Cartagena
★ 4.8🇨🇴 CartagenaSuggested visit 3-5 daysBest season The dry season from December to March is the most comfortable
World HeritageSpanish colonialCaribbeanColourful old city
The best-preserved Spanish colonial city on the Caribbean coast, its flower-draped walls and gold museum telling the legend of El Dorado.
Overview
Cartagena is a colonial city on Colombia's Caribbean coast, its colourful old town a World Heritage Site.
History
Cartagena was founded in 1533 as Spain's most important South American port, where gold and silver from Peru and Colombia were gathered before shipment to Spain. Repeated attacks by English privateers including Francis Drake in the 16th and 17th centuries prompted the construction of an extensive system of fortifications. The old town became a World Heritage Site in 1984. Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez was born nearby, and his work drew deeply on the city's history.
Highlights
- •Walking streets of colonial houses draped in flowers
- •The vast defences of Castillo San Felipe de Barajas
- •Pre-Columbian gold at the Gold Museum
- •Sunset walks along the walls in the Caribbean heat
- •Literary pilgrimage to the García Márquez house and old town bookshops
Practical tips
- •A walk along the walls in the evening is best
- •Keep an eye on personal safety
Practical information
- Best time
- December to April
- Tickets
- Castillo San Felipe about COP 45,000; most old town sights free
- Opening hours
- Old town open all day; the castle roughly 8:00 to 18:00
- Local food
- Seafood rice, fried plantain and coconut rice
- Getting around
- The old town is best on foot; taxis or boats reach the beaches
- Visa
- A tourist visa is required; holders of a valid US or Schengen visa may enter visa-free for stays of up to 90 days, subject to official Colombian announcements.
Traveller reviews
…