Cartagena

Overview

With just under 1 million inhabitants, Cartagena is the most popular tourist resort town in Colombia. It is divided into two main parts: the Ciudad Antigua (Old City) and the Ciudad Nueva (New City). Cartagena used to be a popular place for the privateers of the Caribbean (the most famous being Sir Francis Drake). Accordingly, the Spanish invested heavily in thick walls to protect this important harbour from attacks.

The walls are over 10km long and enclose the pleasant Ciudad Antigua, built in 1533 along a beautiful Caribbean harbor. It is very pleasant to stroll down the narrow streets and take in the stylish colonial architecture. The cathedrals and palaces face cool shady plazas, where you can buy little cups of coffee ( tinto ) and watch the world go by.

Around Cartagena some very fine beaches are to be found, where you can get a tan under the tropical sun.

Nightlife in Cartagena is quite lively, as there are a number of bars with good (Salsa) music and cheap beer. Finding a decent place to eat is never difficult, and restaurants specialize in Caribbean and creole dishes.

From Cartagena you can travel on to Bogotá , Cali , Medellín , and Santa Marta , a great old city on the coast, from which you can visit the Ciudad Perdida of the Tayrona Indians.

History

Cartagena is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Considered by many as one of the world's most beautiful, fascinating and magical cities, Cartagena was founded by Spanish conquerors as a main port to bring Europeans and their goods into South America, and transport gold, silver and all sorts of plants, animals, minerals and handicrafts from all over the continent across the Caribbean and on to the Old World. Today the city hosts intellectuals and plenty of beautiful refurbished homes amongst exotic, highly attractive and dynamic plazas, waterfronts and other public spaces. One of the most hospitable venues for any tourist looking for a good rest, Caribbean and Colombian magical realism and tropical ambiance or natural wonders. The city was one of the first sanctuaries of freed African slaves in the Americas and is currently populated by an ethnic mix representative of Colombia's own variety. Cartagena, located on Colombia's northern coast and facing the Caribbean Sea, is the most visited city in the country by tourists. It gets extremely crowded in the December holidays and the holy week, when schools are out and most Colombians take their vacations. The city has basically two main parts where tourists go: the walled colonial city ("ciudad amurallada"), which is truly amazing and has many fancy restaurants and clubs; and a long strip of hotel towers and condos fronting onto the beach, known as Bocagrande.