Cartagena
Cartagena's old city is its principal attraction, particularly the inner walled town, consisting of the historical districts of El Centro and San Diego…
Must-see attractions in Cartagena & Around
Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas
Cartagena
The greatest fortress ever built by the Spaniards in any of their colonies, the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas still dominates an entire section of…
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Islas del Rosario
The most developed of the islands, Isla Grande is indeed also the biggest. There's a large lagoon perfect for swimming in the unbelievably blue waters,…
Cartagena
The Palace of the Inquisition may today be one of the finest buildings in the city, but in the past it housed the notoriously grisly Inquisition, whose…
Convento & Iglesia de San Pedro Claver
Cartagena
Founded by Jesuits in the first half of the 17th century as Convento San Ignacio de Loyola, this convent later changed its name to honor Spanish-born monk…
Cartagena
On a 150m-high hill, the highest point in Cartagena, stands this convent. The views from here are outstanding and stretch all over the city. The convent's…
Cartagena
Work on Cartagena’s cathedral began in 1575, but in 1586, while still under construction, it was partly destroyed by the cannons of Francis Drake. The…
Cartagena
Previously known as Plaza de la Yerba, the triangular plaza just behind Puerta del Reloj was once used as a market for enslaved people. It is lined with…
Cartagena
Originally called the Boca del Puente, this was the main gateway to the inner walled town and was linked to Getsemaní by a drawbridge over the moat. The…
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Cartagena & Around
This intriguing 15m mound looks like a miniature volcano. However, instead of erupting with lava and ashes, it spews forth lukewarm mud that has the…
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Cartagena
Getsemaní, the outer walled town, is less obviously impressive than Cartagena's old city but has some charming parts and is well worth exploring. In…
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Cartagena
The Museum of Modern Art is a perfectly sized museum, housed in a beautifully converted part of the 17th-century former Royal Customs House. It presents…
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PNN Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo
Islas del Rosario
This collection of 27 white-sand coral islands is usually visited on a day trip by boat from Cartagena. While many of the islands are uninhabited, several…
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Cartagena
Formerly the Plaza de Inquisición, this leafy and shaded plaza is surrounded by some of the city's most elegant balconied colonial buildings. It's one of…
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Islas del Rosario
The smaller neighbor to Isla Grande has several stretches of gorgeous beach, a huge lagoon perfect for swimming, and a handful of hotels and guesthouses.
Cartagena
Reputedly the oldest church in the city, Santo Domingo was built in 1539 in Plaza de los Coches, but the original building succumbed to fire and the…
Cartagena
The Old Town is surrounded by Las Murallas, the thick walls built to protect it. Construction was begun toward the end of the 16th century after the…
Cartagena
This museum is like a miniature version of Bogotá's world-class gold museum, the Museo del Oro. Though small, it offers a fascinating collection of the…
Cartagena
For adventurous souls only, Cartagena's labyrinthine central market, 4km outside the old city walls, is both dirty and enthralling – an all-out assault on…
Cartagena
The monument at the main entrance to the Old Town from the mainland is a tribute to the Carib people, the group that inhabited this land before the…
Cartagena
This is the largest and oldest square in the Old Town and was used as a parade ground. In colonial times all the important governmental and administrative…
Iglesia de la Santísima Trinidad
Cartagena
This church dates from 1600 and definitely looks like it, with peeling painted walls and a rather gloriously ramshackle air. While the church itself is…
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Cartagena
This charming mansion, just outside the walls of Las Bóvedas, was the home of the former president, lawyer and poet Rafael Núñez. He wrote the words of…
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Iglesia de Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo
Cartagena
Erected between 1666 and 1732, this gorgeous church received a full renovation in 2015. Its ceiling is covered with Mudejar paneling, while its pink-and…
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Cartagena
Opened in 1992 on the 500th anniversary of Columbus' arrival in the New World, the Naval Museum occupies a great colonial building, which was once a…
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Isla de San Martín de Pajarales
Islas del Rosario
This tiny island is mainly visited because it's home to an aquarium and oceanarium where you can see captive dolphins, sharks and other sea creatures.
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Cartagena
The bóvedas are 23 dungeons built between 1792 and 1796 and hidden within the 15m-thick city walls. They were the last major construction project carried…
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Fuerte de San Sebastián del Pastelillo
Cartagena
This fort, on the western end of Manga Island, was constructed in the middle of the 16th century as one of the town's first defense posts. It's quite…
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Muelle Turístico de la Bodeguita
Cartagena
Often incorrectly referred to as Pegasos (given the close proximity of that site), this is the old port of Cartagena, on the Bahía de las Ánimas. Not much…
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Muelle Turístico de los Pegasos
Cartagena
Muelle de los Pegasos is Cartagena's lovely old port on the Bahía de las Ánimas. It's invariably full of fishing, cargo and tourist boats.
