment, part local spectacle. It is worth doing once.
Where to Eat
La Cevicheria on Calle Stuart in Old Town has been consistent for years and is the most reliable choice for ceviche in the city. The namesake dish comes with coconut milk and hot sauce; the seafood is fresh and the portions are honest. Arrive early or expect a queue at lunch.
Carmen at Hotel Charleston Santa Teresa is the best restaurant in the walled city for updated Colombian cooking with technique. It is significantly more expensive than the surrounding area and worth it for a special meal.
Getsemani’s informal food scene beats the walled city for price and atmosphere. The streets around Plaza de la Trinidad have late-night arepas, chuzos (grilled meat skewers), and cold beer at sidewalk tables. This is where Cartageneros eat when they are not catering to tourists.
Street food: Look for fritters sold from street carts – carimañolas (cassava fritters stuffed with meat), buñuelos (cheese fritters), and fried fish with patacones (twice-fried plantain). The women selling fruit near the plazas in Old Town, dressed in traditional polleras dresses, are a Cartagena institution; the sliced mango with lime and salt is a practical solution to the heat.
Where to Stay
Sofitel Legend Santa Clara occupies a 17th-century convent in Old Town. The combination of colonial architecture, serious service, and pool in what was once the cloister makes it the most distinctive hotel in Cartagena. Prices reflect the position.
Hotel Santa Teresa (now Hotel Charleston Santa Teresa) is a renovated colonial mansion on the corner of Plaza de Santa Teresa. Mid-to-upper range, with good rooms and the Carmen restaurant on-site.
Casa Lola is a well-run boutique hotel in Old Town with a rooftop pool and a manageable scale – around 14 rooms. A good option at the upper end of the mid-range.
The Dreamer Hostel in the Manga neighbourhood is the most consistently recommended budget option, with private rooms and dorms, a pool, and reliable organization for day trips.
Activities
Sunset sailing: Catamaran trips departing from Cartagena Bay in the late afternoon are a reliable way to see the city from the water and watch the sun drop behind the walls. Most run two to three hours and include rum drinks. Book through your accommodation rather than from touts on the waterfront.
Salsa classes: Several schools in Getsemani offer beginner lessons; Café Havana and Quiebra Canto are the most referenced venues for actual dancing once you have a handle on the basics.
Walking the walls: The surviving sections of the city wall are walkable at various points, with good views over the bay to the west and the city to the east. The section between Baluarte San Francisco Javier and Baluarte de Santa Catalina is the most accessible stretch.
Practical Information
Best time to visit: December to April is the dry season and the most comfortable for walking. The city fills up significantly over Christmas and New Year. May to November brings humidity and occasional heavy rain, but visitor numbers are lower and prices drop.
Getting around: Taxis within the historic centre and nearby areas cost COP 8,000-15,000 for most trips; agree on a price before getting in. The walled city itself is compact enough to walk entirely. Getsemani is a short walk through the Puerta del Reloj gate.
Currency and safety: Colombian Peso (COP). Cash is useful for street food and small purchases; cards are accepted at most hotels and restaurants. The walled city and Getsemani are generally safe for tourists during the day and early evening. Standard precautions – no ostentatious jewellery, phone in a pocket rather than in hand – are sensible after dark.
Language: Spanish throughout. English is spoken at upmarket hotels and some tourist-facing restaurants; elsewhere, basic Spanish will make things significantly easier.
The heat is the most underestimated aspect of a Cartagena visit. Plan sightseeing for early morning and late afternoon, spend the middle of the day somewhere with air conditioning or a pool, and treat the evening hours as when the city actually comes alive.