Welcome to
Cartagena
Colombia
Cartagena is one of the best-preserved colonial cities in the Americas — a walled Caribbean port whose pastel-coloured streets, flower-draped balconies, and 16th-century fortifications create a setting of extraordinary romance. The Castillo San Felipe de Barajas is one of the greatest Spanish fortifications in the New World, built to defend the city's status as the primary port for New World gold flowing back to Spain. Beyond the old town walls, the beaches of the Rosario Islands and the Afro-Caribbean culture of Palenque — the first free African town in the Americas — add layers of history and beauty to what is already one of South America's most captivating destinations.
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Bocagrande
Cartagena's modern beach strip where city life meets the Caribbean.
Castillo San Felipe de Barajas
A 400-year-old hilltop fortress that still feels genuinely impregnable.
Clock Tower
The grand gateway that has welcomed visitors to Cartagena's walled city for centuries.
Convento de la Popa
Cartagena's highest point, with a 400-year-old convent and jaw-dropping bay views.
Las Murallas
Four miles of colonial fortifications that kept empires at bay for centuries.
Old Town Cartagena
Four centuries of Caribbean history wrapped in coral-stone walls and bougainvillea.
Palacio de la Inquisición
Where the Spanish Inquisition kept its darkest records — and its most beautiful façade.
Plaza de Bolívar Cartagena
The colonial heart of Cartagena, where history and daily life collide.
Rosario Islands
Coral reefs, turquoise water, and total escape from the mainland.
Walled City
A 400-year-old fortified city you can walk around in an afternoon.
Why should you go to Cartagena
What other travelers have to say, based on real reviews.