By air
Rafael Núñez International (CTG), ~3 km
South America · Colombia
Cartagena, Colombia
A walled Caribbean city of colour
Getting there
Best time to visit
December to April — dry season
Don't miss
The walled city
Castillo San Felipe de Barajas
The Clock Tower
Getsemaní
Things to do
Walking the old city walls
The Rosario Islands
Castillo San Felipe
Where to eat
What to pack
Light clothes, swimwear
A quieter corner
The Totumo mud volcano, an hour away
Questions travellers ask
When is the dry season in Cartagena?
December to April. Pack light clothes and swimwear.
How close is the airport to Cartagena?
Rafael Núñez International (CTG) is about 3 km away.
What are Cartagena's highlights?
Walk the old city walls, then explore the walled city, the Clock Tower and Getsemaní. Castillo San Felipe de Barajas and the Rosario Islands deserve time too.
Is there an unusual side trip from Cartagena?
The Totumo mud volcano, an hour away. Back in the city, snack on arepas de huevo, ceviche and fresh fruit.
About Cartagena
- Coastal
Where it is
Cartagena, the capital of the Bolívar department on Colombia's Caribbean coast, is built around a bay sheltered by islands and peninsulas, with its walled old town facing the open sea and the Rosario Islands offshore.
History
Pedro de Heredia founded Cartagena in 1533 on the site of the Indigenous village of Calamarí, and it became a key port of the Spanish empire, shipping silver to Spain and receiving enslaved Africans. After Francis Drake captured and ransomed it in 1586 it was ringed with walls and forts, which withstood a large British siege in 1741; the city declared independence in 1811, and its walled city and fortress became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.
People
Cartageneros speak Caribbean Colombian Spanish, and the city's culture blends African, Indigenous and Spanish roots, heard in champeta, cumbia and vallenato. San Basilio de Palenque, some 50 km away and described by UNESCO as the first free African town in the Americas, still speaks its own creole language, Palenquero.
Known for
- The walled old city
- Castillo San Felipe de Barajas
- Getsemaní's street art and plazas
- The Rosario Islands
- Palenqueras selling fruit in bright dresses
Did you know?
Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, on a hill above the city, is one of the greatest fortresses Spain built in its colonies, and in 1741 it helped repel a British attack led by Admiral Edward Vernon.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.