CartagenaTravel Guide

A UNESCO-listed colonial old town ringed by 16th-century fortifications, its pastel balconied houses and horse-drawn carriages making it one of the best-preserved colonial cities in the Americas.

A once-rough neighbourhood just outside the walls, now covered in murals and strung with umbrellas over its plazas — Cartagena's most photographed, and most nightlife-heavy, district.

The largest Spanish fort ever built in the Americas, with a maze of tunnels designed so sound would carry to warn of approaching enemies — climb to the top for views over the whole city.

A coral archipelago an hour by boat from Cartagena, with clear water for snorkelling — most tours combine a couple of islands with beach time and lunch.

A bar built into the old city walls at Baluarte de Santo Domingo, the classic spot to watch the sun set over the Caribbean with a drink in hand.

A grand colonial palace that once housed the Spanish Inquisition's tribunal for the region, its museum displaying original torture instruments alongside the city's pre-Columbian and colonial history.

Cartagena's modern high-rise beach district, more resort-like and less atmospheric than the old town but the easiest beach access without a boat trip.

A row of vaulted former military storerooms and dungeons built into the city wall, now converted into souvenir shops and small galleries.

One of the walled city's liveliest squares, home to a leaning bell tower and a bronze Botero sculpture ("La Gorda Gertrudis") — busy with street performers into the evening.

A small volcano outside the city filled with warm therapeutic mud instead of lava — visitors float rather than sink, and a nearby lagoon is used to rinse off afterward.