Categories: Colombia

What to do in Cartagena de Indias: 7 must-see panoramas

Walking through Cartagena de Indias is like being transported to one of Gabriel García Márquez’s novels or to the chronicles of the Spanish conquistadors during colonization; Its streets exude history and magical realism in equal parts. The Colombian city, bathed by the waters of the Caribbean Sea, is an ideal destination for vacations all year round. In case you are still thinking about it, here we tell you what to do in Cartagena de Indias.

Stroll through the streets of the walled city

The city of Cartagena de Indias was built surrounded by a wall, but with the passage of time the population grew and began to be built outside it. However, what is now known as the “walled city” is still the most charming area in all of Cartagena. Just to see the colorful houses and balconies full of plants it is worth walking from end to end of this city.

In addition, here you will find different places to visit such as the Museum of the Inquisition, the Church of San Pedro Claver or the Clock Tower, which we will tell you about later.

How to get to the walled city: depending on where your hotel is located, you will be inside or outside the walled city. If you are outside, you can walk there from practically anywhere in Cartagena, so you can take the opportunity to get to know the city in depth.

Museum of the Inquisition

The horrendous history of the Inquisition also has a large chapter in Cartagena de Indias. King Philip III was in charge of establishing the Tribunal of the Inquisition in 1610 in this city and it functioned until 1821, when Colombia was consolidated as a country.

These more than 200 years of bloody history are collected in the Museum of the Inquisition, located in the same palace where these tortures were carried out. The visit gives you goosebumps but it is one of the essentials to learn about an essential part of the history of Cartagena de Indias.

How to get to the Museum of the Inquisition: The Museum of the Inquisition is located inside the walled city, in Plaza Bolívar. The price of general admission is 11,000 Colombian pesos (less than 3 dollars), with a discount for children and seniors.

Getsemaní Neighborhood

Getsemaní is the trendy bohemian neighborhood in Cartagena and an essential place to have a few beers when the afternoon falls and enjoy food from different countries. The atmosphere is super entertaining, always with many tourists and music in the streets, decorated in all colors with murals and other creative items.

We recommend you walk around Getsemaní calmly, appreciating each of its details and enjoying a coconut drink on any of its terraces, an outdoor zumba class and totally free or any of its exquisite restaurants.

A very good way to learn more about this neighborhood and its stories is with the Getsmaní Neighborhood Free Tour that you can find in Denomades.

How to get to the Getsemaní neighborhood: the Getsemaní neighborhood is just a few steps from the walled city, so you don’t need any means of transportation to get there, you can do it on foot.

Try the street arepas

Colombian or Venezuelan? Depending on where you are, they will tell you that the arepa is of one origin or another, but the important thing is that wherever they are from, this dish is one of the most delicious in the area. In Cartagena you will find street stalls with arepas of different flavors, both carnivorous and vegetarian. It will become your favorite moment of the day on your vacation in this city!

Where to find street arepas in Cartagena: as we told you, there are different stalls scattered throughout the city. One of the most special places to taste one is in front of the Clock Tower, one of the most representative monuments of Cartagena de Indias.

Clock Tower

The importance of the Clock Tower goes far beyond its architecture. This place bears witness to the history of Cartagena de Indias, as it was the main gateway to the walled city.

Slave traders roamed around here, taking African citizens from one place to another who arrived in Cartagena and who were sold to the wealthiest families in the city. Now, this place is the meeting point of tourists and Carthaginians and is still the main entrance to the walled city.

How to get to the Clock Tower: The Clock Tower is located in the southern part of the walled city and you can easily reach it on foot. You can also visit it on our Cartagena City Tour, which also covers other points such as the areas of Bocagrande, Laguito and Castillo Grande.

Rosario and San Bernardo Coral Islands National Natural Park

The inhabitants of Cartagena are lucky enough to live in a city bathed by the waters of the Caribbean, which gives them paradisiacal white sand beaches and turquoise waters. However, this area of northern Colombia is super touristy, so the beaches are usually crowded with people.

To avoid accumulations, a good option is to go to the Rosario and San Bernardo Coral Islands National Natural Park, a destination with 27 islands full of corals and mangroves. Here you can relax on Caribbean beaches and explore their depths by scuba diving. A seascape you’ll never forget!

How to get to the Corales del Rosario and San Bernardo Islands National Natural Park: to get to this paradise you can take a boat at the La Bodeguita pier, on Blas de Lezo Avenue. The tour lasts between one and two hours, depending on the boat. You can also take our tours where you can choose the modality that best suits you, and choose to go by catamaran, bus or boat.

House of Gabriel García Márquez

It is impossible to walk through Cartagena de Indias and not imagine Florentino Ariza, the protagonist of Love in the Time of Cholera, sitting in the doorways of the walled city writing his famous love letters. Or Fermina Daza inside one of its countless colonial houses.

For this reason, an unmissable moment for fans of García Márquez’s literature is to go to the house where the writer lived in Cartagena, overlooking the Caribbean, sit in front of it and begin to imagine what day-to-day life was like here. Although it can only be seen from the outside, without entering it, imagining everything that García Márquez created inside makes the heart fill with joy.

How to get to Gabriel García Márquez’s house: this building is located in the walled city, on Zerrezuela Street, next to the wall and on the shores of the Caribbean.

At Denomades you can find a free tour that runs through the San Diego neighborhood while listening to great stories of Gabriel García Márquez.

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