• sunset cruise on a sailboat
    Provided by: Nicole Chen/unsplash.com

Our travel guides are free to read and explore online. If you want to get your own copy, the full travel guide for this destination is available to you offline* to bring along anywhere or print for your trip.​

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Cartagena Walled City

Cartagena Walled City

Enclosed within a protective wall reaching up to 20 m in width, the Ciudad Amurallada (or "Walled City") is Cartagena's old beating heart. Packed with well-preserved colonial buildings, it's a pleasure to stroll through; its streets of colourful low-rise merchant homes marked by iconic balconies are now mostly walked by either tourists or students who attend classes at the University of Cartagena during the day and linger for meals and nightlife after school is out. Cafes in Plaza Aduana and Plaza Santo Domingo teem with patrons, forging an incredibly jovial atmosphere; the districts of San Diego and El Centro are two not to be missed. There is plenty of food and shopping to be had, with a mixed bag of world-class restaurants and street food hawkers and the incredibly photogenic palenqueras — women dressed in vibrantly coloured clothing selling fruit in the streets — images of whom have become emblematic of Colombia as a travel destination.
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Bazurto Market

Bazurto Market

While seasoned travellers may venture into Cartagena's gritty Bazurto Market on their own, those not yet toughened by locals-only markets of the region may prefer to explore as part of a guided tour. This sprawling market, where trade starts before the crack of dawn, features incredibly fresh produce and seafood from Cartagena and beyond; much of it makes its way to the tables of local fine dining establishments within the space of the same day. There is plenty to look at and taste, including local street food and multiple succulent varieties of tropical fruit you're unlikely to have encountered before.
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Palace of Inquisition

Palace of Inquisition

This beautiful example of Spanish colonial architecture contains a small museum dedicated to the Spanish Inquisition's brutal persecution of heretics once carried out in these very chambers. Visitors can still see some of the torture devices used to extract confessions of heresy and witchcraft, along with some of the questions used in "witch" interrogations, which are still displayed on the museum wall. Needless to say, no prisoner could hope to be acquitted of their purported crimes against the Catholic Church, and most met their tragic end at the very guillotine still on display in the courtyard.
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Convent of Santa Cruz de la Popa

Convent of Santa Cruz de la Popa

Visible from almost everywhere in Cartagena, the Convent of Santa Cruz de la Popa all the way up the a 150-meter hill known as Mt. Popa. The hill got its name for resembling a poop deck of a ship. After four centuries of varied history, the convent itself is now open as a religious museum. From the top Mt. Popa you’ll get the best panoramic views of Cartagena and its beaches. The fastest and least stressful way up the hill is with a taxi (be sure to haggle on the price). An important tip : if you take a taxi or a car service to this location, pay them a few pesos to wait for you to drive you back. The taxis on top are all already "reserved" and Uber drivers are not eager to drive all the way to the top to pick you up.
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Rosario Islands

Rosario Islands

Just an hour's boat trip away from Cartagena lie the magnificent Rosario Islands, which belong to Colombia's only underwater natural park (the Rosario and San Bernardo Corals National Natural Park). Abundant marine wildlife (including over 50 species of corals) and some of Colombia's best beaches draw in many in search of relaxation and active pursuits such as snorkelling and diving. Isla Grande is best for kayaking through unique mangrove forests and seeing the phosphorescent plankton light up the waters of a brackish lake at night, while Playa Blanca is Cartagena's most spectacular white-sand beach (also reachable by land). It should be said that the company you choose to tour with has the potential to make or break the experience. Low cost tours can mean multiple intermediate stops en route to your destination, as well as unpleasant surprises such as no transfer back to your hotel. Try and choose a trusted company with consistently good reviews, or opt for a private tour. Mind that seas may be rough at certain times of the year, particularly in December and January, when tours on smaller boats may even become dangerous.
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La Boquilla and the Mangroves

La Boquilla and the Mangroves

The mangrove tunnels of nearby La Boquilla are an easy day trip from Cartagena. Guided tours will often combine a visit to the beach (one of the Playas De La Boquilla) with a boat or canoe tour of the mangroves, passing through Cienaga de Juan Polo and the Cienaga de la Virgen lagoons. Some tours will also include a closer encounter with local fishermen and offer insight into their craft. La Boquilla is an area of contrasts: the district of upscale hotels — Morros — borders on humble neighbourhoods populated by workers. When sitting down to tuck into no-frills seafood dishes served up by local eateries, make sure you're clear about the price of each item ordered from the get-go, as there have been reports of "surprise" bills amounting to several hundred US dollars.
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San Basilio de Palenque

San Basilio de Palenque

Once the first free settlement in the Americas founded by those who escaped slavery during the colonial period, the town of San Basilio de Palenque still stands today, and with it the unique culture of its inhabitants. A portion of the population still speaks palenquero, a creole tongue that emerged from a mix of several European and African languages, now used almost exclusively in San Basilio de Palenque. Music and dance occupy a place of paramount importance in residents' lives, with the Drums and Cultural Expressions Festival held annually in October. The palenque cuisine deserves a separate mention — a culinary tradition upheld by inhabitants of a small Colombian village has garnered international acclaim, with a cookbook written in the town receiving the highest prize at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in 2014. If your schedule happens to be too tight for a dedicated day trip (which earns our highest recommendation), try some of the tropical fruit sold by palenqueras in downtown Cartagena. The village was named Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005.
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Sunset Cruise

Sunset Cruise

It would be a shame to be on the Caribbean coast and not take a boat ride out to sea. One of the best ways to enjoy a bit of naval activity and get ready for a fun night ahead is to take a romantic boat trip at sunset. The trips usually depart around 4:30 pm and give you a couple of hours under the sails. Enjoy magnificent views of the city skyline, with plenty of time to take photos in the golden hour, enjoy the snacks and drinks on offer, or just sit back and watch the sun dive into the Caribbean waters.
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