Cartagena

Why Cartagena works

Cartagena de Indias built its stone walls to keep pirates out, and five centuries later those same ramparts frame one of the Caribbean's most atmospheric old towns. Horse-drawn carriages clop past pastel townhouses in the walled Ciudad Amurallada, their wooden balconies dripping bougainvillea, while the Getsemani neighbourhood next door has traded its rough-edged past for street art murals, hostel rooftop bars, and nightly plaza performances. The Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, a sprawling 17th-century fortress on a hill above the old city, was never successfully taken by siege, and its tunnel network can be explored on foot. Emerald shops line Calle de las Damas, arepa and empanada carts work every corner, and the Palenqueras — fruit vendors in traditional dress balancing bowls on their heads — have become an unofficial symbol of the city. Sunset is best watched from the Cafe del Mar atop the city walls, cocktail in hand as the sky over the Caribbean turns orange behind the skyline of modern Bocagrande. Day trips run to the Islas del Rosario's coral reefs and to the Volcan de Totumo, a mud volcano where visitors float in cool grey mud before rinsing off in a nearby lagoon. Cartagena moves at a Caribbean pace — heat, humidity, and a soundtrack of vallenato encourage slowing down.

Trip Snapshot

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