Consider Cartagena for Your Next Vacation

Cartagena is the gateway to Colombia with the world's most pristine coral reefs, white sand beaches and tropical forests. Emeralds are extremely cheap and undoubtedly the best buy here. There are numerous day trips available from Cartagena to get to know the natural beauty of this area. A fairy-tale city of romance, legends and sheer beauty, Cartagena is the place to drop all sightseeing routines. Instead, just stroll through Cartagena's maze of cobbled alleys, where enormous balconies are shrouded in bougainvillea and massive churches cast their shadows across leafy plazas. Take time out to relax at one of Cartagena's many open-air cafés, prime viewing spots to watch the parade of horse-drawn carriages, fashionable locals and mystified tourists.

Cartagena, population 1 million, is located about midway on Columbia’s Caribbean Coast. It is a unique city filled with sun, sea and history and is also Columbia’s premier tourist attraction. The city is connected by a series of bridges and is divided by 17th century walls into an “historic old city” and a cosmopolitan “modern city”. The city is filled with sounds of music and bright with color and tradition. Cartagena has been an important port on the Caribbean since it was founded in 1533. Gold and silver left the port bound for Europe, pirates looted the city, and a walled fort grew to protect both shipping and the slave trade.

The old walled city has changed very little over time. The winding streets are lined with Spanish Colonial architecture and colorfully painted buildings. The city was declared the “Historical Patrimony of Humanity” by UNESCO in 1985. The Church of San Pedro Claver dedicated to the Spanish born monk known as the “Slave of Slaves” or the “Apostle of the Blacks” who devoted his life to the welfare of the unfortunate slaves brought to Cartagena. He even begged in the streets for them. Claver was the first person to be canonized in the New World and his body lies in a glass coffin in the high altar. Visitors can also see the cell where he lived and died.

Cartagena still draws interests from tourists who come to enjoy the history, sightseeing, the tropical weather and the exciting nightlife. Plan to stay several days to enjoy the colonial period, the modern city and the fashionable seaside resort of Colombia's second port.

Highlights of the old city are:

The Monastery La Popa,
The San Felipe de Barajas Fortress and Las Bovedas the dungeons now used as tourist shops.