Cartagena (Colombia)

21 June 2025

In so many ways, greater Cartagena is much like any other sizeable South American city we had visited, especially ports – bustling, colourful, noisy and, in places best avoided by tourists, potentially even a little bit nasty. With a population of almost one million, its streets are clogged with traffic, its skies are scraped by high-rise hotels and offices. And its cracked footpaths are crowded with people selling everything from papayas to newspapers and lottery tickets to live-saving medicines.

The principal attraction is the old town, particularly the inner walled town, consisting of the historical districts of El Centro and San Diego. It's one of finest examples of preserved colonial architecture in the Americas, packed with churches, monasteries, plazas, palaces and mansions with their famous overhanging balconies and shady patios

Founded in 1533 by the Spanish, Cartagena swiftly became every greedy pirate's greatest bounty. The Spanish stored the gold they stole from raids into Colombia's rich interior here before sending it home to Europe. An 11km wall – Las Murallas - was built to protect the town from invaders and it worked. Cartagena held out against all aggressors, even staving off the second-biggest English siege in history (behind only D-day). Today it’s possible to walk along large stretches of these magnificent structures, with wonderful sea views and a cooling sea breeze.

Originally settled by ancient warrior-Indians, Cartagena later became a major slaving port (today 15 per cent of its inhabitants are descendants of Africans). The city has survived conquest, by the Spanish, siege and starvation, floods and fires, revolution and, most memorably, disease. The fiercest epidemic, which wiped out a third of Cartagena’s population in the 19th century, provides the backdrop for the novel Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

It lies, hidden to visitors at first glance, within the walls of Las Murallas. Thick, broad walls that are still dotted with black cannons, built to protect a city that bristles with lines of fortifications. The greatest fortress ever built by the Spaniards in any of their colonies, the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas still dominates an entire section of Cartagena's cityscape. The original edifice was quite small, dating from 1630 and in 1762 an extensive enlargement was undertaken.

The best way to experience the Old Town is to wander in leisurely fashion, savouring the architectural details, street life and local snacks along the way. The best time, to escape the humidity, associated with almost constant 30C heat, is either at dawn or even better, at dusk, to see the red sun set and the moon come up.

Music seeps from every open pore of the Old Town; it starts around sunset when the Old Town emerges from its long siesta under cover of darkness, then wafts on the sea breeze until it reaches its crescendo some time after midnight. Samba beats float between five-centuries-old Spanish colonial buildings, scaling bougainvillea-shrouded balconies, passing endless tiny cafes where tables sprawl out on cobbled streets. People seem intoxicated by it - in parks, residents of every age dance frenetic salsa with it in their ears.

Cartagena is that kind of town, it draws you in. Actually, it is more of a movie set (over 50 movies have been filmed here) with the coral, brick and limestone fortress walls that encircle it, shielding it from the outside world, and the kind of history you just wouldn't believe.

To enter the Old Town is to explore a different time and space, a mazy, make-believe place, where every street, every corner offers a pleasant surprise. Vibrant colours, cobbled streets, balconies overflowing with flowers, gracious old mansions, many of them now hotels. Horse-drawn carriages competing with yellow taxis for street space. Stylish seafood restaurants, churches, art galleries and museums. Yes, truly intoxicating indeed.  

Perhaps Cartagena's special magic comes from the confluence of Afro-Caribbean, indigenous and Spanish influences, which are reflected in the music, food, art and daily life of the city. 

The first city founded by the Spanish in South America was also the last one we would visit on this 3-month tour. We had inadvertently followed the itinerary of the Spanish conquest in reverse. What we had learnt was that the Spanish influence is still very extensive on that continent, impacting language, religion, and culture. Spanish is the dominant language, while the Roman Catholic religion is prevalent, and Spanish culture is deeply intertwined with indigenous and African traditions in areas like art, music, food, and customs.

Their influence also includes the introduction of new agricultural techniques, livestock, and a hierarchical social and political structure. However, it has been accompanied by significant and often devastating consequences for indigenous populations, such as disease, forced labour, and the destruction of existing societies. 

While we saw many, magical natural wonders on our voyage in South America, what was truly memorable  was when we could spend some time  with descendants of the ancient civilizations that preceded the Europeans, to learn about their history, their culture and their struggle for equality in a world that is no longer their own.