This list of the best places to visit in Cartagena de Indias It will help you prepare your trip and the route they say, it is the most beautiful and famous city in Colombia.
Located on the north coast of the country and known as "The Heroic City", Cartagena de Indias was founded by Pedro de Heredia in 1533, becoming one of the most important ports of the Spanish empire. Much of the wealth of this era was invested in increasing its cultural and architectural heritage with authentic colonial jewels that are spread throughout its walled historic center, declared a World Heritage Site.
In addition to visiting all points of interest and getting lost in the streets of the old town, one of the Top things to do in Cartagena de Indias It is to taste the delicious Caribbean food in its best restaurants and enjoy the great atmosphere in squares and places.
On security issues we can confirm that it is one of the safest cities in Colombia and from all of South America, having a great police presence, especially inside the walls, which allows you to travel it day and night with total peace of mind.
Based on the experience of the 4 days we spent in the city during our trip to Colombia in 46 days, we have made this list of what we think are the 10 essential places to see in Cartagena de Indias. We start!
1. Cars Square
The Plaza de los Autos is next to the Clock Tower, the gateway to the walled city and one of the prettiest squares to visit in Cartagena de Indias.
Formerly known as the "Slave Square" for being the place of sale of slaves that arrived from Africa, it has in the center a statue of Pedro de Heredia and is surrounded by beautiful colonial palaces.
Its most prominent buildings are the Clock Tower, one of the most beautiful we have seen, and the Portal de los Dulces, a porticoed street with colorful colonial houses where delicious sweets are sold on the ground floor.
To get the best perspective of the square you can go up to the terrace of the Juan Valdez coffee shops where you can also enjoy a good Colombian coffee and its free Wi-Fi.
A good way to know the history of the city and not miss anything important is to book this full tour with tickets or this free tour of Cartagena de Indias Free!, Both with a guide in Spanish.
Cars Square
2. Walls
The old town is surrounded by an impressive wall that was built as a defense against the constant attacks of pirates and privateers from Europe, such as the famous Francis Drake.
One of the Top things to do in Cartagena de Indias It is to take a walk at sunset for the 11 kilometers that remain of the wall complemented by bastions and fortifications that were completed in 1796 after two centuries of construction.
Among the most interesting bastions are that of San Francisco Javier, San Ignacio, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Santa Catalina and Santo Domingo, the most famous, from which you can watch the sunset over the Caribbean Sea while listening Chill out music at Café del Mar, a famous place that gets used to filling every afternoon, so you have to arrive early enough to get one of the front-line tables.
From all this part of the wall you also have views of the most modern part of the city where its skyscrapers stand out.
Another interesting area of the walls are Las Vaults located between the bastion of Santa Clara and Santa Catalina, and were used as an armory and prison years ago.
Wall, one of the places to see in Cartagena de Indias
3. Gethsemane Neighborhood
Gethsemane, located on the outskirts of the walled city, is the most picturesque and our favorite to visit in Cartagena de Indias.
Strolling through the alleys of colorful houses and urban art, you will find the true essence of the city where locals chat in front of their houses, children play in the streets, vendors push their carts full of fruits and local businesses They prosper by leaps and bounds.
Although the atmosphere is more relaxed and there are fewer tourists than in the historic center, this bohemian neighborhood is becoming more fashionable and many travelers are staying in its beautiful hostels and enjoy its varied offer of bars and restaurants.
The nerve center of Gethsemane is located in the Plaza de La Trinidad, surrounded by terraces and the Church of the Trinity, which is the meeting point for locals and tourists at sunset.
In addition to enjoying the great atmosphere of this square, we advise you to visit San Antonio, Sierpe, Narrow Alley, San Juan, Holy Spirit and Tripita and Media streets, all full of graffiti , flags or umbrellas that make them the more instagramers streets to see in Cartagena de Indias.
Another of the best things to do in this neighborhood is to get close to the beautiful Plazoleta del Pozo, which formerly supplied this area of the city with water.
A good way to know the history of this neighborhood and not miss any magic corner is to book this free tour of Gethsemane Free!
Gethsemane Neighborhood
Our recommended hotel in Cartagena de IndiasOur recommended accommodation in Cartagena de Indias is Casa Venita Hostal Boutique, a small paradise in the charming Getsemaní neighborhood, located 10 minutes walk from the old town. In addition to its excellent location, this hotel has a delicious breakfast, good internet connection and airport transfer.
4. Castle of San Felipe de Barajas
Another of the Top things to do in Cartagena de Indias It is to climb the Castle of San Felipe de Barajas, built on the hill of San Lázaro in 1657 by the Spanish.
This enormous fortification was built to protect the city from the attacks of the English and French by land and was included, next to the walled city, in the list of Unesco World Heritage.
Consider as one of the seven wonders of ColombiaInside the castle you can see original canyons, a network of tunnels and incredible views of the city and the entire Caribbean environment.
A few meters from the castle, is the beautiful monument to the old shoes in honor of the local poet Luis Carlos López and his poem "To my native city", which we recommend not to miss.
If it is very hot we recommend you arrive at the castle by taxi, taking into account that all trips around the city are priced between 8000 and 1000 pesos (less than 3 euros).
Another good option if you do not have much time is to book the tourist bus that stops at this castle and in the most important points of interest in Cartagena.
Visiting hours: every day from 8 am to 6 pm.
San Felipe de Barajas Castle
5. Bolivar Park, one of the places to visit in Cartagena de Indias
Going down the beautiful street of the Church and surrounded by impressive colonial houses with wooden balconies, you will arrive at the Parque de Bolívar, another of the most beautiful places to see in Cartagena de Indias.
This urban park located in the heart of the old town with an equestrian statue of El Libertador Simón Bolívar in the middle, is surrounded by several important buildings such as the Cathedral of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the Gold Museum and the Palace of the Inquisition.
The Cathedral is the most important religious building to visit in Cartagena de Indias and stands out for its colorful dome and a sober interior.
The Palace of the Inquisition, built in the 18th century as the seat of the Court of the Inquisition, has been operating as a Museum and Historical Archive for years, containing extensive documentation and ancient objects that allow you to take a walk through the city's history.
The Gold Museum contains an important collection of gold and ceramics from the main pre-Columbian cultures such as the indigenous Zenú.
Cathedral hours: Monday to Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 12:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sunday from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Opening hours of the Palace of the Inquisition: every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., except Sundays that opens from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Gold Museum Hours: Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm, on Saturdays it closes at 1 pm.
Church Street
6. San Diego Neighborhood
Get lost in the colorful streets San Diego neighborhood is another of the best things to do in Cartagena de Indias.
This stately neighborhood that preserves impressive houses of the colonial era with elegant windows and balconies full of flowers, revolves around the beautiful squares of Jose Fernandez de Madrid and San Diego.
In addition to walking through the streets located around these two squares such as the beautiful Garage of the Hobo, we recommend you to try a good ceviche in the popular Cevichería, the most modern kitchen in Moshi or the local dishes of the Internal Restaurant, located in the women's prison from San Diego and that in addition to good food, has a social and integration function.
Other important places to visit in this neighborhood are the house of Gabriel García Márquez, the emblematic Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Hotel and the Church of Santo Toribio.
San Diego neighborhood
7. Customs Square
Walking a few meters from the Plaza de los Autos and passing in front of the Portal de los Dulces, you will arrive at the Plaza de la Aduana, the oldest and one of the most beautiful places to visit in Cartagena de Indias.
This elegant square welcomes you with a statue of Christopher Columbus and with the imposing colonial building of the Customs House, current seat of the City Hall and communicates with that of San Pedro Claver, where the church of the same name is located, another of the most important religious buildings to see in Cartagena de Indias.
Here you can also see a statue of San Pedro Claver, a Jesuit missionary who helped the slaves who arrived at the black port, and the original scrap figures made by the sculptor Edgardo Carmona.
In these two places it is usual to find palanqueras, dressed in the colors of the Colombian flag and with a plate with fruits on the head, that proudly show their African roots and that for a small tip, allow you to take a picture with them.
If you are a group it may be interesting to book this private tour with a guide in Spanish in which you can design the itinerary to your liking and learn more about the great history of this city.
San Pedro Claver, one of the places to visit in Cartagena de Indias
8. Other things to see and do in the Walled City
Other things to do in Cartagena de Indias within the Walled City They are:
- Reach the Santa Teresa Park where the Naval Museum and a luxurious hotel are located.
- Stop in front of the houses of Count Pestagua and Marqués De Valdehoyos, two of the best examples of colonial buildings in the city.
- Enter the Church of Santo Domingo, the oldest one to visit in Cartagena de Indias, and see the voluminous statue of Botero located in front of the church.
- If you want any quality souvenirs we recommend you buy in the stores of the brand Territory, which has become our favorite of the city.
- Another of the Top things to do in Cartagena de Indias It is to order the traveler's ceviche and suckling rice in the Mar y Zielo restaurant, our best gastronomic experience in the city.
- Other restaurants we recommend to try Colombian and Caribbean food are: Candé, Espiritu Santo and La Mulatam, all of them culinary experiences.
Walled city
Recommended travel cardsRemember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
9. Things to do in Cartagena de Indias outside the walls
Other places to see in Cartagena de Indias outside the walls They are:
- See the Rafael Núñez House Museum, where this writer, author of the lyrics of the national anthem of Colombia and president of the country resided four times.
- Approaching the bronze sculpture of India Catalina, a key indigenous woman in the miscegenation of this area and who was a translator of Pedro de Heredia.
- Book this cruise with dinner or this boat trip at sunset to enjoy the bay of Cartagena.
- Another of the Top things to do in Cartagena de Indias It is to take a taxi to Cerro de Popa, to visit the beautiful Convent of La Popa and enjoy the panoramic views of the city.
- Reach Bazurto Market to find the most local Cartagena and the charm of chaos.
- Book the famous tour of the rumba in Cartagena, where you will enjoy a party aboard a chiva rumbera, the typical Colombian bus.
- Stroll at sunset on the boardwalk or take a dip in the beaches of Bocagrande, the area where the most expensive hotels are concentrated.
Big Mouth
10. Excursions in Cartagena de Indias
After completing the list of places to visit in Cartagena de Indias And if you still have time, we advise you to do some of the day trips recommended by travelers visiting the city.
- Book the excursion to Playa Blanca, where you can bathe in the Caribbean beaches located on the island of Barú.
- Take the luminescence tour to see how the plankton illuminates at night.
- Book this excursion to Santa Marta and Barranquilla with a guide in Spanish to learn more about the history of these two cities that have a great historical and monumental heritage.
- Take this excursion to Pirate Island, a small paradise located in the beautiful National Park of the Coral Islands of the Rosario.
If you feel like helping us complete the list of the 10 places to visit in Cartagena de Indias essential, add yours in the comments.
