We flew from the rainy highlands of Bogota to arrive in the scorching heat of the Caribe Colombian Coast in Cartagena. Although Boca Grande is very popular among Colombian tourists for its beaches and high rise resorts, we chose to spend two days in El Centro, Cartagena to experience the old town feel rather than its beaches. Thank god we splurged the extra $10 for AC in our hotel or we would have died of heat!
We spent the first afternoon visiting the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, just outside of the walled-in old town city. The fort was one of the only sites that we chose to see in the city, among its many churches and museums. It was worth listening to the audio tour and seeing the construction of the fort and its many tunnels. Unfortunately, we were a bit preoccupied with how hot it was by the end of our one hour tour!
The rest of the day was spent pasearing through old town. Although Cartagena is over 1 million people, the old town is quite a small area. I think after two days we saw every plaza and street, and walked the entire circumference of the wall. The architecture and colonial feel are unique and beautiful. Despite its beauty, Cartagena is also quite touristy and probably one of the few locations in Colombia frequented by American tours (or cruise ships). This also means the city is a bit overpriced and overly touristy at times. All in all, it definitely was worth two days of our vacation.
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| Plaza de Bolivar in Cartagena...I think every town in Colombia has a Plaza Bolivar! |
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| Colonial street in "Old City" Cartagena. The architecture, craftsmanship and colors are amazing in this city. |
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| Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas. This fort was constructed by the Spaniards in the 1600s on a hill behind Cartagena. It is a bit hard to understand why the walled city of Cartagena sits between the sea and this castle. How did they possibly defend the city?! It was also so hot while we were walking around this cement structure, that it was difficult to concentrate on the audio tour... |
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| More of the Castle.The upright cannon was positioned so that ropes and pulleys could be used to leverage heavy loads to the top of the ramp. There were also extensive underground tunnels and barracks which were used for storage, sleeping and a last line of defense. |
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| View of Castillo from below. |
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| Enjoying drinks and a sunset at Cafe del Mar. This restaurant is situated on a portion of the city wall that is perfectly positioned for sunset and views of the upscale resort area of Boca Grande (distant left). |
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| Plaza San Pedro. There are many quaint plazas around the "Old City" of Cartagena. This is where we had dinner on our first night - a seafood/thai fusion restaurant recommended to us by our good friend Jose from Lima! |
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| Horse rides are the thing to do in Cartagena. Although super touristy, the city has a special character to it, not found elsewhere in Colombia. |
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